Hakeem Olajuwon’s ability to alter the course of the games always left the opponents in awe. Interestingly, the same could be said about his teammates, with Sam Cassell witnessing this firsthand during his 1993/94 rookie season. Three decades later, the 54-year-old recently opened up about The Dream’s greatness while reminiscing about his first preseason with the Houston Rockets.
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On the Knuckleheads podcast, Cassell recalled Olajuwon struggling to find any rhythm in the buildup to the season. This prompted the then-rookie to ask the 12x All-Star about his apparent off-form. In response, the latter indicated that the preseason performances didn’t matter. True to his word, the Rockets center hit his stride as soon as the regular season began.
“We 0-8 in the preseason… I’m sitting on the bench like, ‘Man, this ain’t the Hakeem Olajuwon I saw’… One day I asked him… ‘You only averaging 11 points right now’… He said, ‘Sam, they don’t send the stat sheets to New York’… He basically saying, this s**t don’t count. Two weeks later, opening night. We playing the Golden State Warriors… He had like 38 [points], 13 rebounds, 6 or 7 blocks”.
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This showed Olajuwon‘s ability to turn his switch on as he pleased. After all, what happened next defined the NBA forever. Featuring 80 regular season games, he averaged 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. This aided in the franchise securing a 58-24 run while earning a postseason spot. These remarkable endeavors also landed the Rockets talisman, his only-ever MVP accolade.
The 3-time champion sustained his form throughout the playoffs, recording 28.9 points, 11 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. This helped the franchise defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, the Phoenix Suns, and the Utah Jazz to book an NBA Finals spot against the New York Knicks.
In a 7-game series, the Rockets defeated the Eastern Conference giants to clinch its first-ever championship with The Dream winning the Finals MVP.
The following season was no different, as Olajuwon outdid himself, averaging 33 points per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Rockets again defeated the Jazz and Suns before winning the conference finals against the Spurs.
In the Finals against the Orlando Magic, the 7-foot maestro showcased his caliber, averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game, leading the Rockets to their second title and securing his second NBA Finals MVP award.
These moments undoubtedly earned Cassell’s respect while forging a remarkable bond between them. Their relationship only strengthened over time, giving rise to many memorable instances.
