Hakeem Olajuwon was a generational talent – it is a shame he played at the same time Michael Jordan played.
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In the 2 years that Michael Jordan retired from the NBA during his first retirement stint, Hakeem Olajuwon won back-to-back championships. In the 1994 season, he was unstoppable, winning everything there is to win. MVP, FMVP, DPOY, and the championship in a single run are not many people achieve.
The stats in the post speak for themselves – This is one of the BEST finals run ever. Never dropping below the 25-point average, and always averaging a whopping 4 Blocks a game, the Dream was a nightmare on both ends. Hakeem is called the Dream but should have been called Freddy Kreuger instead. (It’s A Nightmare on Elm Street reference, for those who don’t know).
This kind of run means that people ought to think about what stopped him from winning the MVP or DPOY in the other seasons when MJ was active. Yes, Jordan was a god on offense, but did he get a slight preferential treatment when it came to other accolades? This is the kind of stuff that needs to be lauded, not forgotten.
Hakeem Olajuwon still influences a lot of big men even today – they still consult him for footwork tips
No 7-footer should move the way Hakeem Olajuwon did. Not many players have a move named after them, but Hakeem had. “The Dream Shake” is a coveted move even today, and is still so effective. Kids these days have centers like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid to look up to, but they look up to the Dream.
LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and many others consulted him regularly when it came to improving their footwork. He was as dainty as a ballet dancer, with the strength of an elephant. A virtual immovable object under the post, Hakeem was and still is the most complete center to play in the league.
Not many people mention the big man’s name when talking about the best players. They should because he decimated his competition. Not many can make Patrick Ewing look meek, but the Rockets man could. He was the sole reason the Knicks did not have a ring in the 90s.
