c'mon guys you know Dream is the biggest Mike Wilks fan in the world. This was is big chance to meet the man
OK, I guess it is more clear now that Hakeem was taking part in the "legends tour" thing the NBA does, since he was introduced during the game along with Dr J, Iceman, Drexler, and a few others who were NBA legends attending the game. Anyways, Hakeem looks different, a bit more chubby may be. He looks well fed I guess.
June 10, 2005, 2:18AM Olajuwon offers up some advice By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle SAN ANTONIO - Hakeem Olajuwon returned to the NBA Finals to get a close look at what he started. There was a Spurs roster with Manu Ginobili from Argentina, Tony Parker from France, Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih from Slovenia. In the other locker room was Darko Milicic from Serbia-Montenegro. "It is the world's game now," said Olajuwon, who recently returned to the United States after completing another two semesters of Arabic language study at the University of Jordan. He was attending his first NBA game since November 2002, when his number 34 was retired at Compaq Center. "If you have the talent, you can come to the NBA and play at the highest level," he said. "It doesn't matter what you are from. The world is open." It wasn't that way 24 years ago, Olajuwon arrived in Houston from Lagos, Nigeria, and became a pioneer. "I never imagined that it would grow like this, that the international influence would be so great," he said. "I think it is wonderful for the NBA and wonderful just for the game of basketball." Olajuwon drove in from Houston with his friend, Bejan Esmali, and they attended the Spurs' shootaround Thursday morning, when he spent some time giving Tim Duncan some pointers. "Hakeem was reluctant to go there," said Esmali. "He didn't want to act like he was big time and trying to take the show from the Spurs. But he got to the court, and the players were all over him. Tim reached out and told Hakeem he wanted to talk. It touched Hakeem." Olajuwon offered tips from one great big man to another. "I was honored that Tim Duncan wanted to hear what I had to say. He is a great player, so fundamentally sound. I just offered him a few things that could maybe open up his game to a different level." And the series? "The home court means a lot," he said. "And the Spurs are a team that doesn't make mistakes." http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3219402
wow giving pointers to duncan... YAO reach out to hakeem for some pointers . That wasnt a bash at Yao either fellas.
That's why Duncan is one of my favorite non-Rockets in the league right now, he is just a classy individual and so very humble, a trait that probably connects him with Hakeem more than anything else, because of the way they played the game and the humility they both possess. Now, I hope if Yao is still in Houston he can meet up with Hakeem for a couple of days and get some "pointers" as well.
How in the world is Duncan's game supposed to go to a different level!?! That's frightening. Even if he just upped his FT's to 80%, that's another 2ppg right there.
Hakeem finally decided he found a worthy student and taught Tim the Dream Shake. Good for Tim, but now Rockets are screwed.
San Antonio's perspective--some funny stuff... Spurs notebook: Duncan takes tips from Olajuwon Web Posted: 06/10/2005 12:00 AM CDT San Antonio Express-News Tim Duncan received some last-minute pointers from one of the NBA's greatest centers Thursday morning. And it wasn't David Robinson. Hakeem Olajuwon, a longtime rival of the Spurs as a member of the Houston Rockets, made an unexpected visit to the team's practice facility Thursday morning. Olajuwon arranged to get a ticket to Thursday's game from a mutual friend of his and Sean Marks. When he asked to see the team, the Spurs invited him to their morning shootaround. "I loved playing with that guy," said Robert Horry, who teamed with Olajuwon in Houston and remains close friends with him. "That's one of the most phenomenal athletes and a great human being." Olajuwon said he had seen how teams were defending Duncan and showed him a few moves. "I was surprised really by his anticipation," Olajuwon said of Duncan. "That's a great quality. It was, 'How can I benefit from you?' I feel honored in that sense. I want to help open up his game." He also worked with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Brett Brown, the team's director of player development, showing them his classic baseline spin move. "He had a strong opinion based on observation," Brown said. "If he's throwing stuff out and seeing some things ... you better listen." The Spurs don't expect Duncan to show off the "Dream Shake" anytime soon. "I played with him for four years, and I still don't know how to do it," Horry said. Olajuwon said Thursday's game was the first he had watched in person since the Rockets retired his jersey in November 2002. Dream night: Olajuwon has fond memories of what he called his greatest playoff series with the Rockets — the 1995 Western Conference finals against the Spurs. The Spurs had amassed 62 regular-season victories and had home-court advantage, but Olajuwon had a monster Game 1 on the night Robinson received the NBA Most Valuable Player trophy. Rumor had it that before the game Olajuwon told his teammates: "That man has my trophy." Olajuwon scored 27 points and added eight rebounds and five blocks in the Rockets' 94-93 victory. Houston went on to win the best-of-seven series 4-2. "We were in the Western Conference finals, (with a) chance to win it all," said Olajuwon, denying that he made the statement about Robinson's having won the MVP award. "You don't need any more motivation than that. And we won it all. So everybody was telling me it was because he had my trophy. No. We were in the (conference) finals."
oops...here's the link (subscription required) http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA061005.4S.BKNspurs.notebook.2fbe6ae92.html
He happened to be watching the game there, and was asked to give some pointers to Duncan and the team in general. It is not like he went there to train them or anything. What I am interested to know is how the Admiral feels about that. Was he offended that his former nemesis was on his home turf giving pointers to his former protege, Tim Duncan? Was he offended that Hakeem was embraced by the Spurs players?
That sanantonio site also has a very brief video clip of Hakeem showing the Spurs his moves ... "Hakeem Olajuwon joins Spurs for practice" http://www2.mysanantonio.com/multimedia/video/NewsOnDemand/index.cfm?catid=7
Hakeem is a class act. As far the weight issue goes, he may not be exercising with the same intensity that he did when he was a player. Even Michael Jordan put on a few pounds after his second retirement from the Chicago Bulls.
