Muslims only have to visit Mecca once in their lifetime to satisfy their duties (and really only males can do Haj fully). Akeem can choose whatever Islamic name he wants, as long as it suits him and does not offend Allah. Hakeem is a devout Muslim, and acts accordingly. Not one myself, but you've gotta respect the man's devotion to his religion... ------------------
sorry, you're wrog there, I'm a muslim and I know this stuff....It has nothing to do with the name, it has to do with actine in a sanitary way......His religion is more important than the sport......and about Mecca, Once is a MUST, aftre that if u FINANCIALLY and MEDICALLY can, then u have to do it.....as long as ur able, u keep going every once in a while....Women CAN do haj, and Hakeem is financially and physically able to go every summer..... ------------------
Actually it's got nothing to do with him being a Muslim. When (H)Akeem first came to the US he was a soft spoken African - when asked his name he said Hakeem - if you've heard him speak you'll know that his announciation doesn't involve a heavy H and he was heard as saying Akeem. So Akeem it was until he finally became confident enough to speak up and change his name to Hakeem - which of course had been his name all along.... ------------------
One of the theories about Hakeem's health problems has to do with his style of play. He used his quickness, agility, improvisation, etc. to be a dominant player. Once he lost a step due to age, it greatly affected his productivity. That's just one of the theories that I hadn't seen mentioned. Before his injury last year, Hakeem was doing quite well, however. After he came back, he had breathing difficulties. After that, any chance for a winning season was long gone. ------------------ "There's 1,000 different things we're looking at, but there's not a lot of things there." -- Rudy T., apparently after taking a hit of acid.
1. What religion did he follow before he switched to the Muslim religion? 2. He can only provide the stats you suggest if he is able to breath and has the physical stamina for it which is still in doubt by several posters on this BBS. Mango ------------------ 1. Put new topics in the proper forum. Things happening in the rest of the NBA 2. Use clear wording for new threads. 3. No duplicate threads 4. Conduct yourself as an adult. The Serious Police are watching. Donate Blood or be assimilated!
I think Hakeem has figured out that in the grand scheme of life, that this is just a game that someone pays him an obscene amount of money to play. Life goes on with or without him or the game. Have fun and don't take it too serious. Looking back on your accomplishments when your old and gray should have more things than how well you played ball. Even so, he's played ball well. I just think he's looking forward to what's more important than another championship. God. Family. Friends. Happiness. etc. I hope I didn't make this post move to the BBS Hangout forum. ------------------
does anyone have a status report on dream? i have not heard a single thing about him and his health etc...are all his bones and muscles,knees,etc okay? I think hakeem is the x factor this year and our immediate future still rests on his shoulders..this WILL be steves team but i still think the torch has to be passed... ------------------ i am rather like a mosquito in a nudist camp..i know what i ought to do but i don't know where to begin...
FOR GUYS OUT THERE THINKING THAT WE ARE BASHING HAKEEM, WE AREN"T. I was just saying how there are some other oldies out there in their mid to late 40's who are still playing good if not great basketball. I know Hakeem has had injuries, but so has Patrick Ewing. Hakeem has had more injuries than Ewing, which is why in the last 3 years he hasn't played more than 70 games. I heard last year that he was in awesome shape after working with a track coach, but this past year he had leg and breathing prblems. I know Hakeem already has won two championships, but that's no excuse for not hustling or showing passion. You didn't see Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Magic, Bill Russell, and others stop hustling and showing Passion after they won a couple championships. I respect Hakeem to the upmost and hopefully he rededicates himself and his last year is injury free while putting up 15 points 8 boards and helping the Rockets to the second round of the playoffs after a 50 win season. ------------------ "See they pick and pick and pick. Man they picked me to death." -Steve Francis on the Utah Jazz
My two cents: I really love Hakeem. He is possibly my favorite player EVER (though Chuck and Clyde are a close second) and the city of Houston can never repay him for what he has done to the Rockets franchise and the city itself. But i must echo of what much of my fellow posters have said. One must separate his love for the player and the man that Hakeem is (or was) and analyze his past years'performances as you would that of any basketball player. Unfortunately, when you do that and see the way he handled himself this past few years, it can be seen that he REALLY doesn't have the same passion for the game he did before. He doesn't have that competitive nature anymore. For MJ, after the first three-peat he just didn't felt he had anything else to win and left. His competitive nature made him come back to prove once and for all that he really was the best player ever (yeah, i can't deny i like MJ a lot too, the man just plain REFUSED to lose). Can anyone remember that game when he was completly sick with the flu and still beat the Jazz all by himself? My point is that it seems that for Hakeem doing the trick twice was enough. He already accomplished what most players of his generation never managed to, and he did it twice. I hope that knowing that this is his last time around he will put that effort and give us flashes of the Hakeem. The one that dominated the game like few others ever did. I know he can do it, if he REALLY puts his mind to it. But i feel like some others here feel. He is just out there enjoying himself, having a nice time, laughing when he gets a bad call instead of getting mad. Perhaps it has something to do with his religion and beliefs. But i don't think so. I agree that he doesn;t have the same love for bball that he once had, and he has physical problems which prevent him from being his old self too. Just don't have unrealistic expectations about his performance and enjoy what he has to offer in his last season. 20 mins a game and leading by example the young players like Cato and Mo would be more than enough for me. I know i have memories of Hakeem that i will carry with me for the rest of my life. He has given us so much and deserves all the respect and praise we can give him, no matter what. Here's hoping that he can go out with a bang, and not with a whimper. ------------------ "The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams. It´s Heaven and Hell!"
Well think about it. Hakeem always played above the rim and the wear and tear on his knees and legs have taken a toll. Look at all those people who seem to be in better shape when they were older, Karl Malone, John Stockton,Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Robert Parrish.....none of these guys could jump out of the gym like the Dream could. I still believe that even at his present time of his career he is still in the top 5 of centers today. I hope he can go out with a bang and not like Barkley. ------------------ Rockets Season Ticket Holder
Serious case of denial going on here. : )... Hakeem, the mighty Lion, is growing long of the shag. I look for him to play the role of Elder statesman for the young hoopsters this year, without messing with Rudy's, (and Dawson's !) vision for the Stevie Wonder Years, which, with the signing of Mo' Flo, has just commenced. Q: Is there a clear favorite at center with the draft picks ? Or is it too early for that ? ------------------
"But i feel like some others here feel. He is just out there enjoying himself, having a nice time, laughing when he gets a bad call instead of getting mad. Perhaps it has something to do with his religion and beliefs. But i don't think so. I agree that he doesn;t have the same love for bball that he once had, and he has physical problems which prevent him from being his old self too." I don't mean to pick on Thanos with this quote - I've seen a number of posters make a similar argument. But realize this: no matter how you couch the terms, this is a serious accusation. It is the same as saying, he isn't giving 100%. That Dream is dogging it, because he doesn't have the drive to compete anymore. I say to those of you who think this: how could you know? Do any of you know Hakeem? Have any of you even had a conversation with the man, to find out if this is true? We all know Dream was afflicted with breathing troubles last year. That is enough, to me, to account for his troubles on the court (along with age). As for not getting upset with bad calls - its called maturity. He got much better at controlling his temper right about the time he discovered religion, changed his name, and won two championships. Why can't we just say, "he got old."? Wilt Chamberlain retired when he was 36. Bill Russell played his last game in the NBA at the age of 35. In Mo Malone's last season, at the age of 38, he played 11 games. Hakeem is 37, and it might just be the case that he has nothing left in the tank. But I'd love to see him prove us wrong. ------------------
Hey Sam C.. Now where have I heard that before??? Now I know where.. I said it ------------------ Hey Juniors Call Me Big Brother T_Man.. Full Member of CC Inc
Guys: I think I've heard you make similar arguments about other players, concerning them not having enough passion. This can be seen on the court, to a great extent. If Mo T plays like a lazy bum this year, I hope to hear you sticking up for him as well. ------------------ Shandon Anderson rocks. The lottery sucks. Playoffs 2001.
T Man. My bad! Should've given you some sort of royalty for copying your argument. Hope one of those "police" groups out there doesnt get me for plagerism (sp?). haven, Dream has proven enough to be given the benefit of the doubt. Mo T has earned nothing in my book. ------------------
do you have to have a conversation with a person to see that they aren't running up the court or jumping for rebounds or bending at the knees? i mean, you may find out the reason why they aren't doing it. but the truth is that there is no reason for not doing it. ------------------ miles ahead of the rest
Bah... all of you are quick to say someone's lazy as long as you don't have a sentimental attachment to them. Hakeem deserves respect, of course... but he's as subject to the "duck" test as anyone else. That is, if it quacks, has feathers, a beak, and swims on top of a pond, you can safely call it a duck . If someone plays without the same external signs of passion, laughs at fouls, doesn't practice much during the off-season, refuses to work out with younger players during the off-season, etc... then they're probably not fully committed, ------------------ Shandon Anderson rocks. The lottery sucks. Playoffs 2001.
This is all untrue, and yes Thanos, u made a serious accusation.....someone very smartly put it as maturity......he can control his temper, and doesn't have to get pissed....You have to understand his situation, how would u feel training with a 12 or 15 year old team? I'm sure u'd feel much better training alone.....and who's to say he doesn't play with the same passion? maybe he doesn't show it? maybe he's just at the end of the line? maybe he doesn't wanna give 100%, e wants to give 90% so he doesn't wind up being helped off the court, rather than walking under his own strength? He's 37, he has to take care, it's so easy to end ur career at that age.......whatever it is, if u consider circumstances, and his situation, Hakeem is doing fine....He's done a lot more than Malone has done, maybe not more than Jordan, but Jordan had a lot more support....There's only so much u can carry till ur back starts to hurt, right? on a less serious note, I don't know what his religion was...But about his name, that's not the story....In Arabic dialect, the H in Hakeem is there....but in African dialect, the H isn't there......so, he turned Muslim, and btw, Akeem isn't a muslim name, he found that Hakeem was the word in Arabic (language of Islam) and so he started using Hakeem......In Africa, they would still say Akeem, unless u tell them otherwise....... ------------------
You are all wrong. I've read three of your posts, but I still know. I've said it a million times, hakeem's game relied on his speed. Patrick Ewing, Kareem...etc did not need it, they were big. Hakeem is slow, and he can't jump. Charles still had explosive leaping and speed, hakeem lost it. It is that simple. There is nothing else in the picture. ------------------
Quite incorrect. Hakeem was born in a Muslim family in Nigeria and was always a Muslim. He just wasn't one of the religious types. In the 90s sometime, he decided that he had enough fun, and became serious about his faith and decided to become a strict follower of Islam. His given name was always Hakeem. When he came to the US, he made it Akeem so that it could be more easily accepted/pronounced among the Americans. This is not quite different from all the immigrants who came to the USA over the years. We have seen so many Poles, Chinese, Italians, Japanese, Russians, Czechs etc do the same. When Hakeem decided to become a serious follower of his faith, he also emphasized his correct name. I figure that happens with anyone who has, lets say, "discovered himself" And BTW...I have been reading BBS for a couple of years now, and do think that CC.net and the Rockets are the next best thing since creation....but its only now I decided to jump in and swallowed. It is indeed a tribute that my first post is not about some trade rumor or Quitten, but about Hakeem da Great! -tariq ------------------
