NBA Legends Explain How Good PRIME Hakeem Olajuwon Was

[@xctkillaprodigyx2586]

The Dream is a top 10 player of all time and nobody can tell me otherwise!

[@panic7659]

He is for me too

[@matthewmarlar3774]

He was my favorite player growing up and I agree that he is too 10 all time.

[@mohkamaltaha]

I don't disagree.

[@mewchuking8639]

Extremely underrated and disrespected

[@waaa3081]

they would be so foolish to disagree w you

[@Albert-the-Astro]

Thanks for posting this Hakeem will always be my favorite basketball player.

[@luich2275]

MJ said one time I hate going to Houston that monster it’s always there blocking everything

[@joeyvanderwiele3323]

Bulls had a losing record against Rockets

[@anticorporatists9959]

With what Robert Horry said about Hakeem Olajuwan being the intimidating factor to Michael Jordan, that might be one of the reasons why Jordan tried out baseball for those seasons

[@peady64]

The Dream was a point guard in a center's body. The best center I've ever seen play.

[@MichaelKing2-7]

Well put 👍🏾

[@dodisusanto1028]

point guard passing and mindset, i think its jokic. but point guard moves and agility, combined with his insane postmovesets yea hakeem is the only center that have that even till now and probably the only one seeing how much the game has changed

[@ShermanHouston-g9u]

Damn right!!!!!!!., all you idiots who think lebron james is best 1 on 1 player. I got my $$$$$$$$ on hakeem the dream. He would destroy your lebalco king. Anytime, any place, anywhere.

[@luisagron1921]

Hakeem is the goat center! Even mj feared him

[@qv2539]

"Tendinitis, it's like headache in your knee". Man, that cracks me up every time. 😂😅

[@SEYEBOY]

Sometimes I wish, I wish I Wish I'm him I'm him But when I dream I dream I dream Hakeem Hakeem... I wanna be Hakeem❤

[@carlosguzman443]

his devotion to his game and faith wins we over every time.

[@patrickwilliamscoaching]

Hakeem and MJ together=as many chips in as many years they play together 😂. My two favorite players of all time

[@benf1111]

Man and the Rockets coulda had both. Cleveland woulda traded tbe 2nd pick for Ralph Sampson.

[@innosanto]

NBA of then was not primarily for getting stars together but for competition. Not like the recent. And Bird with Magic together would have no competition but they didnt want that. They wanted the competition.

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

MJ was asked in an interview, "If you and Olajuwon were on the same team, how many championships would you win?" MJ said ,"We would never lose." The reporter replied, "Ok, but how many championships would you win?" MJ looked him straight in the eyes and said, "We would never lose."

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

​@@benf1111 Portland. It was Clyde Drexler and the 2nd pick for Sampson.

[@benf1111]

@JustLikeHeaven77 got it. Well that woulda been an even easier route to get all 3 than I remember.

[@kehindeajayi171]

Hakeem Olajuwon one ☝️ of the greatest.

[@bosonh7723]

I can't believe he was fasting the whole day, no drink, no food and still scoring 40 points, just Woww

[@MichaelAstorga-iw4qo]

Seeing the late Kobe Bryant running to give the Dream a hug

[@amirsharif7985]

Just brings a tear to one's eye 😢. Two absolute greats

[@felixgonzalez5882]

Kareem Abdul Jabbar is the GOAT nba center. But if you say it's Hakeem Olajuwon. I can't say that I have a problem with that statement.

[@mattdarbyshire4962]

Houston guy here, so I'm a bit bias. Love hakeem.....for life!

[@Daylight-nu3rt]

That's not bias, in Houston That's the truth. Htown, Clutch City...

[@LindleySmith-e1w]

Those two years when he won the championship , no center ever played the game better. Oh my God dream was murder then.

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

It started in about 1990, but the Rockets were rebuilding the team at that time. From 1988-1993 the Rockets added Thorpe, Maxwell, Smith, Elie, Cassell, Horry, Herrera, and Brooks. 1993 Olajuwon was in beast mode as well.

[@PaulinaCupa]

Olajuwon defense side of the game to makes a better player than Shaq , Kobe , Duncan, Robinson, Malone, Barley, LeBron, Steph , Durant and the rest of the players playing right now

[@terapeo2027]

I wish hakeem had a prime wade, Kobe, magic beside him. Or an organization that cared about winning. He would have destroyed them all even Jordan

[@donphares9006]

Nailed it

[@markJohnson-ot7ny]

In 2024 this shows how great Hakeem was Webi of the Spurs iis breaking record that Hakeem set almost 40 years ago as a rookie. In terms of scoring blocks and steals. Finally, of his peers of that era, you never hear them dissing him they only give him the highest of praise. True greatest ! M

[@scottola2497]

Hakeem blocking MJ on 3 occasions here is simply amazing even Dikembe couldn't do that in one single game.. !!

[@hakeemolajuwon4352]

Olajuwon averaged 4s and 5b against Jordan's Bulls

[@pickzkickz]

It was 4 this game.....but also career winning record vs Jordan.

[@lightningheart88]

Hakeem also blocked (stuffed) MJ a few times late in his career in the late 90s when the rockets sported those ridiculous cartoon uniforms. Jordan was still sticking his tongue out on the way down from the blocked shots. That's what gets me.

[@litong1590]

If Hakeem was in Chicago Bulls with MJ throughout the whole 1990s... Holly Molly I couldn't imagine😲

[@hanj31]

that would be the most unfair team.

[@litong1590]

@@hanj31 hah~indeed 👍😅

[@jabedon]

They would have won 20 titles over 10

[@dontyoudaresubscribeme9698]

They probably would’ve won 10 or more rings…😂

[@dmc009]

5 people on the court. If mike had olajuwon, is like sayin'... I dunno what that is like. That would be the complete breakdown of north American sport.

[@LightningStriker1]

The dream made everyone look stupid

[@toddgoza3522]

Dude was just athletically gifted

[@judoboy1962]

The Dream did it all. He was quick. He defended. Made his free throws. He was a nightmare in the paint. He was the greatest center in my opinion.

[@bingsterc7621]

The reason why Hakeem HAD EXCELLENT FOOTWORK JUST LIKE MJ, was because Olajuwon was a Football/Soccer Player before he ever touched a basketball.

[@entertainmententertainment6376]

If I'm not mistaken, Jordan never played soccer growing up. Yet, you're stating that Jordan has excellent footwork. Hell, we can thrown in all of the NBA players with great footwork. It's more than likely that none of them played soccer at all. It may have helped Hakeem but it's not a requirement.

[@nyestrovicpenchkofferberge3407]

@@entertainmententertainment6376 What he's saying is that Hakeem had great footwork because of his background playing soccer. He's not talking about any requirements or Jordan being a soccer player. That part was awkwardly worded. Don't be obnoxious bro.

[@Joc_GoLive]

Man y’all are scientist wow

[@chemicqls]

@@entertainmententertainment6376 he never said it was a requirement

[@MagikFingers420]

He was a goalie, that's why he's great at tracking balls. Plus his passion was handball, another game of tracking a ball(extremely small ones too) and use your hand like a tennis racket to hit the ball back against the wall and you play 1 on 1 until someone misses their turn. So his footwork & ball tracking were second to none as a PF/C in the NBA bc of his passions as a child. Was the perfect recipe to build a badass overall post player, my favorite player of all time.

[@jeffrichards1537]

R.I.P Kobe and all who were on the helicopter. But he was right Hakeem was the man. Great footwork and could score and play awesome defense.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

I'm supposed to pretend Kobe Bryant didn't rape that hotel clerk right?

[@TuttaNeck]

Bringing up Kobe in a video that has nothing to do with him is crazy

[@gstlb]

I loved that long hug. It was real.

[@stiffpeter1771]

Hakeem being a Nigerian had nothing to do with being a great player. Jordan feared Hakeem because he new nobody on the Chicago Bulls could guard him. This would include Michael Jordan. Hakeem Olajuwon didn't get the respect he deserved because he was Nigerian. Remember when Sports Illustrated had Patrick Ewing as Playoff MVP. Not only that Sports Illustrated already had the New York Knicks winning in 4 games. Even though Hakeem Olajuwon was a million times better than Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq got all the endorsement and attention in the NBA.

[@morecowbell235]

I don't think he lacked respect because he was Nigerian. I think he did not get as much publicity because he wasn't an outgoing type and he did not seek it. Plus his accent was thick and hard to understand him. Those things didn't make him as marketable. As far as Ewing goes - he played in NY, the biggest media market in the US other than maybe LA. Whatever Ewing did was going to get magnified.

[@stiffpeter1771]

@@morecowbell235 Hakeem Olajuwon was clearly better then Patrick Ewing without even trying. Come on dude... this goes beyond New York vs Houston disrespect. This is definitely Criminal 🤣

[@morecowbell235]

@@stiffpeter1771 I'm not saying Hakeem wasn't better than Ewing. I'm only pointing out why Ewing got more press and why, as a whole, Hakeem is overlooked a bit.

[@stiffpeter1771]

@@morecowbell235 Overlooking the Greatest Center of All Times due to a language issue only makes that statement worse. But it was what it was. Charles Barkley was mentioned more than Hakeem Olajuwon and Houston is definitely a larger media market than Phoenix Arizona was. I guess it was because he favored and married white women.

[@morecowbell235]

@@stiffpeter1771 He's not an outsize personality like Charles. Charles was always in the spotlight and saying something that grabbed headlines. Once hakeem went muslim, he was super humble and stayed out of the spot light. I Can think of like, 20 commercials I've seen Charles in. The only commercial I can think of that Hakeem was ever in was this goofy Taco Bell spot with Shaq : )

[@HEAVYCHEVY409]

*The real alien, the way he could dribble, spin and shoot he was dangerous* he was 20 plus years, before his time!

[@patrickfranco7745]

I was raised in Houston, Texas and I watched the 94 95 Champs. The Dream and the rest of the Team were Something else.

[@ΔημήτρηςΘεμελης-ο8ζ]

One of the best players off all time

[@miketedder2044]

The best big man I've ever seen.

[@Mister_Malice]

I respect Robert Horry but saying that Vernon Maxwell could have slowed down Michael Jordan is an absurd statement.

[@cecilb3216]

Uhhhh he did. He physically and athletically matched up to MJ very well. Remember they almost came to blows a couple of times. He frustrated Jordan. Maxwell's problem was he didn't have Jordans killer instinct. The rockets regulary beat the bulls back then.

[@LB-nn8hx]

Yep on a regular basis just like he said 👍....

[@munimathbypeterfelton6251]

Hakeem beat the three main big men of the ‘90s: Ewing, Robinson, and Shaq in that order en route to the Rockets’ back-to-back championships in 1994-95. And in 1995, the Rockets were the underdogs because despite being the defending NBA champions, they were only the sixth seed in the West. David Robinson was the regular season MVP; Shaq’s Orlando Magic had the best record in the league. But Hakeem said, no problem!!

[@Krakkenn69]

Olajuwon A different center. Pure class, the most complete center in the history of basketball Legend The Dream ❤️❤️

[@Demetrius-g4z]

We in Houston seen it first hand finally getting his respect

[@icemike1]

I know David Robinson knows

[@Indomitablespirit108]

Shaq if you can't hit a free throw you're not in the discussion! Pure and simple

[@nathancook2852]

Embiid is often seen as a great defender. As I type this, he would have to play his career 4 more than times to reach the number of blocks Hakeem has. He would have to play his career more than 3 times for his block to reach the number of STEALS Hakeem has. Hakeem is still over 600 blocks more than 2nd place Kareem, and is still in the top 10 all time for steals.

[@Chris-v5t]

Respect to the Vernon Maxwell shoutout that dude was fearless

[@anthonyritthaler3651]

The dream is top 8 alltime such a amazing player

[@HBO1984.]

Thank You Robert Horry for answering that question about our bank to back championships. I've always wondered the same thing. 😑

[@hpmetabolics7558]

I'll show my respect this way... my starting 5 if my life depends on a win against ANY LINEUP! C Olajuwon PF Duncan SF Jordan SG Curry PG P Hardaway bench: Shaq, Bird

[@RP-oq6hl]

Definitely top 5 regardless of position. Big, strong, crazy work ethic, fitness, and FOOTWORK. Many of the top players have Kobe and LeBron both trained with him. That tells you something.

[@curryking1]

Hakeem is what all the casuals try to tell people who siakam is 😅

[@chuckbrooks2271]

MJ. had much respect for the point center, drafted ahead of him, and with him on his side he could not loose s game, that alone speak volumes, the best big man the game have seen so far. 😮

[@part6133]

Hakeem Bowie Jordan Sam Perkins 4 Barkley Turpin Alvin draft 1984

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

John Stockton, Kevin Willis also.

[@Albert-the-Astro]

I remember watching Dream jumping for loose balls, putting his body on the line for the game, unbelievable.

[@eloycavazos1769]

THE DREAM NEVER DIES

[@dominicknight2565]

Wait im just seeing this. C. Webb said he was the same height. Webber wasn’t 7 foot, he was only 6’10”

[@theogkotsis2335]

To name more than 2-3 players above Hakeem, they would have to touch perfection, so no one was and is not perfect, easily in the top 5 all time

[@Tiger-pu4oz]

Best 2 way center to ever play the game!

[@PaulinaCupa]

Olajuwon had 200 steals in a season and 30 blocks in a series Shaq never did that

[@cyrex6519]

My top 10: #10 wilt #9 Duncan #8 Kobe #7 Shaq #6 maravich #5 Hakeem #4 russell #3 Bird #2 Kareem #1 MJ

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

Take out Shaq and put Magic in there somewhere.

[@Foxentails]

I would have liked if Mike didn't retire for those two years and we might have seen Bulls vs Rockets in the finals.

[@lynnstewart1981]

Best Center in my opinion.

[@user-kx1lz8xz1m]

Yeah the Bulls didn't have Horace Grant or Dennis Rodman. Rockets would have won over Bulls if those matched up.

[@Daylight-nu3rt]

Keep dreaming. 😂

[@Daylight-nu3rt]

Keep dreaming ...

[@kingsolo6241]

The only person that hates Hakeem is Charles Barkley for Hakeem leaving the year Charles came to Houston. Lmao

[@romeromendoza2484]

Hakeem is my GOAT 🐐 🙌

[@mwright_boomer]

GOAT bigs he dominated on a playoff stage: ✅ Kareem ✅ Shaq ✅ Ewing ✅ Robinson ✅ Malone ✅ Barkley Best big in the best era for bigs

[@vuseu]

3:25 🤣🤣

[@500erider]

There's no way anyone can definitively say who would have won a 7 game series between the Bulls and the Rockets, although the Rockets did have a winning regular season record against the Bulls. The Seattle Supersonics beat the Rockets in both the 1992 and 1993 playoffs, and the Chicago Bulls had no problem beating the Supersonics. However, the game is all about matchups. But, to say that someone would have beaten someone else without proof, is conjecture, at best. Hakeem was GREAT, and so was that Rockets team, but I'm never betting against prime Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in a 7 game series.

[@rj8457]

The Best

[@PaulinaCupa]

Olajuwon is a better 2 way player and can outcome the on both sides of a game

[@PaulinaCupa]

Hakeem is a better center than Shaq cause he is way superior on the defensive side even though Shaq has more rings

[@TWADBAND07]

Tell the truth akeen was a monster but think about it if he had some more people added to Houston rockets they would won more titles

[@rayrayrich4974]

Best big ever.

[@austinevans8131]

I've never heard so many great players say those things about another player just listen to what Jordan Kobe and Shaq say Hakeem is the goat and doesn't get that credit

[@ronduece9066]

"lateral movement!!!" 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@3warnerjohn]

Little known fact but the Rockets almost pulled off a trade on 1984 draft day that would have paired Hakeem, Clyde, AND MJ. Rockets almost traded Ralph Sampson to Portland for Clyde Drexler and the #2 pick, which would've been used on MJ, not Sam Bowie, since they would have just drafted Hakeem at #1. That team might have won 12 championships!

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

That would have been great, but the Rockets front office would have screwed that up somehow. They could have drafted Drexler in 83 but chose Rodney McCray. They probably would have drafted Bowie because if that trade would have went through, the Rockets needed a power forward and already had McCray at Small forward and Drexler at 2guard.

[@reginaldscott5609]

People forget he played soccer before he played basketball. Where it is all about foot work.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

Before Giannis, there was Hakeem.

[@wickedclown0186]

No offense but Hakeem’s game is much more evolved than run and dunk, his spin moves would put Giannis in the blender

[@onelyfemusic6213]

Embiid has more Hakeem in his game than giannis

[@truth4reel]

Can't here the interview

[@Heyoka-uv8vg]

"He's hitting them with lateral movement"!

[@aumy7659]

Personal reason, and then Shaq tells the reason immediately, unprompted.

[@alexandreazevedo9906]

1- MJ 2- Lebron 3- Magic 4- Kareem 5- Bird 6- Kobe 7- Hakeem 8- Duncan 9- Shaq 10- Curry

[@GalacticCoast]

I do not have a problem with this list.

[@rothed16]

Am i the only one who has SOOOOO much trouble hearing/understanding a lot of what Shaq says throughout his comments. Love the guy now, but its just not always clear to me unless I pay close attention😢😂

[@brandonelkin3166]

Look at his numbers in the final four in 83 in 2 games he had 41 points 40 rebounds and 15 blocked shots and lost the national championship but still he was named Most Outstanding Player

[@delmccormack7001]

If Hakeem was on the pacers or the Supersonics Jordan would only have two rings.

[@lonniebaines1720]

There is No way I can put LeBron over Hakeem....No way

[@KingKoin88]

Shaq just relied on size. Dream’s got skills n moves like a guard at 7ft man. He Wowed you and embarrassed Robinson n Shaq

[@bbrant5925]

Sorry Horry you guys weren't beating Chicago. Remember the Bulls were week at center but they beat Shaq and Ewing.

[@ChrisM07]

The Rockets were a more versatile team w/better floor spacing and shooting compared to the other teams w/those Cs you mentioned. Shaq in particular moved slower when he had the ball in the post and his shooting range was limited which made it easier to single cover him and provide delayed double team help when necessary, plus his free throw shooting in the 96 series was abysmal (36%). Horry was actually matched up against Rodman and Grant a lot in 95 winning both matchups. As a matter of fact his scoring average in the finals was his career high and the 7 steals in G2 that series was a finals record that still hasn't been surpassed yet.

[@frankradcliff660]

Dream top 3

[@reginaldwilliams617]

"Hakeem was not that big".. man please.... I saw him in person one time and he is tall at least 6'10-7ft and muscular. for sure...

[@thisguy8373]

Easy...hakeem was taken before jordan, and no one bats an eye... 1.Hakeem pretty much dominated every Center he played in 90's... Admiral, Patrick Ewing, Mutombo, Young Shaq etc. 2.Russell outside of the 60s gets eaten alive by Olajuwon. 3.Kareem proved to be was THE most problematic matchup of his entire career imho. 4. That speaks volume

[@scottfeuerhammer3595]

HAKEEM is only behind only Wilt, Kareem and Bill. He was probably better than Bill, but Bill got 11 rings.

[@destrudouniversalis8024]

Chicago beat the Rockets with Hakeem.

[@dmc009]

Yo, im not lyin'. If we had an all time draft, and i get first pick, i am takin' olajuwon... .. knowing what i know now, id take the dream over anyone ever, not just centers.... ... but when robert horry says, yes, we wouldve beat mike those two years... ... i dunno. Id still take hakeem first. The skill set and value he brings.... ... mike went 6-0

[@JustLikeHeaven77]

You need to take a typing class.❤

[@rooseveltgreen1276]

got it from playing soccer..wilt still 1st...akeem 2...

[@Tony-bx7ed]

No the Rockets wouldn't have beaten the Michael Jordan Bulls with Hakeem. Worst case scenario the Bulls would have won in game 7

[@AliensAreReal_1]

Rockets in 6

[@thomasfischer9259]

Horry is full of bs

[@dmc009]

I dunno. I love hakeem. mike was 6-0 so it's like... Vernon maxwell, are you fuckin' serious?

[@RodricBeauregard]

Hey Shaquille,only black guys should win M.V.P richter???!!!😮

[@MelvinMartin-fv7hu]

The Bulls would've won that matchup sorry

[@thecook..]

Beter than james so many are

[@michaelwheeler3782]

Kareem would have dominated you. You think Hakeem was hard to stop. Try Kareem and his sky hook

[@davidwilliamson2341]

They played against each other in 1986 the Rockets beat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals Rockets won in five games! But I'll never argue that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the top players of all time they both are!!!

[@joelomar]

​@@davidwilliamson2341Kareem was at the end of his career then.

[@davidwilliamson2341]

@@joelomar l know thats what l said Hakeem is my starting power forward and Kareem my starting center! I lived in Houston 79 to 2006 l didnt miss a game!l loved them both!

[@JudgementDay8-29]

@@joelomar yeah, but he didn't play as physical or rely on athleticism like Hakeem.Kareem was never plagued with the amount of injuries Hakeem had. Hakeem never played above 61 games after the '96-'97 season.

[@donphares9006]

Skinny

[@peekopicovictor7423]

Stop it Horry. The ones who know MJ really got 8 in a row.

[@ChrisM07]

Horry still holds the record for most steals in a finals game (7), he can say whatever he wants. Kukoc may have been a matchup problem for a lot of teams but the Rockets were one of the few teams that had versatile forwards too. Horry was pretty similar to Kukoc on offense while also being better on defense and more athletic.

[@freespeech515]

Robert horry is too cocky. With rodman they can neutralize olajuwon 50%. But olajuwon is canny . He will get rodman in foul trouble. But if its playoff MJ play different game. Key is can pippet stop robert horry? That is where game is decided

[@mexrider1]

Rodman wasn't at the Bulls in 93-94 so that would have been a non factor. The Bulls had nobody who could have stopped Dream.

[@OmarWkbari]

Bro Rodman went against Hakeem when he was on the Spurs with a prime DPOTY David Robinson next to Rodman😂😂 and Hakeem literally toyed with Rodman and Robinson, what do you think Rodman would do with Luc Longley??😂😂

[@kingbigcheese4335]

Also just like MJ, Hakeem also improved in the post season (in pts and efficiency). Bulls have no center to go against him in the paint. Hakeem shot more efficiently than Jordan even with historically great centres guarding him.

[@kobebryant24861]

@@OmarWkbari exactly😂

[@FlyAwayChi]

​@@mexrider1 You just don't hear how ridiculous you sound saying nobody could stop Hakeem when the Bulls had the best player in the world that NOBODY could stop?? And the Bulls didn't need Rodman, they still had Horace Grant..The 1994 Bulls with Nike and adding Kukoc would be too much...Too much experience. The Bulls were not the Knicks

[@robranko5931]

Ppl tall about f best but..I ll take blue edwards wit Alonzo morning..still entertaining 4 u old cats u no what f fk I m saying

[@dmc009]

What the fuck are you saying?

[@robranko5931]

@dmc009 I dunno what I m saying

[@robranko5931]

@@dmc009 I m just trying 2 dukn mix it up .

[@beavis408]

sorry to name drop but I just saw him at a Hyatt Place in central Texas last month. Man of the people!! He could afford the RITZ!

[@prettysure3085]

Patrick goat nfl player mahomes!

[@salvadoramaya8642]

And no the Rockets wouldn't have beaten prime Micheal Jordan and the Bulls. Y'all can dream all y'all want tho.

[@lukasblur3500]

I never even heard of him until the song the other side of paradise