I would love to hear my fellow Rocket Fan's favorite memories of "The Dream." There have been so many great Dream moments over the years and sometimes we can forget some of them. This post is strictly for the "Dream Shake" afficcionado's. All sky hooks, fadeaways, free throws, dunks, 20 footers, and even Three pointers are not to be discussed unless the shake was involved somehow. For all those questions about what actually constitutes an authentic "Dream Shake," please fell free to ask. Here is a link about how the term "Dream Shake" came about: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/sports/barron/993280 Here is another link about the the "Dream Shake.": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1998/weekly/980316/5bestmoves1.html Here's mine... It must have been the 1997 or 1998 season at home verse the Boston Celtics in the down turn of Hakeem;s career. Andrew Declerk was guarding him down low. The Dream unleashed a nasty "Double Inverted Dream Shake." He faced him up from about 10 feet on the left side of the lane. Dribbled the ball to the left with his right hand between his legs spinning counter clockwise off his left foot. As the ball bounces into his left hand he plants his right foot on Andrews left side. With his back facing him he takes a step to his left and spins off his left foot counter clockwise fading away in the paint for two. I tagged this the double inverted dream shake because of the double spin and the inverted fadeaway towards free throw line instead of the base line. The funny part was that Andrew was absolutely faked. His body went one way and his mind went another. He did not fall down, but he looked r****ded(Lol). Anyways, it was nasty and I unfortunately could not find any video clips of it, so you will have to use your imagination. Please feel free to name your "Dream Shake"!
In the 1995 West Finals, Hakeem had a move where he drove and faked to hoop and put in a no-look layup. It was amazing. It was game 2 in the 3rd quarter. Everyone remembers the up and under move that Hakeem had on David, but I liked this one better.
1994 Western Conference Finals vs. Utah, Game 5. Sometime late in the game, Hakeem hit a shot from about 20 feet away after a Jazz player tried stripping the ball away, Hakeem got it back, and while literally falling backwards, just ripped the shot in. It was a great play!
There were so many, it's hard to choose the best Dream Shake.. I can't discount the multiple fakes he threw on poor Cliff Robinson in the 94 playoffs against the blazers where he sort of spasmed both ways, successively and alternatively, then shot a fade. That one signature move he did against Ewing can't be called a dream shake, but it did freeze poor old #33 and immortalized him as the poster boy for Hakeem's greatness. it was a simple dribble to the right coupled with a wicked pivot of both feet (he lifted the right foot before carrying the ball off the dribble) as he pirouqetted clockwise and leapt free ]towards the basket to serve up a facial on the Knicks. The show-and-tell move in 1995 versus that season's MVP proved that he was unconscious- he had usually dribbled down the baseline far underneath the rim and stick out the ball only to swerve back away, counterclockwise, and deliver a baby hook. But that move- he faked the second move and sent old D-Rob into the popcorn machines, then tucked under and laid it in. Another victimization of the Admiral- i'm not sure which season - it could have been anywhere from 1993 to 1996- Hakeem dribbled hard across the paint, posting on D-Rob and hopped into what seemed to be a patented signature move #54- the half-hook. However, it wasn't a typical one- Hakeem somehow actually faked and leapt simultaneously- he sort of pump-faked while he jumped into a half-hook, which means that his legs were doing one thing while his arms were doing another. sometimes the best moves aren't even done during gameplay- once, against the difficult seattle sonics, in the doomed 1996 semifinals, Hakeem faced up the Sonic center (was it perkins? Probably Ervin Johnson) at the right corner of the free throw line. He ball-faked the ball, downwards to his left, as if he was about to pound it, and instead slammed it down to his right, while lifting his right foot and twisting it clockwise, pivoting his entire body to the left- a massive fake with his right shoulder- and turned back counter clockwise, pivoting back on his left foot and hoisted it up- all after a whistle. ~The Absolute~
My two favorite 1.) The one where he had David Robinson jumping up like a ballerina multiple times. He pump-faked and spun a couple times, and then he had the nerve to show "The Admiral" the ball, before he scooped it in. Man that was cold. 2.) It was in the open court in the 94 finals and he was facing Ewing and he just did a 'shake and spun right past him for the dunk. I just remember thinking I've never seen a big man move so smoothly.
I was at MSG for that game....I think I was the only one standing and cheering. Ewing is still standing there I think.
