Hakeem Olajuwon (52pts/18rebs) (Career High) vs. Nuggets (1990)
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- Denver and Houston are both rivals for the last playoffs seeds in the West, so basically this is a must-win for both teams. Hakeem steps up by dominating under the baskets with 52 points and 18 rebounds (good enough to justify the 11 turnovers) in this fun overtime game. April 19, 1990. (This is from the "NBA Greatest Games" programme, so the assholes left out most of the 1st quarter, the whole 2nd quarter and some of the 3rd quarter. So 20 points are missing. But we still have Hakeem stepping up late.)
No. 1 all-time in blocks, top 10 in scoring and steals and no. 11 all-time in rebounding. Best center ever IMO. =)
Certainly the best all around Center
You obviously have not heard of Wilt Chamberlain
You guys never heard of Kareem Abdul Jabbar? All time scoring leader and probably should have been all time blocking leader but they didn’t count blocks as a stat for the first 4-5 years of his career
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me that Hakeem's Rockets 🚀 lost a lot of championship window from 87-93...
It seems they were just short a second star for these seasons and were fortunate the 90's was a two star and one star per team league for the most part (as the expansion from 88-89 to 94-95 spread stacked teams commonplace in the 80's down to mainly two star and one star rosters).
Cuz the Rockets from 87-93 had a lot of continuity of roster next to Hakeem. Wiggins played on the 1986 West Conference Champions and was still a Rocket here in 89-90. Sleepy Floyd played a few seasons with Houston. Vernon Maxwell was already a Rocket by this season and Otis Thorpe joined Hakeem in the front court in the late 80's as well and stayed put until 94-95....
So they weren't dramatically shuffling personnel, but instead compiling and editing a format and style with their personnel. They had more continuity than you'd think for this franchise that didn't make it past a first round from 87-88 to 91-92... They r a conundrum to figure out during this period for me.
Why they didn't just go get a valid superstar to just fill out the versatility of Hakeem Olajuwon is beyond me. It's like they just were cheap and taking Olajuwon's versatility for granted.
@chrisgotti279 the invention of the 3 point line made Hakeem block record more impressive than if Kareem or Wilt would have had the record.
Players had reason to stay away from the paint to shoot a 3 which is Worth more than a midrange jumper.
This created less opportunity for a defensive Big man to be close enough to point guards, shooting guards and small forwards to block shots.
And Hakeem footwork and agility from soccer gave him the ability to Block some 3 point shots.
GREATEST CENTER OF ALL TIME
Eh, I disagree. However definitely top 5 though.
Maybe not THEE greatest, but no center did more all-around on both sides of the basketball. Scoring - low post and mid-range up to 15 feet and off the dribble, rebounding, passing. Defense - could rim protect as great as ANY center all-time, but could also move out and defend the wing in his prime, his quick feet and hands led to A TON of steals and deflections in the post and outside on the perimeter. Before Dream, only Bill Russell had that much range defensively. After Hakeem, David Robinson and bigs like Kevin Garnett, Robert Horry, Rasheed Wallace and Giannis today have that versatility on defense. But no big could what Olajuwon did on both offense and defense, David was the closest, but he didn't have the low post back-to-basket game offensively. Definitely Top 5: Russell, Chamberlain, Jabbar, O'neal and Dream. Pretty good company.
The shot where he hits his 50th point, is just so cool.
Best African player to ever play basketball
Unreal movement without the ball for a center.
0
1:44 Baseline move past four players. Amazing!
Tomjonavich to Rockets guards after a Dream basket "run it again"
Don Chaney was the head coach at the time. Rudy T was an assistant.
vernon should've went over the pick and fouled on that last shot of regulation. no 3 shot fouls in those days. man those rockets used to fight hard but come up short back in those days
my bad man. and I def agree sooo many Olajuwon classics have gotten lost over the years. like his 48 points on 24 field goals in the 1997 season.
man...you couldnt find the full version either huh? thats why I didnt upload it. missing 24 points is too many. glad somebody uploaded it anyway though.
FAT LEVER IS 1 OF THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY
Agreed. He gets forgotten in the Jordan era bcuz he's more of an 80's guy in terms of his greatest impact on the game. The 80's is largely forgotten compared to the 90's outside of the Lakers Celtics rivalry and the Jordan vs Bad Boys them Bulls dynasty overcast.
What about Alex English? He was so underrated
He'd embarrass anybody on a 1 on 1
dream's strength jumping off two feet is out of this world...!! just wonder how much of an impact on akeem's final stats would 've had the finger waving defensive specialist mount mutombo...
@KarlMalowned32 I remember the stat line from that game 24/40 from the field, no free throws. Imagine how many points he would have in today's NBA.
On a video where Hakeem scores 52 points (arguably) the most spectacular play is the defensive one starting at 7:21. Did you see, where he blocked that shot from/where he came from, and how he blocked it to himself for the fast break!?
wonderful game
yes they are better.. but isiah was a tough dude. i liked his ball dribbling skills too. i think he was the best ever at it. don't get me wrong though, i still like magic as the best.
@Migol1984
You can't lose with Isiah or Magic at point guard. I'd take either, and be more than happy.
However, Magic's probably more versatile, if you were going to start a team due to his size (i.e, if he had to switch or play other positions).
my alltime starting five would include C hakeem PF duncan SF bird SG jordan PG isiah thomas
Magic instead Isiah, but sounds good; IMAO Thomas is no. 2.
Just an example of how Hakeem (then Akeem) did EVERYTHING for the Rockets and then was heavily criticized by Houston's management, which was a HUGE disrespect. That season (1989-90) Dream led the league in BOTH rebounding (14.0) and shot-blocking (4.59), yet somehow Patrick Ewing was voted 1st Team All-NBA because he scored more (28.6 ppg to Olajuwon's 24.3 ppg). That shows just how stupid the sports writers are in my opinion. Every coach worth his salt, from Auerbach to Riley, to Jackson and Popovich stress that rebounding and defense wins championships, but the sports media whom most (not all) are really glorified fans, were mesmerized by Ewing's career year in scoring. I do respect Patrick, but no way is he 1st Team All-NBA over Dream that season. The fact that he carried those weak rosters to the playoffs yearly after the Ralph Sampson trade is a testament to Hakeem's all-around impact on both sides of the ball. Sorry for the book report.
@Al B Art World
No problem.
You said it all.
Yeah. That was the time (it appeared), the league kept looking for the "next best thing" after they got rid of Houstons guards in 87, and Sampson started having all his injuries. So, they started giving Patrick Ewing and David Robinson awards and accolades that they didn't deserve (especially Patrick Ewing). This, along with not talking about Hakeem, cause his team wasn't doing much, especially with those first rd exits. SMH/I hear ya!
7 Ft Jordan @@
That's a andrew wiggins dad, that dude named wiggins.
@5:05
Akeem Olajuwon 4.59 blocks per game
Ewing 4.1
David Robinson 3.9
Manute Bol 3.2 ....
What! 50, or 40 points wasn't common at any time. You were just watching Jordan play
Nah man with a scoring team of Olajuwon Duncan Jordan. Isiah as PG won't be as great as a passer like Stockton or Magic. Isiah is known for his offense
@MIKESOWELL He'd make Dwight Howard look like a boy scout
Find the UA-cam video of Dream trying to teach Dwight some offensive moves and proper footwork. It's humorous.
in the past 50, 40, is common, nowadays, a 30 points is celebrate like national day.........:(
6ft 11
The tie says warriors yet the video and desc. say Nuggets you should fix that
In the end Schayes got the better of him. He who laughs last laughs best 😂
i wish i was taller :{
@KarlMalowned32 Lol.
he's 6'10, not 7 foot
kevinkaotic He was closer to 6' 11" if I remember correctly. Still played like he was 8'
Not Magic or Stockton at PG?
It's not vs GS it's against the Nuggets change the title
big deal .. kobe had 56 against Memphis in 3 quarters
But not enough rebounds, and about assists not to talk...
Steve Sapszyan woow! kobe is a real star! no doubt; but, Hakeem got something thats makes him more famous, classy, leader and loved than kobe. a better person in fact. thanks and greetings.
+Bob De Niro no comparison you cant compare a center and a shooting guard for a center Hakeem to score 52 pts is impressive
Big deal wilt averaged 50 points for a season. See I can play that game also 🙄
No way 7:42