Robert Horry has been part of some of the most elusive NBA Championship teams en route to his seven championship rings. He has played with multiple NBA legends, with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and Hakeem Olajuwon being just a few of them. The player was recently invited to the ‘Iman Amongst Men‘ podcast on the YouTube channel ‘Uninterrupted’ and asked to discuss some of his teammates over the years.
Advertisement
An interesting question that the hosts asked Horry was about picking a teammate, who he would want on his side if a fight ever broke out. To everyone’s surprise, Horry chose Hakeem Olajuwon over everyone. Here is what he said, “Dream [Hakeem Olajuwon]. You think about when Dream first got in the league, a punch was $25. People forget, Dream used to fight almost every freaking game. He would put his hands on people. Go back and look at the tape.”
That is a surprising nugget from Robert Horry. Those not from the earlier generation have heard only good things about the two-time champion. There have been stories about him being the most quiet guy on the team and a perfect gentleman. However, there was no doubt about his competitiveness on the court. According to Horry, Hakeem was one of the toughest guys in the league, and no one dared mess with him. The former player then narrated an incident involving a player who got in a fight with the NBA legend.
“So we playing the Clippers one time. Randy Wood was on the Clippers, and he was talking trash to Dream. Dream was like ‘Calm Down’. And then he touched Dream. Dream was like, ‘Don’t touch me’. He touched Dream again. Dream hit him with a two-piece so fast and Randy fell on the ground. He got up and looked at him, and ran to Norman. Norman was like the enforcer. He was like who hit you? Dream? Nevermind.”
The story, though hilarious, talks about the level of respect and fear Hakeem Olajuwon inspired in the opposition. The players knew he was not to be meddled with.
Hakeem Olajuwon trained Giannis Antetokounmpo
Hakeem Olajuwon might be the most skilled center to have ever played the game. His post-game is unmatched to date. The former player’s incredible footwork in the post left defenders befuddled on a nightly basis. He was a threat on both sides of the floor and played the game the right way. The Houston Rockets legend ended his illustrious career with a very impressive resume containing two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and one regular season MVP.
Before the 2023-24 season, news broke out about Giannis Antetokounmpo training with Hakeem Olajuwon ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Greek Freak’s game is not one that has used a whole lot of finesse up to this point, with the big man using nothing but force to do his dirty work. However, with Hakeem, it was all skill and finesse. The legend passed on the knowledge of scoring, using elite footwork, to the 2021 NBA champion. If Giannis can incorporate the same, it would undoubtedly elevate his game to new heights.
