When it comes to the media, championships mean everything. That's why nobody ever lists him as hands down the best center to ever play the game, he "only" won two. He is however one of the only foreign players to lead his team to a ring.
Mutombo was pretty good in his prime. We saw the 42(?) year old Deke. When he was in Denver and Philly he was an All-Star
He started playing in the NBA at like 32... He is best remembered for being at the receiving end of a Sheed tantrum.
Sabonis is probably the best Euro player of all-time, the guy was a true STUD. Problem is he came to the league to late in his career and then got hurt, IIRC. If that guy had arrived 10 years earlier, he would have been talked about as one of the NBA's all-time greats.
I agree. One of the best ever at any position, certainly one of the best 3-4 centers ever. Someone once told me, "Hakeem Olajuwon is only the second-best Muslim center ever in NBA history." (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, I assume, is first?)
Well-played, good sir! And for Ewing, how many league MVPs? And how many Finals MVPs? My memory's a bit rusty, I apologize.
bothers me to see Hakeem be relegated to the best "foreign" player ever. he was one of the best to ever step on the court. The only player better than him in his era was Jordan. Not Robinson, Not Duncan, not Shaq. We all say Hakeem out play Robinson and Shaq. Hakeem not only routinely drew TRIPLE teams, but he managed to score anyway. He is everything Lebron is not. He stuck it out and carried a bunch of role players to a championship. He did not have Pippen, he did not have Kobe, he did not have a Tony Parker or even a Manu Genobli. He did not have another great player when he won his first ring. He did it alone. No other player has been dominate in so many categories. He didn't have a weakness to his game. The only thing that bothered him was altitude and fasting. He was quick as a cat, strong as an ox, and jumped like a kangaroo. He recorded more blocks than anyone. On the top list of points and rebounds. He had more steals than any other big man and most guards - ranking on the top 10 all-time list. He could pass, dribble, and drive. And he had a feathery touch you don't see with any big man today. And the moves...the spins and fakes that just left his opponents looking like they were defending an imaginary man. All of this in a man 6'10". How can that not be measured as greatness? Maybe I am a homer, but geez, am I blind or do others just have a hard time seeing what sticks out to be the obvious?
