You don't understand the concept of team sports and how it relates to a community. You don't understand the situation at the time for the city of Houston. You don't understand how the Rocket fans felt about the Bulls nor do you understand the outcome of the early matchups between Olajuwon and Jordan. Dream won with any lineup against the Bulls, whether it be Sleepy Floyd, Ralph Sampson or Buck Johnson. It never mattered. You don't understand the 1986 Rockets and how that potential dynasty was broken up . You don't understand the consequences of Jordan selected #1 and the domino effect. You don't understand Clutch City at all.
I think it is possible had the Rockets taken Clyde Drexler and had Hakeem? Hakeem and not Jordan would have been thought of as the greatest player ever. The Rockets would have traded a few championships with the Vulls and ultimately ended up with more of them with a prime Clyde Drexler and Hakeem playing on the same team during Jordans Championship years. It was proven that without Drexler? The Rockets and Hakeem consistantly beat Jordans team already.
Drexler told me last year that he wished the Rockets would have drafted him.. 1983 Houston logo - NBA Draft#:3 Rodney McCray Ht/Wt:n/a Position: Drafted From:Louisville Draft#:14 Clyde Drexler Ht/Wt:n/a Position: Drafted From:Houston That would have meant: Dream Drexler Ralph Sampson Rockets = Greatest team on earth
NBA fans hate to admit it but basketball is still a team sport and every one of Jordan's wins were team wins and every loss was a team's loss. Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history based on how the dominoes fell, but citing Jordan's win% or rings is not relevant to Hakeem. I'm happy with how Clutch City turned out and I have no doubt the NBA is happy about how things turned out with Jordan's Bulls. What's the point in playing this 'what if' game? While we're at it, maybe TMac doesn't have microfacture surgery, Yao Ming and Dikembe don't get injured, and 2008 is remembered as the year Yao Ming became the best center of the 2000's and TMac redeemed himself. What if, what if, what if. Maybe if you take Hakeem and put the right team around him, the entire shape of NBA history is changed, and we're all wearing Nike Dream Shake 2.0's.
Just because MJ won all those rings and Hakeem 'only' two does not mean you pick Jordan over Dream. For the guy who says everybody outside Houston picks MJ over dream I have an easy answer: they don't know their basketball. Olajuwon was something special, especially in hindsight he's like none other big man every to play in the NBA. The footwork, the agility, the body control, the timing to block shots, the quickness, the passing and the moves. Had Dream still available for Chicago in the 1984 draft, I have no doubt they would've chosen Hakeem over MJ. None! Everybody knew he was a beast and actually was almost if not more dominant in the beginning of his career than the early 90s. Also people picking MJ is not a shocker, since NBA automatically means MJ. The guy is that famous, think of the United States and sports you think of Jordan. The guy was a phenomenon, heavily marketed and in the spotlights all the time. Had the spotlights been on Dream, who knows what would've happened. People might have considered him the greatest of all time. To me, you cannot compare the two but even If you tried, it would still be very close. Both excelled at almost every aspect of the game: moves, points, steals, assists, blocks, rebounds etc. The only difference is that post game is Dream's and outside is MJ's, though MJ could work in the post and Dream had a good outside game as well. MJ vs. Dream is hard, but make no mistake, a big man of that caliber is hard to find and Chicago would've picked him, so in hindsight Houston would've picked him too. I'm not even counting the fact Houston was his home and stuff, that's just a bonus
dude don't change the subject. The subject was started off by someone else in a wrong thread (RG3 vs Luck), I kindly moved it out of that thread. Besides we're talking about 2 players who were MVPs and champions and greatest of all time. Don't bring lesser players into this thread.
What's the point of posting on a basketball forum? It's not like we're producing a load of GDP or earning money or becoming cleverer or more beautiful, etc while doing it. Simple answer: it's fun.
More goes into this debate than simply who you would pick. The question is simple but the debate is deeper than that. Simply picking Jordan doesn't guarantee that he gets 8 titles someplace else.
I guess i'm having trouple seeing what you disagree with here!? I never argued against anything you just said! Just simply said that nobody knows what wouldve happened, not even the almighty tinman!
The Rockets had an offer from the Blazers to trade their 2nd overall pick in the 84 draft AND Drexler for Sampson. So Hakeem + Jordan + Drexler on one team = ????
More like Isnt the thread starter the guy always promoting "team" yet has SINGULAR, INDIVIDUAL AGENDAS outside of a "team" concept he rubs right in people's faces? Trying to have it both ways, agitate for the thrill, then go hide behind the "team" shield. And its worked for 13 YEARS. I guess kudos for longevity
Its a decent thread question, because Rockets were in the DRIVER'S SEAT for all the options. They held most ALL the cards being in the #1 spot they were. If the Rockets trade away Sampson for Drexler,would the Rockets go for the best talent in Michael Jordan? Or would they stay with the "Twin Towers" approach getting Sam Bowie? The same way the Blazers thought they already HAD their 2 guard in Drexler, so no "need" for Jordan? Put it this way, having TWO top 5 picks in the BEST DRAFT IN NBA HISTORY, Rockets really could do NO wrong...if NOT Michael Jordan with the the other pick, they could "only" come away with Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Alvin Robertson, Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis, Sam Perkins.
That is such an awesome point. I've never heard that before, and it is probably true. If Houston picks MJ and Portland takes Hakeem to team with Clyde, MJ might never have won...after Sampson goes down and he loses all his race horses to cocaine.
btw: I don't care what any non-Rockets fan says. YOU MUST PICK DREAM...because he went to UofH. He was our boy. We live and die with him. As a Houston owner, you still pick Hakeem. Especially if history regarding Sampson injuries and race horse cocaine don't have to repeat themselves.
People forget that if Portland had taken Dream, he would have fallen prey to the Portland Center Curse... gotten injured his first few seasons, been out of league by 1992, would never haven been revered or thought of as one of the greatest players of all time.
Whatever. That's the only part of my post anyone has focused on. Good luck convincing someone that Dream is better than Jordan. I don't feel like I need to.
