7 Years After Hakeem Olajuwon’s Unbound Praise, Stephen A. Smith Recalls Kobe Bryant Speaking Highly of The Dream

Hakeem Olajuwon has found his way back into the news after a long hiatus. This time around his upcoming training session worth $50,000 with Giannis Antetokounmpo is going viral. But Giannis isn’t the first player to get the opportunity to train with the great Dream. Before him, many NBA legends and current superstars learned the art of footwork from the master. Stephen A. Smith, on his podcast, recalled how Lakers legend Kobe Bryant spoke highly of Hakeem’s footwork and training.

Stephen A.’s statement comes 7 years after Hakeem spoke highlight of Kobe himself. Per Hakeem, the Black Mamba was his greatest student for various reasons. It’s no wonder Kobe and Hakeem both spoke so highly of each other. One was hungry to learn and the other was passionate enough to pass on his art.

Olajuwon lauded Kobe Bryant for utilizing his moves in-game

As Stephen A. Smith rightly pointed out, some of the game’s greatest players – LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony – have trained with Hakeem Olajuwon. The Houston Rockets legend has been an incredible coach-like figure to several players who wished to improve their post moves.

Among his students, Hakeem held Kobe in the highest regard for utilizing all the moves during the course of the game. Bryant is often known for his fancy footwork, and Oajuwon can take some credit for the same.

Olajuwon in his statement in 2016 claimed, “I’ve worked with a lot of players, but the one who really capitalized on it the most is Kobe Bryant. When I watch him play, he’ll go down in the post comfortably, naturally, and he’ll execute it perfectly.”

Stephen A. Smith, 7 years after Hakeem’s praise for Kobe, dug up Kobe Bryant’s comment about the Rockets legend. He recalled how Kobe noted how much attention to detail the footwork and style of play Olajuwon brought to the game made a difference.

Smith: “He’s trained LeBron James, he’s trained Kobe Bryant, he’s trained Carmelo Anthony. They all gave his training high marks. This is what Kobe Bryant, the Late Great Kobe Bryant, once had to say about Olajuwon’s training advice, he said once you are able to understand the small details, you’re able to elevate it to another, higher level.”

 

With Giannis slated to be the next player to train with Hakeem, there has been a lot of criticism from some, including Gilbert Arenas. Stephen A. Smith, in the same episode, apart from recalling Kobe’s praise for the 7ft legend, also defended Hakeem’s training for obvious reasons.