When the conversation about the greatest players in the history of the sport arises, one that often gets overlooked is Hakeem Olajuwon. The former Houston Rockets center is disrespected on a concurrent basis to this day.
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The Dream was selected ahead of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in the 1984 draft as the number one overall pick. While many may argue that he didn’t justify the tag, the body of work he would attain when his career came to a halt had people rethinking their choices.
In fact, the two championships that he has to his name came during the 1994 and 1995 seasons. The two years that Michael Jordan had retired initially. It begs the question, how well would Olajuwon have fared against ‘His Airness’?
It’s a testament to his greatness that he outshone every single other player in those two years to win successive championships. After all, how often does one get to emerge victorious during the Michael Jordan era?
Jermaine O’Neal who was a stupendous big man during his time in the NBA also had some thoughts of his own to share on the Dream.
Jermaine O’Neal reminisces Hakeem Olajuwon giving him his ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment
Earlier this year, six-time NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal made an appearance on the Knuckleheads podcast alongside Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson.
The former Indiana Pacers man had a lot to get off his chest and lauded Olajuwon for his incredible career and skillset.
On being asked who gave him his induction to the league, O’Neal said:
“The first person that actually bust my a** was Hakeem Olajuwon..I remember I was in Houston and I didn’t even expect to get in the game. And he made sure I wasn’t in there long..Bro his footwork, his strength, people don’t really talk a lot about his skillset. He was 6’11, fluent. Shoot it, pump fakes, mix, put on the floor and he was strong too..So his strength jumped on me right away so I was like ‘This man at least weighed 350, but he moving like he 150’.”
As far as the ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment goes, there couldn’t have been anyone better to bring you back to the harsh reality of the sport. O’Neal’s statements are an attestation to just how stupendous Olajuwon was in his prime.
Although the mastery of his craft was so substantial, the fact that he was an athlete during the Michael Jordan era, has led to him being forgotten quite often. The fact remains that Olajuwon was a pioneer for big men all around the world.
Hakeem Olajuwon’s forgotten skillset
Olajuwon represented the Houston Rockets for 17 years, before leaving them for the Toronto Raptors in the final year of his career. During those 17 years, he certified himself as one of the eminent centers of his generation and all-time.
The breathtaking footwork he possessed was the foundation of his offense. Using that, he dominated the post against his opponents. It enabled him to capture two championships, overcoming highly touted prodigy Shaquille O’Neal during one of those victories.
If that wasn’t an indication enough of just how brilliant a player he was, following the Miami Heat’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, LeBron James paid the Dream a visit, in order to enhance and hone his own skillset.
James himself has attributed Olajuwon for the success that followed in light of the loss.
Hakeem Olajuwon is a peripheral great who should never have his laurels questioned. The Dream Shake is named after him and is a move that is prominently used today by stars of the game.
