Not that i'm accusing Hakeem of anything, but i always get the feeling that it's not just the Asthma that's really slowing him down. The way he played last year showed no heart. he seems to have lost the desire. the desire to win. maybe he's satisfied with what he's done in his career. Don't get me wrong guys. i love Hakeem and has always been my favorite player and the main reason i love basketball and the Rockets. But don't you guys think he's lost the desire to win? Do you think that an asthma back in the championship days would've slowed him down??? i dont think so. Hakeem could dominate even if he had an asthma if he HAD the will. i recall the days where he used to play throughout the season for one whole month without eating or drinking till sunset. Did that slow him down?...not a bit! Do you remember his great game against Michael Jordan and the Bulls back in 1997 where he had like 32 pts and 16 rebs. he played that game without water nor food. nothing ever seemed to slow him down back in the days where the Rockets were contenders. is it really the asthma? or atleast JUST the asthma? I really hope im wrong, and that Hakeem is coming back for his final season to prove to everyone that Dreams don't die. i hope he proves me wrong. ------------------ How Sweet it is!
Errrrr . . . yes! You know, oxygen is pretty important for just about everybody including/especially athletes. You talk about heart, which is ironic, because the heart is an organ that pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs and then pumps the newly oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. So without enough oxygen, heart (literal or figurative) doesn't make that much of a difference. You might as well ask, "Do you think that a missing leg back in the championship days would've slowed him down???" I don't buy the he got married excuse (unless of course you're arguing that the young bride was tiring out his legs ), but you're right, it was close after our second championship that his game began to decline. Another significant event happened after our second championship also: the signing of Charles Barkley. With another strong low-post offensive presence that demanded the ball, I believe that Hakeem began to lose sense of what his role on the team really was and it only got worse as time went on. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Launch Pad (edited September 25, 2000).]
Launch Pad Asthmas are not as serious as you make them sound. I get them all the time. well twice actually but point is, the asthma is not enough reason for Hakeem's production last season. ------------------ How Sweet it is!
Isn't Hakeem's asthma a rare type that is hard to treat? ------------------ Miggidy Markell says: 1. Eastcoast is da sh*t 2. Rockets rule 3. Hip/Hop is dope 4. Buy the new Ruff Ryders album! Miggidy Markell is watching Stay STRAPPED & WATCH ya back or be Assimilated.
Remember, Hakeem didn't like taking his medicine, because it nauseated him. Also, there are varying degrees of asthma. Some aren't that big of a deal with treatment as simple as an inhaler; others can be quite debilitating. Unfortunately, I'm not sure we'll ever truly know how severe Hakeem's condition really was, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here's to hoping for a productive asthma-free year from the Dream . . . with heart ------------------
I think it's basically his age. You can just tell he doesn't get off the ground like he used to. Some athletes age better than others. Maybe if Hakeem was a fitness nut like Malone, he'd be still very dangerous. But we will never know. ------------------
From CD's report, it doesn't sound good. I have a feeling we won't be seeing much of Hakeem this year...pray to the Rocket Gods that I am wrong! ------------------ Too often, we lose sight of life's simple pleasures. Remember, when someone annoys you it takes 42 muscles in your face to frown, but it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and pimp-slap the mother****** upside the head!
RocketsPimp: What CD report??? I have been out of town for 5 days and have not heard anything. ------------------
this is the report OT http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/268/sports/The_power_is_pointing_in_one_direction_West%2b.shtml ------------------ How Sweet it is!
I've said for a while that Hakeem has lost the fire that set him apart for so long. I'm not saying that it's the only reason, but he got married soon after our second championship. It happens to the best of us, when you find contentment in in every facet of your life...personal, professional, spiritual...you become just that.....content. ------------------ Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead. No, wait, not me...you.
A good point on my marriage argument, Launch Pad. I was half joking. But only half. Barkley was a bad move. I may draw fire for saying that, but there it is. Oh, well, I'm not going to start that debate (I hope ). Water under the bridge. ------------------ Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead. No, wait, not me...you. [This message has been edited by Gascon (edited September 26, 2000).] [This message has been edited by Gascon (edited September 26, 2000).]
It would be a lot easier for me to swollow if it's just Dream's asthma that led to his play last year. However, what I saw was not just that ...... This offseason I not only followed the Rockets' roster move, but also reviewed some of the Rockets games I taped from last season. There were about 4 games (as far as I can remember) that I think Hakeem was playing fairly well, with 2 spectacular. He scored like 32 pts against SAC in the beginning of the season; then 14+ against PHO and Philly; then 21 against the Twin Tower. I saw Dream shakes, hooks, 15 foot jumpers, slam dunks, ...... from those 4 good games. Can the man still play at a competitive level? Hell YES! Then it comes the doubt: Had the asthma thing really affected his game that much? Defensively, he could still rebound and block shots, but at times I also saw him not jumping for rebounds and not hustling to defend. All the sudden, it looks like Air Bullard can jump higher than Dream can. With all that evidence I witnessed from last season, I'll still give Dream the benefit of doubt. But that's just not enough for him to go out as a GREAT player of all time. Sometimes I wish the players came to this site and read what we'd written. Dream, we all wish you the BEST. And we hope you go out of the basketball court reflecting what you've done in your past years. [This message has been edited by Rocketability (edited September 26, 2000).]
Well said Rocketability I think Rocket fans should hope he gets that fire or like Rudy says the "Killer instinct" back more than hoping he'd shake that asthma off. ------------------ How Sweet it is!
I have had asthma all my life. My dad and mom have asthma, my wife has asthma and my son has asthma. I have taken damn near anything that you can take for asthma. None of it makes you sick to your stomach. Everyone that I have asked about it has said the same thing. I love Dream but I think he is wussing out because of the rebuilding. He played with no heart, no desire, no anything. It really pissed me off. If you dont want to play or if you dont want to help rebuild then retire. Dont come back. He has his championships and if he isnt contending then he doesnt care. And that is understandable after all of those years. It would suck to play all of those games and travel for months to know that you aernt fighting for something. He isnt going to reap the rewards of rebuilding and he isnt going to win anything that year. He also knows that he isnt the man anymore. It isnt his team. For an all star and hall of famer that is a reality check. I prayed that he wouldnt be back this year but since he is hopefully he will want to help the team that has been loyal to him all of these years and fight to get to the playoffs and be the leader that everyone knows that he is. ------------------ Build it and they will STAY!
Eckels, just because you've never taken any medication for asthma that's made you sick doesn't mean that everyone will respond the same way you did. ------------------ Cheerleaders are just dancers who've gone r****ded. visit www.swirve.com
Look all it boils down to is a matter of opinion. Is Hakeem really interested in playing, or is he just riding out the string. I know what I think, but I will keep it to myself. I hope that Hakeem has a great year, as I see him as the X factor to this years team. A healthy, happy, contributing Hakeem makes this team a lot more fun to watch. DaDakota ------------------ All you MO-FO's better stop ripping off my lines !!
>>Gascon<< I am a big Chuck fan....but I have to agree with you. Picking up Sir Charles was a bad move because we lost Sam Cassell in that deal. Of course, had we kept Sammie, we may have never traded for Stevie, so maybe this arguement is a mute point. Although have the Chuckster on a wall plaque in his Rockets Uni....he should never have been a Rocket. ------------------ "...Do you hear 'em? They're everywhere!!! AAAHHH!!!" That's what the other teams will be saying after being shellshocked by Steve Francis and Co.
Hi. I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV. If you look at the most common types of drugs prescribed for asthma, all of them have the potential to cause nausia. [*]theophyllene = basicaly mega-caffine. Go drink 20 cups of coffee and tell me you don't want to puke [*]beta-adrenagenic agonists = kind of like mega-sudafed. They dialate bronchial passages and will make you shake, make you nervous, and make you nauseous. [*]cortico-steroids = anti-inflamatory drugs which have an incredably diverse range of unplesant effects including muscle tissue wasting, diabetes, and adrenal problems, which will make you (you guessed it) nauseous. I apologise if any of this isn't exactly correct, or if I have misspelled anything, but I just wanted to make it clear that nausea is indeed a major symptom of most asthma medication. ------------------ [This message has been edited by Ottomaton (edited September 26, 2000).]
PG - Kidd SG - Hardaway SF - Robinson PF - Barkley C - Longley This team is pretty scary for the past few years. ------------------ I'm sticking with Charlotte. I can't flip because I don't want to be confused with Peter Vecsey. -- Charles Barkley
