I was 5 years old when Akeem Olajuwon was drafted by the Rockets. Is there anybody that was old enough at the time, please, tell me what he was like as a rookie. I was thinking the other day that I only started watching the Rocket in '91. The Dream before thay I know very little about. Was he a lot like Cato? Did he have a lot of fire? Was a great scorer or just a dunker. Was he a good rebounder. Of course I have heard about his block fests. Also, I heard he was an angry individual too at one point. I have read his Bio, watched his tapes, but I want to hear it from a fan's perspective. So anybody who can help, I greatly appreciate it.
Good question! But who's going to admit he/she's old enough to answer this question? I wanna know the answer, too. I was like 8 or 9 when he was drafted.
Did he have a lot of fire?! He was such a hothead that other coaches would reach deep into their bench to throw a scrub on the floor and harass Hakeem (BTW, wasn't he Akeem then?). They would both get tossed. I don't think that he had found Islam yet. Hate to date myself, but I used to root for Moses Malone when I was a teen. I went to many games with Calvin and Rudy T. When they got hot...it was fun. Calvin may irritate many of you yung'uns, but he really was pretty d*mn good.
Akeem was purely raw talent. In his first year he was a defending, rebounding beast. He put up around 20 a game, which was pretty amazing considering the Rox had another #1 pick eating up time in the post in Ralph Sampson. Most of his offense were put backs, slams, and short jumpers. He didn't have the footwork just yet. Hot headed, ready to fight at the drop of a dime, fouls were trouble for Akeem. Ill always believe, all biases aside, he was robbed for the Rookie of the year. He may of not scored as much as Jordan. But in their first years Jordan scored pretty well, while Hakeem dominated the boards, defense, and still put up great offensive numbers.
From reading about Hakeem, I think he was a jerk his first few years in the NBA until he became a Muslim. He was always getting into fights and getting ejected.
He was not a JERK, he was just young. Hakeem..then Akeem was incredible. He was not posished he got most of his points on offensive rebounds. I mean when the Lakers played the Rockets in the playoffs in '86 Pat Riley only wrote one thing on the chalk board. KEEP AKEEM OFF THE GLASS. They didn't and the Rockets went to the NBA finals... DaDakota
Eight or 9 and you weren't watching the Rockets?!?! What was wrong with you?!!! I started watching and listening to the Rockets when I was about 9 (I'm 29 now)... or I think it was the last year Calvin Murphy played. Those back-to-back coin flip years were painful... you think we've got it bad now... good Lord... you just haven't felt pain. ------------------ Rocket fuel pumps through these veins...
Akeem used to get into some scuffles. He was a hothead. UNBEATABLE ------------------ We would like to get rookie Francis on the break for some easy scoops in the first quarter...
Dream was the most amazing shotblocker,rebounder,and he had a unique ability to make those tough,awkward shots even then.You knew he was going to be one of the greatest centers of all time even then.He couldn't control his temper and was nowhere close to the free throw shooter he bacame.Dream worked hard and improved every year.He ran like a deer.......tons of potential that he turned into to a sharp edged sword through hard work.He was a20 and 10 man right off the bat.He even had triple doubles sometimes........awesome player...even then By the way,he was always out.We partied with him a number of times and he was a wild man then.....tons of women.......He grew up like all of us. [This message has been edited by Hardwood Hammer (edited December 08, 1999).]
