Hey some of us old time Rocket fans do. #30, had a tight haircut and a beard, high knee socks. Had the weird looking jumper where he stuck his elbow out at a 90 degree angle. Started prior to the Ralph/Akeem era and started most of the 1987 season after John Lucas was suspended and continued to start till Sleepy Floyd arrived (i believe that was the Dirk Minnifield and Lester Conner area and they started a few games too). After Leavell left the NBA, his most infamous moment came when he choked a referee during a CBA game (may have been some other league). I remember that Hakeem apologized to McDyess too. Tells you alot about how much he changed. Hakeems victims as I best remember them: Michael Cage (several times) Roy Tarpley Olden Polynice Dave Feitl (his own teamate in practice) Billy Paultz Kevin Kunnert Mitch Kupchak and I wanna say he scrapped with Karl Malone early in his career but Im not real sure (circa 1987-1988?).
Do you remember Dream's swimming pool? The bottom of the pool had the layout of a basketball court. I remember seeing that when I was younger. I though that was so cool.
Ha, I remember asking myself every year how in the h#ll Leavell made the team--those were painful seasons. As for the MadMax altercation, that little B!tch was amazing, and despite his destructive career he'll always be one of my favorite Rockets, (although in no way do I admire his psychopathic actions). But he was one of the main reasons for the first championship, with 30 points in the 2nd half against the Suns in a crucial game. That half was possibly the main reason Houston became Clutch City instead of 'Choke' city.
So in his college years he was just Akeem and full of rage, but after converting to Islam (and adding the "H"), he learned to control his temper and seek pacifism in life?
My most memorable comment from Hakeem was when he was so annoyed by Karl Malone and called him <i>Evil</i>. Just the way he said it to the media cracks me up to this day. Seems like he really felt that Karl is the devil On that McDyss fight, I thought hakeem suckered punched him from behind out of nowhere for no obvious reason...then everyone broke it off after Hakeem's punch...not much of a fight I remembered ( I could be wrong)
I remember an official once supposedly hit him with a technical because Hakeem told him after a bad call that God was watching and would make him pay for his wrongful actions. Seems like even after he mellowed out he was still kind of nasty, just in a different way
