Do you even wonder "What If?" What if the Rockets would have chosen MJ instead of Olajuwon as the #1 pick. Would the Rockets have become a dynasty like the Bulls were? Would Jordan had been as successful under the likes of Bill Fitch, Chaney and Tomjanovich? How would Olajuwon been in a Chicago uniform all these years. I find it interesting to ponder. I don't regret anything, but to possibly have had the greatest player ever is interesting.
With what Hakeem has accomplished here I never think of what if we'd drafted Jordan. Now if we'd traded Ralph Sampson to Chicago for the right to draft Jordan, then THAT would have been a hell of a situation. ------------------ The ox is slow but the Earth is patient.
we wouldnt have won 2 championships with jordan. olajuwon would have probably won around as many as jordan did or maybe more. ------------------ http://www.democrats.com mgh 1925-2001
I am so great the Houston Rockets drafted Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon has done so much for this franchise. He has accomplished a lot and led this team longer than any one else has. Olajuwon is one of the quickest frontcourt players of all-time. There was never a center as quick as he was. Just watching Olajuwon do the dreamshake made me dizzy. ------------------
As much as I believe Olajuwon is probably the greatest center to play the game, I would say Jordan is the greatest player to ever play the game. Jordan has accomplished so much more than Dream. For example: Member of six Chicago Bulls NBA championship teams Named NBA Finals MVP six times Holds NBA Finals single-series record for highest points-per-game average 41.0 Named NBA Most Valuable Player five times Named to the All-NBA First Team nine times Holds career record for highest points-per-game average 33.2 Holds record for most seasons leading the league in scoring - 10 Shares record for most consecutive seasons leading the league in scoring - 7 Has participated in 11 NBA All-Star Games Holds the NBA All-Star Game career record for highest scoring average (21.1 ppg) Named the All-Star MVP three times Won the All-Star Slam Dunk Contest in 1987 and 1988 Has posted 28 career triple-doubles 2 Time All-American & NCAA Player of the Year award Recorded two playoff career triple-doubles, both at New York Named the 1988 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Scored a career playoff-high 63 points Eight playoff games with 50 pts. or more Named NBA Rookie of the Year 1985 Ranked 3rd in All-Time leader in points scored Holds All-Star record for having the only triple-double in an All-Star game (1997) Member of the 1997 McDonald's Classic Championship team in Paris Won the 1997 McDonald's Classic MVP award Hold's all-time record for most consectutive double-figure scoring games Named All Star Most Valuable Player three times Holds the all-time playoff record for the most steals Won two gold medals for USA. ------------------
I'm not sure if he's even the greatest center ever...have you heard of Wilt Chamberlain? ------------------
If you want to get on MJs jock, go find a Bulls site. My take: You CANNOT compare a guard to a center. Call MJ the greatest guard to ever play the game all you want. ------------------ "I have no regrets except that I wasn't up to keep Randy from getting on that plane." --Ozzy Osbourne on guitarist Randy Rhodes
I find the rockets teams we've had more entertaining and fun to watch than the Bulls teams during the same time period. Jordon introduced the world to the designer sneaker, which seemed to fall apart more quickly the more expensive they were. He's a greedy man, who does not do much for charity or the kids that idolise him. All he's done is give them something to waste thier money on, and kill each other over. Hakeem on the other hand introduced the basketball world to the truly humble work ethic that defines the finer parts of his culture. He is a better human being than micheal, a more entertaining basketball player, more loyal....and a better interview!! Take that, SCREW MJ!!!! ------------------
I wouldn't be a Rockets' fan if not for Hakeem. So my answer to this question is: Who cares how the Rockets would have done if they drafted MJ instead of Hakeem? ------------------
Remember, the second pick in the 1984 draft belonged to Portland. That was the whole reason Dream left UH a year early, as it was a "win-win" either way. (ie: play with Drexler in the pros, or stay in Houston) Portland ended up picking the immortal Sam Bowie with the second pick in the draft. What has been strongly rumored is that Portland offered the Rockets the pick for Sampson, and they declined. It really could've been Olajuown and Jordan all those years. Oh well...if ifs and buts, and all that... ------------------
There's no doubt in my mind that a Dream/Jordan combo would have won 8-10 titles. ------------------ The ox is slow but the Earth is patient.
Actually the rumor that I heard was that Portland offered Houston Clyde Drexler and the #2 pick in the 1984 draft for either: a.) Ralph Sampson or b.) the #1 pick in the NBA draft. If this seems like an utterly lopsided trade, remember that in the previous 3 years Ralph Sampson had received 2 NCAA Player of the Year awards and 1 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Drexler, on the other hand, had not yet developed into the dominant guard he would eventually become. Plus Portland had a glut of good guards on their team at the time (Kiki Vanderweigh was one of them) so giving up Drexler wouldn't have seemed such a huge loss. If the Rockets had traded Sampson, we could have had all sorts of great lineups. But then again, nobody expected Hakeem to develop into such a dominant center. Houston made a smart choice. ------------------
IMHO, Jordan was the greatest to play the game, and Dream was the best big man. BTW, the Portland deal was Sampson+bench-warmer for Drexler and the #2 Pick. So it would have actually have been Dream, Clyde, and Jordan. ------------------ Never Underestimate the Heart of a Champion
Who's to say that the Rockets wouldn't have drafted Sam Bowie with that second pick? ------------------ Founder and President of the Houston Homers Club(HHC) - Are you a homer? Join now! The Rockets will be NBA champions. Believe.
The Rockets wouldn't have drafted Bowie with that pick because they were going for the best talent. That's why they took Olajuwon at #1. After that they would have gone with the next best player, Jordan. The only reason portland picked Bowie over jordan was that they had a lot of great guards and badly needed a big man. ------------------
Chamberlain's competition was far weaker. There were no other centers even close to his size, and not many great centers. Think of all the great centers Olajuwon has played against: Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson, Moses Malone, Robert Parrish, Shaquille O'Neal (physically dominant, if not highly skilled), Walton, and many other talented guys that had the size and strength to dominate during Wilt's era. Plus, Olajuwon was more versatile, having the ability to do things all over the court on both ends. ------------------
If basketball was all about sheer numbers then Wilt is in a league of his own. But IMHO Hakeem would have destoyed Wilt and any great center you can think of in those bygone eras. Anybody who needs proof, just check out the 95 WCF v Mr Neighbourhood. Who judging by Hakeem's inhuman display not only lost his house but definitely the entire street. Maybe even the city. I have more R-E-S-P-E-C-T for someone like Russell b/c he played D and nullified Wilt. That's one match-up I'd pay to see Hakeem play against. ------------------ "The man who goes alone can start today; but he who travels with another must wait till the other is ready." -HDT
when you think of greatness, dominance, etc...don't you think that players should be judge relative to their competition at the era they played in...Instead of debating "if they play one on one at their primes, who would win" type comparison? Lets say tiger woods dominates for the next 10 years, winning all majors...and 100 years from now, the level of play got much better and shooting under 60 is the norm(under 60 is something unheard of nowadays, even for tiger)...and there is no dominant player since everybody is so good...so 100 years from now, people will think of tiger as not being that great because of the poor level of competition? (even though he won all majors 10 years straight?) I think not.. Think about it...shouldn't greatness be based on their dominance of the era they played on? [This message has been edited by ChenZhen (edited April 24, 2001).]
