Even though Kevin Garnett swears Hakeem Olajuwon was the sneakiest, most underrated trash talker he ever met on a basketball court, the Houston Rockets legend is largely known for his calm demeanor. In the 17 years he played for the Rockets, the center won two NBA championships and was on 12 All-Star teams, all while being an inspiration to younger athletes like the flamboyant Cuttino Mobley.
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Mobley joined the Rockets in 1998 and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Olajuwon. In the 6 years he played for Houston, Mobley spent a lot of time watching these greats go on about their business, whether on the court or off it. He has often fondly talked about his desire to train like a professional, such as Pippen.
Mobley has also shared a great admiration for the kind of upright person Barkley was, while admitting he could throw people across the bar if they pressed him too much. But the one person who continues to inspire him to this day is Olajuwon.
“Dream [Olajuwon], to me, was the most calming individual very to himself but yet very aware of what’s going on outside knowing that Charles and Scotty and all them are gambling or knowing that this person is doing … But he stayed in his own world and if you wanted to come in his world he’d teach you,” Mobley spoke with admiration.
Mobley also recalled a time when he asked the deeply religious Olajuwon what he was reading out of genuine curiosity. But soon found out, it wasn’t for him. “So I asked Dream like, ‘Yo, what are you reading? Oh, you want to know? Come on. I got you, young fella. Come on.’ And he would teach me a little bit of this. Teach me a little bit. But I was younger.”
“I’m like, ‘Dream, I can’t be that disciplined right now. I like girls too much, man. I’m tripping. You tripping, man. You know what I’m saying? Religion ain’t good for me right now. I can’t do that one. You got it, champ,” he noted.
The former Rockets shooting guard left Houston in 2004, just two years after Hakeem retired. But even to this day, they pair up, talking about the old days and exchanging books.
“I just went to Houston not too long ago and we traded books. I gave him books to read. He gave me some books to read, you know, things like that. But Dream was always my guy, man.”
Olajuwon is, of course, one of the greatest centers ever, often compared to the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson and Bill Russell.
If the NBA titles and All-Star teams weren’t enough, he was the MVP in both the championship finals the Rockets won (1994 and 1995) and has been a part of the All-NBA first-team selection 6 times.
Of course, the numbers don’t do justice to the rare talent he was, and Vernon Maxwell made sure that everyone understood why.
Nobody could stop Hakeem, claims Maxwell
When Maxwell joined the Rockets, Hakeem was called ‘Akeem’ and the whole team revolved around him. After all, he was the number 1 pick in 1984, a class that included the iconic Michael Jordan. But all that would change once he found solace in the Islamic faith.
“When he became Muslim, it was great man. I just knew at that time, when I saw him, look different, attitude was different, willing to share the ball with everybody … At first it was all about Dream, Dream, Dream getting his numbers and sh**. When he became Muslim, over that summer, we knew,” Maxwell recalled.
This was around 1993. It would only take another season for the Rockets to win the NBA championship.
Still in awe of what he saw Hakeem do on the court, Maxwell said, “Just the feet work, man. It’s crazy. Everybody don’t understand in basketball, they think the game is played up here with your hands and your upper body. It’s played down here. You got to have good feet.”
“Nobody couldn’t stop him. He went on a tear for like five years. I mean sh**, he was MVP, nobody could stop him. That’s when he was at his best,” the former Rockets point guard insisted.
Maxwell and Olajuwon ended up playing for five years during the Rockets’ peak in the 1990s, which was only overshadowed by Jordan’s brilliance for the Chicago Bulls.
