Just want to do whats best for the team? Here's my freaking suggestion

Get healthy, get in shape, get on the plane, suit up, play some defense, get some rebounds, pass the ball, shoot the ball, shut up, finish the season and retire.

The thing is, Hakeem -- and you can glean this by reading his book -- has as much pride and ego as he does class and dignity. He is a character guy, to be sure. He is also positively sure he is right 100% percent of the time.

The thing is, to contradicting things are coming out of his mouth. Clearly the Rockets first choice is not to trade him/drop him. Bad manageent, bad PR, bad basketball, bad karma.

But Hakeem wants out, to play somewhere else for whatever reason. Which, in my opinon, is a blow a the team which -- despite some mistakes -- has lavished praise and honor and thanks upon Hakeem for a brilliant one-team career.

Hakeem complaining and trying to work a trade in the name of "whats best for the team" is almost hilarious. What the hell does he think he is, the Giving Tree? "Please, Trade me, I will play out my career in Denver if only to improve the Rockets Win-Loss Record by three games." Give me a break, Dream -- no one buys it. Take the PR hit if you really want out of the marriage.

The point is, trying to calculate Hakeem's impact on this sport, franchise, city etc. is impossible. It is too big to figure out. The man is bigger to Houston than Jordan is to Chicago, in my opinion. He stands alone here. College, pro, everything. He is as much a part of the city as the light-orange colored night sky, crappy construction work and cheap food.

But I personally think he is freaking out about retiring (very human thing to do) and obviously he is misguided in his attempt to squeeze the Rockets into trading him, to juice a few more hoops from his already aching body. Its fine, people freak out.

But I dont think the Rockets should sink to his level, so to speak, and freak out with him. He committed to playing here till the end of the season, we committed to paying him till then -- I say we keep him and let him sort himself out. He is not a fossill we keep around just to look at. He plays when he is healthy. Well, pretty much. (Actually, I might kill two birds with one stone by playing him in crunch time more often becase a) we should b) he'd shut up. But thats a different thread)

Does anyone, anywhere think it is a good idea for Hakeem to wear a Suns or Heat uniform and give his career one last shot? Hell no. I can think of no one who has said, "yeah, how triumphant and satisfying ti would be, to see Hakeem Olajuwon run out there another couple of years. with some other team." Everyone wants to see him retire, not just on a sentimental level, but because he is not a dominant player anymore. He is not humble enough to be a role player. And he is not good enough to be a franchise player.

Thats old news, of course. But we should not play part in playing his delusional game and sending him elsewhere. Even if he wants it. I cant see why we would want to participate in that.

Here is my question: Does it benefit the Rockets in any way shape or form to release him rather than wait until the end of the season and complete the contract?

If it is just to appease unhappy Hakeem, I say we blow the whole thing off and treat him like any disgruntled player -- listen, communicate, do your best. People have talked about the pros and cons of waiving him, but I cant sort them out to any satisfactory conclusion. I can not see it helping us anymore than keeping the cap space. More obviously, we need him this year. He's playing better. Not so well that we should bench Steve Francis, but well enough to contribute.

I mean, cripes, franchise players come around once in a blue moon. But so do Salary Cap Bonanza summers like the Rockets are gearing up for.

Keep him, play him how we need to, and thank him to death even if he is slightly unreceptive.

Live with it, Dream. You are stuck with us. And we are stuck with you.

And frankly, from our side, we would have it no other way, you pain-in-the-ass-genius.

We love you Dream -- always have, always will. Now shut up and play.

CBFC

ps. See you guys tonight on TV. Someone tape the game for me.

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[This message has been edited by CBrownFanClub (edited January 18, 2001).]

 

BTW: Great to see someone ragging Dale "Misguided Mullet" Robertson, Jeff. Outstanding.

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But Freak -- I absolutely assume Hakeem instigated all this. What does the organization have to gain from this situation? Thats what I am trying to figure.

Look, Hakeem is the king -- I admit it, i think he is the best ever. But he is full of crap this time, and we'd be full of crap to hurt the team AND suffer the indignity of watching Hakeem play in a Suns jersey or whatever. If Hakeem did not start all this, then I am totally on your side -- dont ditch him, no matter whose idea it was. And by the way, it was Hakeem's, I am sure.

The Rockets did not "try" to trade Hakeem last year and then get smacked back into place. They considered it -- as they should have, and decided against it -- as they should have -- for the very concepts that Hakeem no longer uses to guide his actions: loyalty, respect, and pride in Dream finishing his career with the Rockets.

Its fine, but sometimes, even in healthy relationships of any sort, being firm, respectful and standing ground is not necessarily a sign of animosity. Being accomodating of every whim of Hakeem is not -- and should not -- be the Rockets' responsibility. It does not seem to work for us.

And I'll ask it again: Is there any benefit whatsoever to the Rockets in releasing Hakeem rather than going with the current timetable -- set up by Hakeem, no less -- and finishing the year? Clutch? Doc? Jeff? Popeye? Cabbage? Aelliot? Fromobile? FinalFantasy? Francisandbarkleyrule? Anyone? Someone help me out with this one- I just dont see why we would accommodate this request.

CBFC

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