you did see the 95 conference finals right? thats about as close as you will get to a 1 on 1 match up. that is when it all mattered and dream showed who was the best.
Yes he could. He faced people up all the time back in the mid to late 90's. That's where his famous up and under move came from. I don't know how you could say that unless you didn't watch many rockets games back then.
You sure about that? What were the exact stats? I recalled Shaq had better numbers. These are the only stats I can find for head to head overall in the playoffs. O'Neal: 28.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG Olajuwon: 23.0 PPG, 9.4 RPG Even though I think Hakeem will most likely win against Yao, he will have a tough time because of Yao's size, that's all. Hakeem's game is not really molded as a 1 on 1 type of game. <b>HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED 1 on 1? </b> Having an outside shot doesn't mean too much when playing 1 on 1.
sorry but why do you keep asking if he ever played 1 on 1, i do not think you are the only one who has played 1 on 1. and for the record. having a good shot is verry handy 1 on 1. if yao defends to close to hakeem, hakeem wil go past him with a drive. if yao gives Hakeem room he wil hit that jump shot all night long. so having a jup shot is importend 1 on 1. because it makes your opponent guard you up close.
Thats what i'm thinking. Hakeem had the hook, the dream shake, face up moves, up and under.....it goes on......he used to do crossovers man, the way KG does them today so u must NOT have watched Hakeem in those games...... btw, u cant argue w/ me about this Chen. I have the DVD's of ALL playoff games from 94-95 at my disposal, and watch them regularly.....Trust me, Hakeem would <b>murder </b> any center of this era 1 on 1......
U R dead wrong....here are the stats: Hakeem vs Shaquille O’Neal: 1995 NBA Finals Game 1: Olajuwon: 31 pts - O’Neal 26 pts Game 2: Olajuwon: 34 pts - O’Neal 33 pts Game 3: Olajuwon: 31 pts - O’Neal 28 pts Game 4: Olajuwon: 35 pts - O’Neal 25 pts So Hakeem, 33 - 28 ......... U need to read this link mate, http://www.nba.com/rockets/history/Hakeem_Olajuwon_The_NBAs_Bes-91094-34.html with input from Sean Elliot.....maybe he'll convince u
When shooting from the oustide, you don't have as good of a shot as layups. Remember Hakeem has to bring the ball out from the top of the key and don't automatically get position down low. I don't know it's hard to explain. Basketball is basketball, but playing 1 on 1 uses a whole new set of skillset to me. That's the reason why I asked if they play 1 on 1 before. It's a lot of little intangables that you do to make you an effective 1 on 1 basketball player. Like the little hesitation, the ability to lay up using two hands, the slashing, the ability do Anfernee Hardaway type post ups to wiggle you way into the lane.
Thanks for the Stats HeyDude. I still think Hakeem outplayed shaq but by not that much, they pretty much neutralized each other from what I remembered.
It might be a shut out, Hakeem would absolutely DOMINATE Ming. Ming would look like he is standing still (and most of the time he would be) and Hakeem would look like a flash of light. Oh baby, be glad none of us will ever see this one. The difference? Speed, speed, speed! Quickness, quickness, quickness. Hakeem was Steve Francis athleticism in a 6 '11" frame. No contest, then, now or ever. The Admiral was much quicker than Ming, and Hakeem literally "froze" him time and again. BUT, in a real game surrounded by a good cast of players, Ming would fare much better, maybe even hold his own. One on one? Disaster.
I am referring to the 1995 finals only. Olajuwon outscored O'Neal by a significant margin and was named MVP. I am not referring to the old busted down hakeem from 2000. I highly doubt that you watched the Rockets at all in the 90's. Why do you think they had to triple team him so much? Simply put, because NOBODY COULD GUARD HIM 1 on 1. He was the most athletic big man in the history of the game...he had a combination of size & moves that nobody has ever had before or since. That gives him a massive advantage over anybody one on one. Yes. I have. Did you ever go to a Rockets game in the mid 90's? I'm guessing you probably didn't. Fine, Outside shot doesn't matter. Well, post up game, face up game and quickness do matter, and Olajuwon was better at that than any of his contemporaries...a fact that was painfully obvious to even the most die hard spurs fans.
Chen, I like the fact that u r trying to back up your statements. But the only thing I have against you is that I dont think you remember how Hakeems face up game was. Its ok. It was almost a decade ago. I am just lucky I have the DVDs thanks to another poster on this BBS. I was just recently watching a game of Hakeem vs David, and it was just <b> sick </b>. Hakeem would 'face up' David about the top of the key several times. He would then dribble, crossover, and 'slash' to the basket like a freaking small forward So dont think David was the only one who could face up......
It's never a fair question when you compare a legend with a 24-year-old player. We've seen what Hakeem could do in his prime. We have not seen what Yao can do in his prime. How can you make judgment out of something that have not happened? It's even more unfair if you try to compare Hakeem's prime with the second year Yao. There is of course no match. Anyone who thinks the present Yao has any chance against the Hakeem of mid-90s is insane. I agree with most people here that noone can stop the Hakeem in his prime. I don't think Yao can ever do that. But can Hakeem stop Yao is his prime? Who knows. As Yetti said (can't believe I actually quote him), come back and ask the question three years from now.
Look at the other side of the coin. Shaq and DRob gets doubled and tripled a lot too because they couldn't guard them 1 on 1, but how is that really relevant? Imagine Hakeem bringing the ball out at the 3 point line. <b>Again, playing a 1 on 1 game is completely DIFFERENT. </b>
Hakeem's face up is not the the slashing guard like type that Robinson's was. Hakeem uses crossovers dribbles for jumpshots, not attacking the basket like the mermaid's game primarily was. This is essential to 1 on 1 basketball. (Unless you're shaq and that powerful)
I know you weren't a Rockets fan back then, but what part of the term "facing up" do you not understand? What part of "most athletic big man ever" do you not understand?
Yes, but in a 1 on 1 game, crossover to get an open shot works the best actually, especially if you are going against a good shot blocker. I dont think David would've been able to do too much 'slashing' on Hakeem. The Dream would just send it back to his face. In a 1 on 1 game, its all about spacing. Dream was better at getting space from his defender than David.
You've got to be kidding me. You're questioning me if I was a fan back then? I am a HARDCORE fan...do you know how many remotes I've broken throughout the 90's? Being the most athletic bigman ever IS IRRELEVANT. I'm just thinking objectively and not being brainwashed because of how much I love my rockets. <b>Do you realize that facing up is the little Mermaid's game and NOT Hakeem's??</b>
Hakeem is the greatest supporting shot blocker I've ever seen in my whole life. Easily the best ever. But he doesn't block very many shots or play as good of a D when defending 1 on 1. The mermaid just have a better face up game than Hakeem.
