I saw this little story Mario Elie told about Hakeem's intangible impact on the team. Hakeem wasn't a rah rah guy,...but I thought it really showed the kind of leadership qualities he had. There's one memory from those days that really sticks with me. I always tell my friends this story. We were playing the Knicks in the Finals, and we were down 3-2 going back home. At the hotel, I was distraught, talking about how upset I was about the situation. Hakeem's hotel room was on the same floor as me. He and some of his Muslim buddies were cooking fish, smelling up the whole floor. I was so frustrated about the series, and when I walk out of my room, here comes Hakeem smiling like nothing had happened. He said, "Mario, don't worry about it, we're going home." He was relaxed as could be, it just it lifted my spirits and made me smile. The confidence this guy had in himself and our team raised us, it was amazing. I just smiled. In Game 6, he makes a last-second block, we win Game 7 and win our first title. I was amazed that whole summer after that end result. That will stick with me the rest of my life. Another time like that was when we were down 3-1 in Phoenix in the 1995 Playoffs. Hakeem was sitting next to me on the airplane. He looked over and said "Let's go surprise them." We ended up winning the series. It's his confidence that made him the man he was and is. That's what he did. When you look at him, he's a pillar of strength and you could grab on to it." http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/5321/mario-elie-on-hakeem-olajuwon
Mario always tells a story, when he is being interviewed, about how when things where falling apart during a game, Dream would demand the ball..."GET ME THE BALL".
The greatest center who ever laced them up, as far as I'm concerned. I still marvel at how lucky we were to have him, even after all these years. You knew he was something special at UH, but that special? Simply amazing.
Great post, thanks a lot- Hakeem definitely has a very unique demeanor- he was ruthless and passionate on the court but so polite and cooly confident off it. Even these days, you can see the man is more at peace with himself than most (any?) of the other past-greats.
Another great speech of Hakeem before a crucial game: Clutch City - The Rockets said good-bye to their home-court advantage in the 1994 Western Conference Semifinals against the Phoenix Suns by losing two large leads in Games 1 and 2. Hakeem Olajuwon believed they lost something else; pressure. In a speech to his teammates prior to Game 3, Olajuwon pointed out the Rockets had nothing to lose. "The pressure is now on Phoenix, it is not on us anymore," he said. "They took that pressure away when they came in and won two games. Now everybody expects them to win, so if we go and put our effort into winning the first game here in Phoenix that puts all the pressure back on them." The Rockets went on to win the next two games on the Suns' home floor and eventually the series, as Olajuwon's 37 points and 17 rebounds led Houston to a 104-94 Game 7 win and a berth in the Western Conference Finals against Utah.
As a Rockets and Cowboys fan, I have to admit that his attitude meant as much to me as his play on the court. The Cowboys celebrate the smallest victories and then lose the big picture time and time again. Hakeem had talent and he matched it nightly with his smart play on the court. That's what is unstoppable. That combination of talent and smart play. I can't wait to get another player like him. Smart and talented.
