From today's ESPN Rumor Central: http://espn.go.com/nba/rumors/index.html Is this injury inching Hakeem Olajuwon any closer to retirement? Doesn't look like it. The not-so Dream has a fraction of his game left and the Rockets actually have young centers they should be playing (Kelvin Cato, Jason Collier), but Olajuwon won't go away and let the team rebuild like it should. Olajuwon has missed a few games with a swollen right knee, and then he developed a cyst on the joint. There's swelling there. Well, of course there is! The guy is old! We don't mean to rip the guy, because he has had a Hall of Fame career and done some amazing things, but he's looking worse than even Patrick Ewing, and that's bad. That said, look for Hakeem to return to his 10-point, 5-board ways in a week or so. Now, I haven't seen a ton of games this year, but doesn't this sound kind of harsh? I think his numbers (besides that 3 point game) weren't half bad before he went down. It's almost like it became the hip conventional wisdom in preseason to bash Hakeem for staying in the league to long, and now -- no matter what he does -- he gets made fun of as "old" or worse ... ------------------
That article proves that many of these idiot writers don't follow the game and don't read the stats. Hakeem is shooting a higher percentage from the field, assisting more, blocking more shots, stealing more passes, turning the ball over less than half as much, and scoring more per game than Ewing, all while playing less minutes per game(and less games!). Hakeem's Stats G 29 GS 29 MPG 25.6 FGM-A 121.257 FG% .471 3PM-A 0-1 FTM-A 55-81 FT% .679 OFF 1.9 DEF 4.4 TOT 6.4 APG 1.1 STL 33 BLK 37 TO 38 PF 71 PTS 297 PPG 10.2 Ewing's Stats G 33 GS 33 MPG 27.9 FGM-A 126.300 FG% .420 3PM-A 0-1 FTM-A 68-100 FT% .680 OFF 1.8 DEF 6.3 TOT 8.1 APG 1.0 STL 20 BLK 33 TO 79 PF 99 PTS 320 PPG 9.7 Worse than Ewing my a$$!! ------------------ "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi [This message has been edited by RocketsPimp (edited January 05, 2001).]
Hakeem has never gotten the credit he deserves. I don't expect anyone to start respecting him now. No one outside of the Rockets ever gives Hakeem credit. He is rarely even mentioned among the greatest centers of all time. Sickening. That's what it is. ------------------ "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning how to put food on their family while being put to death."
Damn right ....Hakeem has not been nor will he ever be given the respect he deserves. When haters start to talk, I silence their ass and pop in "Double Clutch" ... Watch that and tell me Hakeem is not the best center any of these people have seen (shaq's game is not quite to Dream's level...yet) ------------------
Figures, no way to e-mail those morons. ------------------ "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Gandhi
I am insulted that they even compare Ewing and Hakeem. If Hakeem was playing against Ewing every day he would average 18 pts. and 10 rbs. When I watch Ewing, I feel sorry for him. When I watch Hakeem, I think there is someone a little past there prime but has something to offer. Once Dream fully gets into his nitch on this team everything will work out well. I feel he is still the best big man on this team. All you need to know to compare Hakeem to Ewing. Hakeem - 2 championships, Ewing - 0. Hakeem is what made our city Clutch City and I will forever be grateful for that. I am a die hard Rocket fan as long as Hakeem is a Rocket. I hope we make it to the playoffs b/c I feel that is when Hakeem will once again carry this team. ------------------
