You know, once Olajuwon had a good coach who knew his value and decided to build a team around him, look at what he accomplished! For so many years Olajuwon has to sit their in frustration....that's what was so great about Rudy...he knew that Olajuwon was greatness and that the ball you just be passed to him as much as possible. Olajuwon was the closest thing Jordon had to a rival...and that's why Jordon said the one thing he wished he could have done with the Bulls was play the Houston Rockets in the Finals. I remember sitting in a bar in Thailand at 7:00am in the morning watching each game over bad eggs and just staring while watching time and time again Olajuwon going unconscious, just unconsious, nothing but net. But it wasn't jumpers, it was swing this way then that way then fake and spin and fake and then a turn around with hands all over him. Nothing but net. Impossible shots. No one, not Kareem, not wilt, certainly not shaq, not even Jordon...did that...literally leaving defenders staring at each other in disbelieve as if to say "What happened". And then he would do it again the next time down the court. You could feel that just those shots, in the crucial moments of the game...breaking the opponents back. You could see David Robinson's career slipping from legend to also-ran. You could feel the tears dripping from Charles Barkeley heart who once said "We have to figure out what to do with that monster in the middle". You just couldn't believe that they would go in, like anything he threw up would hit nothing but net and had at least me staring in awe. Even the announcers were left speechless for a moment. The complete player who could shoot from the outside, score with impunity inside. Fakes, dunks, spins. Blocks and steals...rebounds and passing. Quickness and agility. Speed and leaps. The accolades are all there. The proof is on tape. Even if people don't credit you now, I'm sure history will set the record straight. He once delivered 50 points in a triple overtime loss to the Sonics...fending them off period after period, scoring again and again. We knew he was great then. He was the backbone of the team, but he made the Rockets unbeatable. What the Rockets did those two years, coming from behind again and again and winning the title from the sixth seed over four top teams in the league each with over 58 wins was unprecedented and may never be repeated. When they speak of teams coming back down in a series...they talk about the Rockets - the first team to come back from 0-2 at home, and 1-3. Even when Seattle finally knocked the Rockets of their run, they did it by denying Olajuwon the ball, doubling him before the ball got to him and exploiting the weakness of the team by forcing half-injured players to create. Even then, Gary Payton said afterwards "You can't just beat the Houston Rockets, you have to kill them" The guy is stuff of legend. Before international players, he was the first. A guy who didn't even play basketball before college! A guy who was undersized as a center. A guy who was never thought to become the offensive monster he did. Did I mention he didn't even know how to play basketball when he came to this country? A guy who spoke 7 different language but rarely was recognized as anything but quiet and humble. A guy who would fast during the season, not eat or DRINKING A SINGLE GLASS OF WATER during the day. Not even a sip, not even after 48 minutes of full court basketball. Yet it was his opponents who looked tired and worn out. I think when you consider everything, it's easy to forget what this man really accomplished. 50 greatest? Please, 5 greatest, no less. He wasn't blessed with mutant size or height like Shaq, Chamberlin, or Jabbar, and he certainly didn't get to play with all stars....nor in a big basketball town...but he still won his championships. I have watched this guy for almost 20 years playing basketball. Two decades of constantly being wowed to a new level. Even when they wrote him off, he defied them and came back putting up numbers that convinced Toronto to steal him from Houston. 20 years this guy has been taking Houston Sports to championships and the playoffs and entertaining us with something new and unique - all along preaching peace and humanity. Thank you Mr. Hakeem Olajuwon. You are in your own way, the greatest to step onto parque.
I forgot one thing actually.... Hakeem signed with Etonic (spelling?) shoes early in his career because he didn't want poor inner city kids pays a lot of money for basketball shoes. The man aint a saint, but he's truly special.
Actually, the low price shoes were when he was with Spalding, after Etonic (and LAGear, I think). And he knew how to play basketball before he got here. He was a member of the Nigerian Junior National team. An Olajuwon quote: "So the game was very clear. In high school, they put me on the national team, which was very difficult. It's like putting somebody from high schools to the professionals. So I played in the African Championships. I didn't play very much, but I was playing on the men's team. "Then I went to the junior team and I was the captain of the junior team. That's where I was discovered, in Angola at the junior tournament there. I was MVP of that tournament because I had been playing with men, but when I got with my age group, I was dominating."
Olajuwon was a man amongst boys, the cream of the crop, the legend, the Dream. He has been a real influence in the lives of millions of Houstonians, as well as people around the country, and the world. He did things that were said couldn't be done, he broke barriers that were meant not be crossed, and he won the hearts of all of us. He single handedly put the Rockets on the map. I salute him as one of the best players I have ever been witness to. The feats he accomplished night in and night out were amazing. I'm just glad to say he was and forever will be my favorite NBA player, and that I got to witness him play, as well as become an ambassador, and an icon to this city. Thanks for the memories.
I read somewhere that he didn't start playing ball until he came to the university of houston for college. Obviously i'm wrong. Still, do you know at what age he began playing at?
Hakeem to me is definitely the heart and soul of Houston. His greatness will always be remember. Thanks Hakeem for all the great memories. In my eyes you are the greatest center/player to ever grace an NBA court. Thanks alot and may God bless you.
i got this off a nigerian web site: "Hakeem olajuwon first saw basketball at age 15, he played soccer and cricket before. Even he was known as one of the best goalkeeper prospect in Nigeria, but his talent make him arguebly as one of NBA premier center. He joined Houston Cogars when he was 17. Later he leading the Cougars to two trips NCAA Final Four." So i guess he had two years of experience in Nigeria. Still, you have to admit, that's pretty remarkable. How many people pick up a sport at the age of 15 and two years later are playing for one of the best programs in the country?
Check out this site...it's pretty cool and funny. http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/5311/Olajuwon.html
Thanks Dream. You played with class and you were a true Superstar. You gave the city of Houston our first chance to celebrate a major championship. And for that I am truly grateful. May God Bless you in yor future endeavors.
I recall hearing Gene Peterson say that Olajuwon first touched a basketball at age 16. I can remember so many moments in Hakeem's career. I remember 1983 against NC State. That ruined my entire basketball season. I was 10 years old. I will never forget it. I remember the day we had the coin flip. I was elated. I remember watching Dream over the course of his career...growing into the player who dominated at his prime. Thanks for the memories Dream.
Just to be picky but wasn't larry bird considered a rival to jordan (I know bird had more rivalry with Magic but did make that Bird vs Jordan game for my SEGA). Or how bout Isiah, the man who thwarted Jordan from chamipionships till the 90's. I also think Ewing and Reggie Miller would be more of rivalry to Jordan since they played so many times in the playoffs. But like I said, its just being picky to otherwise a great post. P.S. I still blame Hakeem's injuries to that marriage with a 18 year old like 7 years ago. Within two years of that marriage u can clearly see the decline in performance .
I agree. Its hard to call Hakeem a rival to Jordan. They only played 2 times a season and never in the playoffs plus they played two different positions. I think Isiah and Miller are good picks as true rivals even if they werent in his league as players. Thats what Hakeem gets for robbing the craddle. HAHA. Just kidding. The marriage/decline in skills theory is a good one. Look at what happened to Jeff Bagwell when he married that one lady who divorced him and took all his money!
Did you all read his book? "living the dream"?it was great to read it, it was writtin after the first championship.
