gotta respect robinson. he didnt trash talk olajuwon. he didnt make up excuses. he basically said "i did my best, and my best was not good enough". it takes a lot of honesty and humility to say such a thing.
søren sko "The Dream Shake was actually one of my soccer moves which I translated to basketball. It would accomplish one of three things: one, to misdirect the opponent and make him go the opposite way; two, to freeze the opponent and leave him devastated in his tracks; three, to shake off the opponent and giving him no chance to contest the shot."
@@lyalminchinton8825 Yeah tbf throughout Hakeems career big men struggled to guard him because of how superior his footwork was especially for his size.
Hakeem had the best footwork for any Center throughout the league's history and arguably was one of the best centers of all time. He even made Shaq look bad in the 95 finals and Ewing in the 94 finals. Unfortunately, Hakeem was well underrated and unpopular due to his foreign status (Americans tend not to look too fondly upon foreigners). This was too bad since the man was very humble/respectful and would have been a good positive role model for American kids during an era in which the league started to become thugged out (Allen Iverson, Jr Rider, Shawn Kemp,Latrell Sprewell, Rasheed Wallace, etc). A true class act on and off the court.
***** if we are gonna talk one of the best centers I think it would go something like this Best defensive C: Bill Russell(no debate easy) Best Offensive C: in all honesty a tie between Wilt and Kareem but I think kareem has the slight edge Best Of both combined: Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon (in my opinion the best center for both sides of playmaking)
Shaq: "If I'm going to fight you, I'd rather just beat you," he said. "If I can't beat you, I'll be a man and say I can't beat you. I'm not going to [cry about it]. . . . I'm the first guy to say that somebody is better than me. I was the first guy to say Hakeem Olajuwon beat me in the [1995] NBA finals. He killed me. He dominated me. I didn't go, 'Oh, he's traveling. They had experience. Wah-wah-wah.' I'm a man. Hakeem Olajuwon dusted my butt.
simon pita Shaq got bigger - he didn't get much better as far as skills. He won the scoring title in 94-95 with 29.3 per game. And also he didn't have to face any really good centers during the 2000's. The only reason Shaq was able to compete with Hakeem at all was because he was taller and much bigger.
***** True. By the time Shaq won his championships, the other 3 have already retired or faded. He was playing Smits (not bad offensively, but not known for being a stonewall either), the Davises, Dikembe, etc. Which really pisses me whenever Shaq talks about how Dream Team 2 (1994) would match up with Original Dream Team (1992), the way he looks at the names "Ewing" and "Robinson" and says "that's barbecue chicken, right there!" as if all Dream Team 2 needs to do is dump the ball to him to win. In case Shaq forgets, until 1999, David Robinson's teams had Shaq's number, whether Shaq played for Orlando or LA. The Spurs even swept LA in 1999. So Shaq assuming Dream Team 2 would win just because of his [perceived] match up advantage over Ewing or Robinson is assuming too much. Who will stop MJ on DT2? Also, Shawn Kemp, as awesome as he was, vs. 1992 version of Barkley and Malone?
Dream is one of only four people in the NBA to record a quadruple double. Dream is the only player ever to record 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season. That's just ridiculous. He has a bunch of really wild stats like this. He's the only player in NBA history to have six games where he recorded 5 x 5's. Think about that for a second! That's insane versatility for a guy who's nearly 7ft! The closest anyone has ever gotten to recording a quintuple double is Olajuwon. Dream also knows five languages.
The rules were different too, there was no 3 in the key
8 років тому+1
Cory Hill "Savagely" double and triple teamed yet he never fouled out and played the maximum minutes of a game for several seasons. You people are either trolling or just that fucking stupid. I'm guessing it's the latter.
sldf FAS exactly. Dave was a nice guy. He player against Akeem before and had no reason to assume that he wouldnt hold his ground. And then Olajuwon started GOIN AT HIM. David must’ve thought WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON?!!
I think the main thing about the Bulls vs Rockets argument, is that I think Jordan needed that time off. I'm in the group that believes that if Jordan wouldn't have taken the time off the Bulls might have lost to the Rockets. They might not have even gotten that second 3 peat either. MJ needed time away to clear his head after his father was murdered, and find himself again. But I guess we'll never know. Would have been an amazing series though.
As a Rockets fan and someone who got to watch Jordan and Hakeem play, it could have gone either way. Jordan could have been the one to stop Hakeem and vise versa. We will never know.
@@johnpalacios1195 The Admiral and Shaq played the same position Dream did and weren't able to stop him on his way to the championship, I doubt someone who wasn't even a frontcourt player was stopping him. Add to the fact that Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant were also apart of the Spurs and Magic frontcourt respectively, the Bulls interior in comparison wasn't all the strong that's the reason they got eliminated by the Magic and went after Rodman in the first place.
Both teams played into each other's weaknesses perfectly. The Bulls guards would have offensively and defensively worn down the much smaller Houston backcourt. And Hakeem would have destroyed the Bulls down low. I think when it's all said and done, it would be the Bulls in 6 or 7 games, but all pretty damn close.
@@zach6395 The Rockets were one of the few teams that didn't use a PG as the focal point of their system. The Bulls were known for heavily focusing on the PG defensively since they were usually the engine of the system as far as getting good shots for the team, the Rockets were different in that regard they moved the ball around as a team in general it was extremely difficult to gameplan for them. The Rockets weren't just simply a jumpshooting team either like people tend to think they could run the floor very well too almost everytime they got a stop they drove inside where they got a lot of their freethrow opportunities and they were good at the line.
Picture Hakeem playing in this era of low IQ big men who have little to no fundamentals. Imagine Dwight Howard or Roy Hibbert trying to stick Hakeem. That would be utter destruction. Childs play for the Dream
+Eth D It wouldn't even be fair. They'd still have their feet planted to the ground while Hakeem danced around them & scored. I wish the bigs in this era were more versatile. I hope someone gets Hassan Whiteside into a training program to improve his offense. He's great a shot blocking and pretty good defender but lacks offensive moves
+Eth D David Robinson is about the same in the defensive end. So, Dwight would be tricked like that too. Plus offensively David is way superior to Dwight.
***** Dude, if you ant to argue that Hakeem got the better of Shaq, ok. But to say Hakeem dominated Shaq? Shaq averaged more rebounds, assists, blocks & had a higher field goal %. And Shaq held Hakeem-fucking-Olajuwon under *50%* shooting which is unheard of. So, how do you get dominated when you lead your opponent in almost every important statistical category except points & steals?
***** Like I said, Olajuwon's team also swept O'Neal's lol. Olajuwon had range on his shot, O'Neal got most of his shots 5 feet within the basket, of course his FG% would be higher. Olajuwon had 4.8 more points, 1.0 less rebound, 0.8 less assists, 1.7 more steals, 0.5 less blocks, and was beaten in FG%, but won in 3-PT% and FT%.
Shittykitty2000 EWING came close of checking OLAJUWON. none of them SHAQ and ROBINSON they got bamboozel by the DREAM. but EWING came out just that close.. even the dream himself said that EWING is a phisical.great player. he got schooled by EWING in his SHOOTING SKILLS..
I'm a Rockets fan AND Robinson is a CLASS ACT! He deserved the MVP trophy in '94. I kinda winced when Dream torched Robinson repeatedly that game because I like Robinson, too. (But I like Dream more!) Let's not forget that for the last game of the '94 season, Robinson scored a career-high 71 points! Entering the game, Robinson trailed Shaq by just 33 points for NBA's scoring title. With the crown in his sights, Robinson erupted for 71 points on 63 percent shooting (26-for-41). Incredible!
maybe a weakness is that he was not aggressive enough. If truly no one could stop him then he should've shouldered more of the load instead of deferring. the man never averaged 30 ppg. If he had the mindset of a kareem then he could've changed the course of NBA history.
@@Jukeboxster Jokic never averaged 30 either and he's arguably the most dominant force in the league today. Shaq never averaged 30 either. KD's known as a top 3 scorer ever and he's only ever averaged 30+ twice in a way softer defense era. LeBron is the all-time scoring leader and has "only" done it 3x in 20 seasons.
The reality is Robinson was also an outstanding player and deserved to win the MVP that season. It’s Robinson’s quality that year that made Olajuwon’s performance against him so special.
SiirPrize in the 30 for 30 documentary shaq said hakeem was giving him tips he would score on him and hakeem would be like you should've did this or that it's pretty funny
That shake & bake on Robinson was next level greatness. Shaq doesnt really have great skills he is just so big he bullies opponents. Shaq never worked on an outside shot or free throws. He just backed u in With his size & strength & dunked on u. It worked for him but he was no where near the skills that dream had.
Hakeem outplayed Robinson in that series obviously, but people tend to forget that Robinson averaged 25 pts and 11 rbs against Olajuwon that series too.. And it was a great, competitive series that went 6 games. It wasn't nearly as one-sided as the highlights make it seem.
The point is that the Spurs were a very good team, had the best record that year, and Robinson was the MVP. It was their year, everyone in the whole country thought the Spurs and Robinson should easily get their first championship. And it's not as much what Robinson did or didn't do, it's what Hakeem did against him and the Spurs. The league MVP and one of the best defensive centers ever guarded Hakeem the whole series with double and triple team help but they could do nothing to stop or even slow Hakeem down. Hakeem: Fg% .560 Pts 35.3 Rb 12.5 As 5.0 Stl 1.3 Blk 4.2 Robinson: Fg% .449 Pts 23.8 Rb 11.3 As 2.7 Stl 1.5 Blk 2.2
Hakeem 36ppg/ 12.5rpg/ 5apg on 56% FG and 81% FT with 4.2bpg and 1.3spg ----- Robinson 24ppg/ 11rpg/ 3apg on 45% FG and 77.5% FT with 1.5spg and 2.2bpg ... Just by those .... HE DOMINATED HIM!
***** Its still funny that Robinson's stats are that of the losing guy. In the modern NBA those are a winner's stats o.< the hell happened to the league?
1. Hakeem dominated EVERY center in the 90s 2.David Robinson was a dominant Center too as well also the most athletic ever!!!!!!! 3.David Robinson was the only reason why the spurs won 2 games in that series!!! and look at shaqs team:they got swept!! so you cant say that robinson sucked!
The funny thing is that Hakeem was known to be a really sweet guy, he destroyed Robinson just because he was angry not to get the MVP. Imagine what kind of damage he would have done if he were angry all the time.
he wasnt angry... hakeem played like this almost all his prime years, and he was one of very rare players that were very decent human beyings out and inside court
Rodman was on that Spurs team, and was who they primarily double teamed Hakeem with, but it didn't really stop him that much, it was when they started having guys on him constantly to deny him even getting the ball, and triple teaming him that they started seeing success.
Hakeem is Most underrated ever. Because he is a African, not a US person. Also he denied Nike's commercial offer, cause he didnt want to be US servant. He is only one-man team champ in NBA history. Top1 player.
i was just about to post the same comment on how underrated and unpopular he was due to his foreign status (Americans tend not to look to fondly upon foreigners). Hakeem had the best footwork for any Center throughout the league's history and arguably was one of the best centers of all time. He even made Shaq look bad in the 94 finals.
Olajuwon was simply the most agile, athletic center to ever play basketball. Wilt and Shaq were bigger and stronger but no one could do the things at the center position Hakeem could. He was basically a 7 foot tall athletic 2 guard with a classic post game to boot.
You know what I take away most though from this is how humble David Robinson is and to respect Hakeem when most players don't acknowledge they were beat. David Robinson is a class act same with Hakeem. Two great players obvioulsy Hakeem though is the greatest center ever in my opinion over Kareem. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were forwards if i'm not mistaken right.
Way better Ben Wallace? No, he was a stick version of Wallace in an era where physicality was banned (he'd get broken by Wilt), the easiest foul calls ever and racism leaving him facing White midgets ... Elgin Baylor, a black guy who could handle the ball, always overcame Russell at the rim .... Imagine a league full of black athletes ahahaha
The League is more competitive today you are absolutely correct but the forefathers layed the ground work of what the NBA is today. Everybody compares centers to Wilt and Russel Hmmmm wonder why...........
***** you sir, are a total dumbass! don't ever compare bill russell to ben wallace... unless u are aiming to have total strangers feel so much negative emotion toward you that they are compelled to let you know (via comment) how misguided your interpretation of basketball is.
He schooled admiral, true, but robinson still held his own, and averaged his season averages. against any other centre in the L he d been dominant. just he was up against a better player- but it annoys me that people forget that admiral was great in his own right.
This playoff run doesn't get talked about enough His rockets beat 3 50 win teams in a row and swept the penny and shaq magic That's an all time great run
No, FOUR 50 win teams, two of which won 60+ games and another one that won 59. The Magic was the 'weakling' with 57 wins. It's the greatest run in NBA playoff history, yes even better than Dirk's in 2011 because Houston never had home court. Dallas did in R1 against Portland.
People say Rodman would've pulled it off, problem with that is he was also apart of this Spurs team. Dream was making shots with Robinson right there in his face and the Admiral was about 6 inches taller than Worm.
Hakeem is the GOAT 🐐 center. The stats prove it. Example: He has the most games in NBA history with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ blocks, 5+ steals & 5+ assists!
Let's not forget the Admiral was a great competitor too! a classy Guy and one of the greatest of all times. David was no Joke! which is what really made Hakeem's performance legendary. I remember that series and while I didn't have a Dog in the fight I respected and enjoyed watching 2 of my favorite big Men go at it. In those days you ran the offense through your Big Man and let them bang or kick-out.
+Mikel Moon The MVP Award is based off of Regular Season play. Robinson deserved it that year. He led his team (& the league) in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and steals that year, while his team finished with the best record the league.
***** David Robinson was that year's best player, but he did not lead the league in any of those categories that year. If you're thinking of 94' (the year before), The Admiral did win the scoring title that year. Dikembe Mutombo led the league in blocks in 95', Robinson did it in 92'. Admiral's teammate Dennis Rodman led the league in boards in 95', D-Rob did it in 91'. And it was Scottie Pippen who led the league in thefts that year for 95', which The Admiral did never. It's so obvious that you're going entirely off of perception, since David Robinson did lead the league once in each of those categories not long before 95', except for steals, and he did have the best overall regular season of anyone in 95'. His team did also finish w/ a league-best 62 wins that regular season, but he didn't win all those other titles that year. I actually felt that 94' was The Admirals best ever individual season where he had a quadruple double of w/ 34pts, 10boards, 10dimes, & 10rejections against the Pistons+ the 71pt game against LA, but The Dream was just playing on an absolute historical level that season. In 92', Admiral was playing at an even slightly higher level than in 94', but couldn't finish the season (played 68 games) cause of an operation he needed to have to repair a severed quarter-inch tendon near his left thumb on March 29th of 92', a week after a collision w/ a Hornets player. Thus, because he actually played the entire season in 94', I'd say his 94' season slightly tops his 92' campaign, making 94' David Robinson's single best year.
***** The MVP award should never have been handed out before the start of a playoff game. Big mistake. You give opponents fuel. Hakeem eyed David with great anger. Hakeem wanted blood and gave David 40 lashes and a playoff exit.
Mikel Moon Although when Hakeem was handed that same MVP award just a year earlier prior to Game 2 against the Jazz in the WCF @ The Summit in Houston, he dropped 41 much needed points in a very close win over the Jazz. Was Karl Malone not ticked off enough, or was Olajuwon just simply that great?
+Arsen Akopyan The latter. I don't know if Malone was MVP worthy that season. With Hakeem and David, rumor is Hakeem felt the MVP award belonged to him. Robert Horry and Kenny Smith said it in this video and still say it, present day, when brought up in conversation. I don't doubt that Malone and the Jazz wanted to test the bounds of Hakeem's worthiness of MVP status though.
Sad thing is no matter how much training Hakeem AND Mchale (who was a DAMN good pf/center) give Dwight he will never come close to this level of skills its just sad sad sad cause Dwight is so damn athletic (mental toughness and technique) two things Dwight is SEVERELY missing and what both those players had TONS of LOL shame you cant loan talent.
Also look at all the NBA Centers & Power Forwards now that go to Olajuwon in the off season asking him to help them improve on their game. That's all the proof you need right there. He's simply the best center of all time, hands down.
Note to kids with near 7ft capabilities: Play soccer preferably as an attacker while you're still short alongside basketball. You'll likely develop a PG/SG skill set by doing this. Stay slender, but fit. Work hard, get guidance and develop your BB IQ. You may not be better than Hakeem, but you'll come pretty close if you end up being a center because of the agility and footwork soccer offers. You may even develop your own signature move.
Sure Hakeem outplayed Robinson in the series, but do people understand that David Robinson was second in total Win Shares throughout the '90s, only trailing behind MJ? And Robinson averaged 24 and 11 this series, so it wasn't like he was some slouch lol
Its great to see two competitive & humble players like robinson and olajuwon face off against one another! No drama, no flops, just pure basketball talent!
I named my son Hakeem's last name but spelled it different. Hakeem's last name is Olajuwon. And I spelled my son's name Alajuan. I think Hakeem's last name is so unique and different. I love his last name.
its Nigerian, obviously its unique where ever you are , but in Nigeria , Olajuwon is a regular name, all respect to Hakeem, the greatest Nigerian to ever ball
Um, what? He cried over Patrick Ewing and said said he was one of the greats even though most people don't bring him up in that category. How is that not respect?
Wow! From the dream shake to the Shanghai Shake! They'll never be another he dominated in an era where the competition was so stiff night in & night out there were no such things as a gimme! So sit back kick back & enjoy the Vintage times with Hakeem the dream Olajuwon #34 the best center of all time & of all generations! God bless you all take care & remember & enjoy watching vintage basketball & vintage basketball players out there take care!! 🙏✌️🤘🤳👨👩👦👦❤️💥🖐️👌👍😎
The secret to hakeem Olajuwons footwork was he played soccer /football for years up to the age of 15 which gave him great footwork,balance and agility.
Handball, too.. He hand great hands to poke the ball away, and he could track the ball when players adjusted at the rim.. He created a lot of misses at the rim that way..
Jump hook, Fadeaway, up and under, spin move, drop step. Add the dream shake to each of those and you have the ultimate post scorer. Could face up drive/jump shot. Midrange. Ridiculous handles for a center. Great passer. Awesome rebounder, post defender, and shot blocker. Best center of all time IMO.
Lord have mercy.... It never ceases to amaze me how his name is not mentioned at the TOP of the list of Centers in the NBA... I cant remember a center he didnt embarrass...
Hakeem's really the most skilled big man in the history of this league and he dominated. His footwork was by the the best in the history of this league, bar none. Nobody came close to him outside of Kevin McHale.
This was so embarrassing for David Robinson I remember this series and was shocked. I thought at that point Robinson was the best center .boy was I wrong
Obviously, this goes without saying, but...David Robinson was no slouch, he was incredibly athletic and an excellent defender. I can't begin to describe what prime Hakeem was like, much the same way prime Jordan can't be put into words for those that weren't watching it in progress. It would be interesting to see today's game and players contend with prime Hakeem...not to say they wouldn't adjust, there are some really incredibly smart and athletic defenders out there...but the game meta is so different now, teams would have to make some serious adjustment to handle it. The funny thing is, you see the training sessions that Hakeem conducts, floating about youtube...I am not naive to think that Hakeem could come overcome Father Time and suit up and play a full game, but to watch him, you still get the idea he could check into a game for 60 seconds and absolutely put a move on someone. When you think about it, his athleticism and footwork was part of a transitional period to the game we have today, where bigs have to come out and be more than just drop step post players.
Hakeem was so incredibly skilled its insane... imagine him playing center and Duncan playing power forward together with those skills, fundamentals and intelligence combined... just crazy...
Mid 80's to Mid 90's... Hakeem, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O'neal... Kids growing up during Dwight Howard era have no idea how medicore Dwight is. Heck even the second tier guys like Brad Daugherty and Alonzo Mourning were better than Dwight. The center position is in a very sad state. It is surprising that Houston of all people, the folks who had Hakeem, actually think Dwight will take them to the promise land.
I live in Houston and I watched Hakeem play. Anyone here that saw Hakeem knows Dwight isn't and never will be what Hakeem was, and never will be able to do what Hakeem did. As far as the Rockets ending up with a championship, well I don't see it this season but this team will have their chances over the next few years to try to win one - time will tell.
Waiting for a current centre to realise that power and dunking aren't actually basketball skills. Athlete skills yes, but not basketball skills. Look at the footwork in this clip. The elite centres are taking 6-7 years to learn 1/4 of what you see here in 3mins of highlights. It will turn though. It will turn.
Still, David was better in the regular season and deserved that MVP award! It was a close series although Hakeem had the better co-star with Clyde the Glide and better shooting around him.
True, & thats saying a lot b/c that Robinson/Rodman/Elliot Spurs team were no slouches! I remember being really happy with the Spurs lineup & their potential to contend that year...
They were the sixth seed this year too. Hakeem's 93-94 & 94-95 runs were arguably as good as MJ's threepeat. Hakeem played had 2 MVP / all-nba caliber players in Ewing, Shaq and Robinson in his way and machine gunned them all. Mike had Scottie to beat an old Magic, whoop Clyde Drexler who was never in MJ's class and Barkley who was on Mike's level also. On paper Shaq Ewing and Robinson were as good as he was. There's a reason why Dream won when Mike was out. He's a close second to Mike. *And that's saying a lot!*
gotta respect robinson.
he didnt trash talk olajuwon.
he didnt make up excuses.
he basically said "i did my best, and my best was not good enough". it takes a lot of honesty and humility to say such a thing.
Class guy on and off the court. Acted like a man
@@adama2292 Absolutely! Regarding class acts, Robinson is there with Hakeem.
I agree, David Robinson was a class act and a professional playing against another class act and a professional.
I know right. I wish Joel has the same humility when he got stomped in the playoff
yeah, but he messed up when he left Dream off his list of competitors during his MVP speech. 🤣
hakeem's per-game stats for the series: 35 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 4.2 blocks
WOW
Incredible. Robinson's weren't bad either: Robinson: 24 pts, 11 rbs, 3 asts, 2 stls, 2 blks. But obviously Olajuwon had the upper hand that series.
He beasted Jesus christ he flat out dominated Robinson
DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
Beast
4.2 blocks?sheeesh it's like the other team at some point got scared of the paint
Two of the classiest big men of all time. Pure class
Sol_Protege no doubt about it
Agree, I like the personalities of both these guys.
@@timothybessemer7316 I met Robinson he was about to have an interview and he told the interview crew to hold on so he could finish talking to me
Facts
Agreed! Both classy individuals!
"I tell ya Olajuwan has David Robinson. . .just bamboozled"
Lol one of the all time great sportscaster lines of all time.
Best foot-work of any big man ever.
By the way he did the samething to Shaq in the finals that same year!
if you look deeper you will notice that he used to play soccer back then in Africa and was a goalkeeper,that automatically helped with the footwork
Design Child yeah thats true ! And he got the dream shake from soccer
Design Child Great shot blocking instincts from being a goalie as well.
Mauricio Benitez How do u know? He said that?
søren sko "The Dream Shake was actually one of my soccer moves which I translated to basketball. It would accomplish one of three things: one, to misdirect the opponent and make him go the opposite way; two, to freeze the opponent and leave him devastated in his tracks; three, to shake off the opponent and giving him no chance to contest the shot."
David was a great center but he was on skates the whole series.. damn Hakeem's footwork is out of this world.
He taught Kobe
Hakeem straight cooked Robinson
No player in the world could guard him that playoff series. He was toasting the MVP of the league. Legendary indeed.
@@lyalminchinton8825 Yeah tbf throughout Hakeems career big men struggled to guard him because of how superior his footwork was especially for his size.
@@SSKMusicBeats Which worked out great, tried to teach Dwight but Dwight didn't apply it, also taught Carmelo as well
You can make a strong case for Chamberlain, Jabbar or Russel being the best center in NBA history. But my vote goes to Olajuwon.
+Yzurri Hakeem swept Shaq
+Yzurri Olajuwon smoked Shaq when they played.
When Shaq was in Orlando.........LA Shaq was better than Hakeem!!!
+Underworld Films LA Shaq was fatter. He was just as good in Orlando. But only difference is that he was thinner in Orlando.
No....he wasn't........
David robinson still gets ptsd from that dream shake.
Lmao
omg trudat. U got me dying over here from that comment.
More like nightmare shake
Olajuwon, a PG stuck in a body of a Center...
I always said that...
dwayne601 And so did other people...
Yet, he had all of the big man footwork and post moves.
Statuatory Grape OverPowered af
+Shizoni..=D I still have my Hakeem shoes lol
Hakeem had the best footwork for any Center throughout the league's history and arguably was one of the best centers of all time. He even made Shaq look bad in the 95 finals and Ewing in the 94 finals. Unfortunately, Hakeem was well underrated and unpopular due to his foreign status (Americans tend not to look too fondly upon foreigners). This was too bad since the man was very humble/respectful and would have been a good positive role model for American kids during an era in which the league started to become thugged out (Allen Iverson, Jr Rider, Shawn Kemp,Latrell Sprewell, Rasheed Wallace, etc). A true class act on and off the court.
***** if we are gonna talk one of the best centers I think it would go something like this
Best defensive C: Bill Russell(no debate easy)
Best Offensive C: in all honesty a tie between Wilt and Kareem but I think kareem has the slight edge
Best Of both combined: Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon (in my opinion the best center for both sides of playmaking)
***** It's close, but the center with the best footwork is really Bill Walton, one of the most underrated centers in history
sjo hunder are you nuts
Kevin Jones Nah. How old are you? If you don't agree, you most likely are too young to have watched Bill Walton play.
sjo hunder i watched him play he was a overrated bumm cant compare him to the Dream no way no how not even close
Shaq: "If I'm going to fight you, I'd rather just beat you," he said. "If I can't beat you, I'll be a man and say I can't beat you. I'm not going to [cry about it]. . . . I'm the first guy to say that somebody is better than me. I was the first guy to say Hakeem Olajuwon beat me in the [1995] NBA finals. He killed me. He dominated me. I didn't go, 'Oh, he's traveling. They had experience. Wah-wah-wah.' I'm a man. Hakeem Olajuwon dusted my butt.
shaq was young and raw.....imagine hakeem facing the 2000-2002 shaq??????
simon pita Shaq got bigger - he didn't get much better as far as skills. He won the scoring title in 94-95 with 29.3 per game. And also he didn't have to face any really good centers during the 2000's. The only reason Shaq was able to compete with Hakeem at all was because he was taller and much bigger.
*****
True. By the time Shaq won his championships, the other 3 have already retired or faded. He was playing Smits (not bad offensively, but not known for being a stonewall either), the Davises, Dikembe, etc.
Which really pisses me whenever Shaq talks about how Dream Team 2 (1994) would match up with Original Dream Team (1992), the way he looks at the names "Ewing" and "Robinson" and says "that's barbecue chicken, right there!" as if all Dream Team 2 needs to do is dump the ball to him to win. In case Shaq forgets, until 1999, David Robinson's teams had Shaq's number, whether Shaq played for Orlando or LA. The Spurs even swept LA in 1999. So Shaq assuming Dream Team 2 would win just because of his [perceived] match up advantage over Ewing or Robinson is assuming too much. Who will stop MJ on DT2? Also, Shawn Kemp, as awesome as he was, vs. 1992 version of Barkley and Malone?
simon pita Hakeem would have beat him
simon pita if we got peak to peak
Dream is one of only four people in the NBA to record a quadruple double.
Dream is the only player ever to record 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season.
That's just ridiculous. He has a bunch of really wild stats like this. He's the only player in NBA history to have six games where he recorded 5 x 5's. Think about that for a second! That's insane versatility for a guy who's nearly 7ft!
The closest anyone has ever gotten to recording a quintuple double is Olajuwon.
Dream also knows five languages.
Pretty sure he finished a season top 5 in ppg bpg rpg spg and fg%, also a record
only player in history to win mvp, defensive player of the year, and finals mvp in the same season
The rules were different too, there was no 3 in the key
Cory Hill "Savagely" double and triple teamed yet he never fouled out and played the maximum minutes of a game for several seasons.
You people are either trolling or just that fucking stupid. I'm guessing it's the latter.
He is the greatest center in the history of the NBA and 2nd only to MJ
BEST FOOTWORK IN NBA HISTORY....ASK KOBE AND LEBRON WHO THEY WENT TO FOR LESSONS!
@Tunying Now you know.
@Tunying yes he had post classes from hakeem in year 2011 .
He uses it to this date.
Though he played as center but was Pg at heart and skills.
@Tunying you just don't know about basketball
Dont think they werent in camps and around great instruction when they were young. Kobe dad was a pro basketball player. He never instructed him?
LeBrons footwork is called taking an extra step and traveling
Olajuwon. Best center moves I've ever seen
Say whatever you want about Robinson the guy is pure class. My favorite all time player.
Robert Garcia And being next best (of his era) to Hakeem is no shame. Same as Miller, Drexler in Jordan's era at SG position
No doubt, saying he was dominated by hakeem doesnt mean disrespect, it was just what happened
edisonsun21c #Facts 💯
True...but he didn't have that intensity like MJ, Hakeem, or Shaq...and he doesn't get the respect he deserves...as a result.
@@edisonsun21c He did not get dominated Olajuwon could not stop him either. Why people don't see that
Robinson should have filed charges on Hakeem after this game!
For Child Abuse
For rape in the post
Math Simon I'm dead lol
dfllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
+dwayne601 no chill no chill whers the chill
To this day, Robinson still checks under his bed for Olajuwon.
you really said under his bed😭💀
@@2kdemiks816 Thats some funny shit
😂😂
Lmao...comment of the century 🤣🤣
He hugs his MVP trophy 🏆 so Hakeem doesn't come and claim what's his.
I kinda felt bad for David because he didn't even know he had that coming lol....
sldf FAS hahaha right he got coooked
He didn't know how to guard Hakeem
Oh he knew, especially being in the same division.
sldf FAS exactly. Dave was a nice guy. He player against Akeem before and had no reason to assume that he wouldnt hold his ground. And then Olajuwon started GOIN AT HIM.
David must’ve thought WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON?!!
He got violated lol
I think the main thing about the Bulls vs Rockets argument, is that I think Jordan needed that time off. I'm in the group that believes that if Jordan wouldn't have taken the time off the Bulls might have lost to the Rockets. They might not have even gotten that second 3 peat either. MJ needed time away to clear his head after his father was murdered, and find himself again. But I guess we'll never know. Would have been an amazing series though.
never thought i would find u here, big fan
As a Rockets fan and someone who got to watch Jordan and Hakeem play, it could have gone either way. Jordan could have been the one to stop Hakeem and vise versa. We will never know.
@@johnpalacios1195 The Admiral and Shaq played the same position Dream did and weren't able to stop him on his way to the championship, I doubt someone who wasn't even a frontcourt player was stopping him. Add to the fact that Dennis Rodman and Horace Grant were also apart of the Spurs and Magic frontcourt respectively, the Bulls interior in comparison wasn't all the strong that's the reason they got eliminated by the Magic and went after Rodman in the first place.
Both teams played into each other's weaknesses perfectly. The Bulls guards would have offensively and defensively worn down the much smaller Houston backcourt. And Hakeem would have destroyed the Bulls down low. I think when it's all said and done, it would be the Bulls in 6 or 7 games, but all pretty damn close.
@@zach6395 The Rockets were one of the few teams that didn't use a PG as the focal point of their system. The Bulls were known for heavily focusing on the PG defensively since they were usually the engine of the system as far as getting good shots for the team, the Rockets were different in that regard they moved the ball around as a team in general it was extremely difficult to gameplan for them. The Rockets weren't just simply a jumpshooting team either like people tend to think they could run the floor very well too almost everytime they got a stop they drove inside where they got a lot of their freethrow opportunities and they were good at the line.
Robinson sold his MVP trophy on Ebay when this series was over.
lol
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
W
Lmao
So did Curry but he sold his 2 MVP Trophies for a cheap price of $46 on EBay.
Defensive player of the year, league MVP and Finals MVP in all same year
Only one player did it.
Kawai Leonard?
@@no1nova226 are you stupid?
@@sundigest1121 bruh chill out I don't even watch basketball like that
@@no1nova226 Then just don't say anything man you're embarrassing yourself
@@no1nova226 lmao🤣💀
The Humble Robinson
Second favorite player ever (behind Jordan) Hakeem's post moves are simply other worldly. If he isn't the greatest center ever he is damn close.
BassasaurusRex Yeah they are both my fav players too. Best of the 90's
BassasaurusRex FUCK U LEBRON THE BEST!
BassasaurusRex You better start watching Donatas Motiejunas. He has sick moves too!
LeBron James is 2-4 in the Finals, yeah he's the best.
DC Comics The best at travelling... yeah...
Picture Hakeem playing in this era of low IQ big men who have little to no fundamentals. Imagine Dwight Howard or Roy Hibbert trying to stick Hakeem. That would be utter destruction. Childs play for the Dream
+Eth D It wouldn't even be fair. They'd still have their feet planted to the ground while Hakeem danced around them & scored. I wish the bigs in this era were more versatile. I hope someone gets Hassan Whiteside into a training program to improve his offense. He's great a shot blocking and pretty good defender but lacks offensive moves
+Eth D David Robinson is about the same in the defensive end. So, Dwight would be tricked like that too. Plus offensively David is way superior to Dwight.
Are you in 1999? Both Gasol are skiled, Porzingiz, Kanter, Towns and many more.
Cousins is bigger than Aldridge. You can also say Jonas Valaciunes is skilled.
Jonas IDK LOL did you just put Porzingis, Towns and Kanter in the same breath with Hakeem? Do some research
Hakeem not only dominated Robinson, during that time he also dominated Ewing, Mourning, Savonys & even Shaq (the best centers of that era).
gerizzyYMcrew Turnovers: Shaq - 21; Hakeem - 11; Steals: Shaq 1; Hakeem 8
***** What? so Hakeem dominated Shaq because he got more steals than him? lol
gerizzyYMcrew Olajuwon dominated O'Neal.
Olajuwon: 32.8 PPG | 11.5 RPG | 5.5 APG | 2.0 SPG | 2.0 BPG | 48.3 FG%
O'Neal: 28.0 PPG | 12.5 RPG | 6.3 APG | 0.3 SPG | 2.5 BPG | 59.5 FG%
His team also won, 4-0.
***** Dude, if you ant to argue that Hakeem got the better of Shaq, ok. But to say Hakeem dominated Shaq? Shaq averaged more rebounds, assists, blocks & had a higher field goal %. And Shaq held Hakeem-fucking-Olajuwon under *50%* shooting which is unheard of. So, how do you get dominated when you lead your opponent in almost every important statistical category except points & steals?
***** Like I said, Olajuwon's team also swept O'Neal's lol. Olajuwon had range on his shot, O'Neal got most of his shots 5 feet within the basket, of course his FG% would be higher. Olajuwon had 4.8 more points, 1.0 less rebound, 0.8 less assists, 1.7 more steals, 0.5 less blocks, and was beaten in FG%, but won in 3-PT% and FT%.
Robinson , Ewing, Malone, Shaquille...... They all got schooled by Hakeem. Robinson was good, but Hakeem was great.
Shittykitty2000
EWING came close of checking OLAJUWON.
none of them SHAQ and ROBINSON they got bamboozel by the DREAM.
but EWING came out just that close..
even the dream himself said that EWING is a phisical.great player. he got schooled by EWING in his SHOOTING SKILLS..
David was a legend, Hakeem was more legendary
The BEST CENTER EVER...Dream would have scholled karrem, Wilt, and Russel as well in their prime. BEST SKILLED BIG MAN EVER!!!
He ain’t school pat . Watch the tapes
@@jmac1698 he still locked him up
I'm a Rockets fan AND Robinson is a CLASS ACT! He deserved the MVP trophy in '94. I kinda winced when Dream torched Robinson repeatedly that game because I like Robinson, too. (But I like Dream more!)
Let's not forget that for the last game of the '94 season, Robinson scored a career-high 71 points!
Entering the game, Robinson trailed Shaq by just 33 points for NBA's scoring title. With the crown in his sights, Robinson erupted for 71 points on 63 percent shooting (26-for-41). Incredible!
Robinson still having nightmares.
Greatest Center ever. Virtually no weakness. A champion. Unmatched skill and technique at his position. Dominant on both ends. Just wow.
Thats why many great players go to Olajuwan to be even greater. They dont go to shaq or kareem...to learn what the skyhook or to slam dunk.
maybe a weakness is that he was not aggressive enough. If truly no one could stop him then he should've shouldered more of the load instead of deferring. the man never averaged 30 ppg. If he had the mindset of a kareem then he could've changed the course of NBA history.
@@Jukeboxster Jokic never averaged 30 either and he's arguably the most dominant force in the league today. Shaq never averaged 30 either. KD's known as a top 3 scorer ever and he's only ever averaged 30+ twice in a way softer defense era. LeBron is the all-time scoring leader and has "only" done it 3x in 20 seasons.
The reality is Robinson was also an outstanding player and deserved to win the MVP that season. It’s Robinson’s quality that year that made Olajuwon’s performance against him so special.
Then the Dream and team went on to sweep Shaqs Magic 4-0 in the finals. Young Shaq got completely schooled in that series.
No he didn't, he performed really well. The Rockets were just a better team than the Magic.
Shaq was really good, but he couldn't carry the team hard enough
+Jose Mendez
Completely schooled.
Nah, Hakeem and Shaq's stats were close. Shaq's team let him down.
SiirPrize in the 30 for 30 documentary shaq said hakeem was giving him tips he would score on him and hakeem would be like you should've did this or that it's pretty funny
Best foreign player in the History of basketball,hands down.
My hand is down. Haha. I can't think of anyone else. Duncan doesn't count anyway because the Virgin Islands are part of the U.S. lol
Stephen Cogan he shits on duncan
Stephen Cogan he shits on duncan
Stephen Cogan did you guys forget about nowitzki he is a beast.
Nowitzki may be the best shooter of this generation. I said may be mind you so please don't split hairs on that. But Hakeem....another breed man.
That shake & bake on Robinson was next level greatness. Shaq doesnt really have great skills he is just so big he bullies opponents. Shaq never worked on an outside shot or free throws. He just backed u in With his size & strength & dunked on u. It worked for him but he was no where near the skills that dream had.
1:35 David is the definition of a man; gave no excuses and gave Hakeem his proper respect
Hakeem outplayed Robinson in that series obviously, but people tend to forget that Robinson averaged 25 pts and 11 rbs against Olajuwon that series too.. And it was a great, competitive series that went 6 games. It wasn't nearly as one-sided as the highlights make it seem.
The point is that the Spurs were a very good team, had the best record that year, and Robinson was the MVP. It was their year, everyone in the whole country thought the Spurs and Robinson should easily get their first championship. And it's not as much what Robinson did or didn't do, it's what Hakeem did against him and the Spurs. The league MVP and one of the best defensive centers ever guarded Hakeem the whole series with double and triple team help but they could do nothing to stop or even slow Hakeem down.
Hakeem: Fg% .560 Pts 35.3 Rb 12.5 As 5.0 Stl 1.3 Blk 4.2
Robinson: Fg% .449 Pts 23.8 Rb 11.3 As 2.7 Stl 1.5 Blk 2.2
Hakeem 36ppg/ 12.5rpg/ 5apg on 56% FG and 81% FT with 4.2bpg and 1.3spg ----- Robinson 24ppg/ 11rpg/ 3apg on 45% FG and 77.5% FT with 1.5spg and 2.2bpg ... Just by those .... HE DOMINATED HIM!
***** Its still funny that Robinson's stats are that of the losing guy. In the modern NBA those are a winner's stats o.< the hell happened to the league?
***** These are UNREAL stats !! O-O
On like 10% away from his regular efficiency
1. Hakeem dominated EVERY center in the 90s
2.David Robinson was a dominant Center too as well also the most athletic ever!!!!!!!
3.David Robinson was the only reason why the spurs won 2 games in that series!!! and look at shaqs team:they got swept!! so you cant say that robinson sucked!
Agrreeeee
He doesn't suck but he was dominated by hakeem
robinson suck if you compare to Olajuwon....
Note the classiness of Robinson, staying out there at the post-game interview, taking his whoopin' from the press.
David Robinson always did this, he never was one to shy away from the press conference after a big playoff loss, Robinson always stepped up to the mic
The funny thing is that Hakeem was known to be a really sweet guy, he destroyed Robinson just because he was angry not to get the MVP. Imagine what kind of damage he would have done if he were angry all the time.
he wasnt angry... hakeem played like this almost all his prime years, and he was one of very rare players that were very decent human beyings out and inside court
“That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry..."
This is the reason Kenny walking around like he a legend!
Amazing.
It would have been great to see the Bulls play the Rockets in the Finals in the 90s but sadly it never happened.
Tim Breaux: "He didn't know, how to guard Hakeem." Who could guard Hakeem bruh???
Artie the Swolest Man in the World rodman
Rodman would certainly annoy hakeem but he's too small to consistently stop him
Hes guarded shaq.
Rodman was on that Spurs team, and was who they primarily double teamed Hakeem with, but it didn't really stop him that much, it was when they started having guys on him constantly to deny him even getting the ball, and triple teaming him that they started seeing success.
I know Brian Scalabrine.
Hakeem is Most underrated ever. Because he is a African, not a US person. Also he denied Nike's commercial offer, cause he didnt want to be US servant. He is only one-man team champ in NBA history. Top1 player.
Dirk won a title on his own, too. Coincidentally, these are my 2 favorite NBA players of all time.
Right, bro.
i was just about to post the same comment on how underrated and unpopular he was due to his foreign status (Americans tend not to look to fondly upon foreigners). Hakeem had the best footwork for any Center throughout the league's history and arguably was one of the best centers of all time. He even made Shaq look bad in the 94 finals.
Andrew Shaw no dirks team was hella stacked as a team
Andrew Shaw Rick Barry too was a 1 man army in 1975
Olajuwon was simply the most agile, athletic center to ever play basketball. Wilt and Shaq were bigger and stronger but no one could do the things at the center position Hakeem could. He was basically a 7 foot tall athletic 2 guard with a classic post game to boot.
You know what I take away most though from this is how humble David Robinson is and to respect Hakeem when most players don't acknowledge they were beat. David Robinson is a class act same with Hakeem. Two great players obvioulsy Hakeem though is the greatest center ever in my opinion over Kareem. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were forwards if i'm not mistaken right.
Wilt was a center 7-1, Bill played Center but he was undersized for the position at around 6-9/10 think of way better Ben Wallace.
Way better Ben Wallace? No, he was a stick version of Wallace in an era where physicality was banned (he'd get broken by Wilt), the easiest foul calls ever and racism leaving him facing White midgets ... Elgin Baylor, a black guy who could handle the ball, always overcame Russell at the rim .... Imagine a league full of black athletes ahahaha
The League is more competitive today you are absolutely correct but the forefathers layed the ground work of what the NBA is today. Everybody compares centers to Wilt and Russel Hmmmm wonder why...........
***** you sir, are a total dumbass! don't ever compare bill russell to ben wallace... unless u are aiming to have total strangers feel so much negative emotion toward you that they are compelled to let you know (via comment) how misguided your interpretation of basketball is.
Actually Wilt And Bill Russell Were Centers
Huge Rockets' fan here and even bigger fan of the Dream. Although I am not a Spurs' fan I have nothing but the utmost respect for David Robinson.
He schooled admiral, true, but robinson still held his own, and averaged his season averages. against any other centre in the L he d been dominant. just he was up against a better player- but it annoys me that people forget that admiral was great in his own right.
Nobody's saying he wasn't dominant, just that Hakeem was on another level.
He was contained to 45% shooting far below his regular season 53% shooting.
+Loop Set he also scored 6 points less than his season average. Robinson was made ineffective.
AgentJ2007 That's cause he was intimidated by Hakeem Olajuwon.
Arsen Akopyan another point for hakeem then
It's funny because Jordan put Hakeem in his Dream Team Top 5.
its not funny....its respect....MJ knows...and every1 in the league knows...Olajuwon in his prime...unbeatable...
Shaquille was the best
Loved that guy! He was amazing! Best all around center of all-time. He had everything. He could even drill 3-pointers.
This playoff run doesn't get talked about enough
His rockets beat 3 50 win teams in a row and swept the penny and shaq magic
That's an all time great run
No, FOUR 50 win teams, two of which won 60+ games and another one that won 59. The Magic was the 'weakling' with 57 wins. It's the greatest run in NBA playoff history, yes even better than Dirk's in 2011 because Houston never had home court. Dallas did in R1 against Portland.
"He didnt know how to guard Hakeem"
Bro, nobody did 😂😂😂
Hahaha
@@affarokurz1486 if Robinson dosent know how then nobody does
People say Rodman would've pulled it off, problem with that is he was also apart of this Spurs team. Dream was making shots with Robinson right there in his face and the Admiral was about 6 inches taller than Worm.
It's been almost 25 years since that game, and Robinson is still looking for him. Man!!
I remember watching olajuwan's moves and thinking that i had never seen a big man have that mobility & quickness. What a unique talent.
Hakeem is the GOAT 🐐 center. The stats prove it. Example: He has the most games in NBA history with 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ blocks, 5+ steals & 5+ assists!
The moves he puts on the Admiral at the 00:54 mark... sick!
The Dream, more like a nightmare, best low post moves in NBA history
Let's not forget the Admiral was a great competitor too! a classy Guy and one of the greatest of all times. David was no Joke! which is what really made Hakeem's performance legendary. I remember that series and while I didn't have a Dog in the fight I respected and enjoyed watching 2 of my favorite big Men go at it. In those days you ran the offense through your Big Man and let them bang or kick-out.
You should have never handed out that MVP award.
+Mikel Moon The MVP Award is based off of Regular Season play. Robinson deserved it that year. He led his team (& the league) in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and steals that year, while his team finished with the best record the league.
***** David Robinson was that year's best player, but he did not lead the league in any of those categories that year. If you're thinking of 94' (the year before), The Admiral did win the scoring title that year. Dikembe Mutombo led the league in blocks in 95', Robinson did it in 92'. Admiral's teammate Dennis Rodman led the league in boards in 95', D-Rob did it in 91'. And it was Scottie Pippen who led the league in thefts that year for 95', which The Admiral did never. It's so obvious that you're going entirely off of perception, since David Robinson did lead the league once in each of those categories not long before 95', except for steals, and he did have the best overall regular season of anyone in 95'. His team did also finish w/ a league-best 62 wins that regular season, but he didn't win all those other titles that year.
I actually felt that 94' was The Admirals best ever individual season where he had a quadruple double of w/ 34pts, 10boards, 10dimes, & 10rejections against the Pistons+ the 71pt game against LA, but The Dream was just playing on an absolute historical level that season. In 92', Admiral was playing at an even slightly higher level than in 94', but couldn't finish the season (played 68 games) cause of an operation he needed to have to repair a severed quarter-inch tendon near his left thumb on March 29th of 92', a week after a collision w/ a Hornets player. Thus, because he actually played the entire season in 94', I'd say his 94' season slightly tops his 92' campaign, making 94' David Robinson's single best year.
*****
The MVP award should never have been handed out before the start of a playoff game. Big mistake. You give opponents fuel. Hakeem eyed David with great anger. Hakeem wanted blood and gave David 40 lashes and a playoff exit.
Mikel Moon Although when Hakeem was handed that same MVP award just a year earlier prior to Game 2 against the Jazz in the WCF @ The Summit in Houston, he dropped 41 much needed points in a very close win over the Jazz. Was Karl Malone not ticked off enough, or was Olajuwon just simply that great?
+Arsen Akopyan
The latter. I don't know if Malone was MVP worthy that season. With Hakeem and David, rumor is Hakeem felt the MVP award belonged to him. Robert Horry and Kenny Smith said it in this video and still say it, present day, when brought up in conversation. I don't doubt that Malone and the Jazz wanted to test the bounds of Hakeem's worthiness of MVP status though.
Sad thing is no matter how much training Hakeem AND Mchale (who was a DAMN good pf/center) give Dwight he will never come close to this level of skills its just sad sad sad cause Dwight is so damn athletic (mental toughness and technique) two things Dwight is SEVERELY missing and what both those players had TONS of LOL shame you cant loan talent.
Trey jonaw Dwight Can Be Good At Times And Dwight Can Be Just Plain Awful
Asides from being a great basketball player, Hakeem olajuwon was also a great humanitarian.
indeed
@@jessesalinas6824 jesse we have to cook
Hakeem has the highest playoff scoring average of any center in NBA history. I thought that was an interesting stat.
He was a stud.
Ian Wilson
What's up, Ian? They don't make em like Hakeem anymore.
don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion
Also look at all the NBA Centers & Power Forwards now that go to Olajuwon in the off season asking him to help them improve on their game. That's all the proof you need right there. He's simply the best center of all time, hands down.
Note to kids with near 7ft capabilities: Play soccer preferably as an attacker while you're still short alongside basketball. You'll likely develop a PG/SG skill set by doing this. Stay slender, but fit. Work hard, get guidance and develop your BB IQ. You may not be better than Hakeem, but you'll come pretty close if you end up being a center because of the agility and footwork soccer offers. You may even develop your own signature move.
Did Hakeem play soccer?
Jonas IDK Yeah he did. He's mentioned it a while. He grew up in Nigeria where soccer is king.
He started playing basketball at age 15 and 6 years later he was #1 draft pick!!
ive always had that theory...and those soccer skills do really help on the court
i think that HAKEEM was goalkeeper
Sure Hakeem outplayed Robinson in the series, but do people understand that David Robinson was second in total Win Shares throughout the '90s, only trailing behind MJ? And Robinson averaged 24 and 11 this series, so it wasn't like he was some slouch lol
If David Robinson ain't quick enough to stop you NOBODY is lol. Man I miss watching the dream play
Its great to see two competitive & humble players like robinson and olajuwon face off against one another! No drama, no flops, just pure basketball talent!
I named my son Hakeem's last name but spelled it different. Hakeem's last name is Olajuwon. And I spelled my son's name Alajuan. I think Hakeem's last name is so unique and different. I love his last name.
its Nigerian, obviously its unique where ever you are , but in Nigeria , Olajuwon is a regular name, all respect to Hakeem, the greatest Nigerian to ever ball
Please don't tell me you're Muslim....
Slightly Biased Kevin Durant Fan She's obviously not her name is latisha. But who cares if she was
Do you eat of the swine?
Slightly Biased Kevin Durant Fan Why not?
Hakeem is the man no doubt.Shaq said that's the only center he respected
Um, what? He cried over Patrick Ewing and said said he was one of the greats even though most people don't bring him up in that category.
How is that not respect?
Shaq "said." That kinda means that Shaq said it bro lol. If anything, you should be questioning Shaq.
The Dream gave The Admiral nightmares during that series. I would've loved to see Jordan's Bulls against Hakeem's Rockets in the finals.
Olajuwan schooled the hell out of the reigning MVP making him looked like the apprentice.
Wow! From the dream shake to the Shanghai Shake! They'll never be another he dominated in an era where the competition was so stiff night in & night out there were no such things as a gimme! So sit back kick back & enjoy the Vintage times with Hakeem the dream Olajuwon #34 the best center of all time & of all generations! God bless you all take care & remember & enjoy watching vintage basketball & vintage basketball players out there take care!! 🙏✌️🤘🤳👨👩👦👦❤️💥🖐️👌👍😎
The secret to hakeem Olajuwons footwork was he played soccer /football for years up to the age of 15 which gave him great footwork,balance and agility.
Handball, too.. He hand great hands to poke the ball away, and he could track the ball when players adjusted at the rim.. He created a lot of misses at the rim that way..
Jump hook, Fadeaway, up and under, spin move, drop step. Add the dream shake to each of those and you have the ultimate post scorer. Could face up drive/jump shot. Midrange. Ridiculous handles for a center. Great passer. Awesome rebounder, post defender, and shot blocker. Best center of all time IMO.
and he could shoot three's LOL!
Nobody can even come close to "THE DREAM". He's the real G.O.A.T.
Hakeem Olajuwon is the best ever in NBA history
The man was a center with moves like a guard. BEAST
NBA: David, you MVP.
Hakeem: Hold my beer.
Lord have mercy.... It never ceases to amaze me how his name is not mentioned at the TOP of the list of Centers in the NBA... I cant remember a center he didnt embarrass...
3FacesEnt most likely because people can't say his last name or because he's from Africa . like thay guy from Greece
I was in 8th grade in 94-95 and wore my Olajuwon jersey to school at least twice every week. He's one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Hakeem's really the most skilled big man in the history of this league and he dominated. His footwork was by the the best in the history of this league, bar none. Nobody came close to him outside of Kevin McHale.
No trash talking no look at me boasting just criminally underrated greatness
The best center of all time 🔥🔥🔥
My Nigerian Brother, one of my favorite basketball centers ever Hakeem
This was so embarrassing for David Robinson I remember this series and was shocked. I thought at that point Robinson was the best center .boy was I wrong
Obviously, this goes without saying, but...David Robinson was no slouch, he was incredibly athletic and an excellent defender. I can't begin to describe what prime Hakeem was like, much the same way prime Jordan can't be put into words for those that weren't watching it in progress. It would be interesting to see today's game and players contend with prime Hakeem...not to say they wouldn't adjust, there are some really incredibly smart and athletic defenders out there...but the game meta is so different now, teams would have to make some serious adjustment to handle it. The funny thing is, you see the training sessions that Hakeem conducts, floating about youtube...I am not naive to think that Hakeem could come overcome Father Time and suit up and play a full game, but to watch him, you still get the idea he could check into a game for 60 seconds and absolutely put a move on someone. When you think about it, his athleticism and footwork was part of a transitional period to the game we have today, where bigs have to come out and be more than just drop step post players.
Hakeem was so incredibly skilled its insane... imagine him playing center and Duncan playing power forward together with those skills, fundamentals and intelligence combined... just crazy...
on my all-time starting 5, the dream is my center.
Mines also! I tell people all the time that if they pick Kareem I got no problem with it, but Hakeem is my pick every time without hesitation.
This is one of my favorite clips on UA-cam. I come back to it at least 2-3 times a year. The thumbnail alone makes me laugh each time I see it.
Man! This guy had some serious footwork on the court! For him to be past 7 feet in height, he made it look too easy. Respect!
Hakeem's playoff runs those 2 years were unreal. They took advantage while MJ was gone.
mj was literly playing in 1995 it's just that the orlando magic beat the buls
How good is Hakeem? Just ask Shaq and David Robinson.
just ask MJ
I remember watching this in 95, man Hakeem was a real guy
Mid 80's to Mid 90's... Hakeem, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O'neal... Kids growing up during Dwight Howard era have no idea how medicore Dwight is. Heck even the second tier guys like Brad Daugherty and Alonzo Mourning were better than Dwight. The center position is in a very sad state. It is surprising that Houston of all people, the folks who had Hakeem, actually think Dwight will take them to the promise land.
I live in Houston and I watched Hakeem play. Anyone here that saw Hakeem knows Dwight isn't and never will be what Hakeem was, and never will be able to do what Hakeem did. As far as the Rockets ending up with a championship, well I don't see it this season but this team will have their chances over the next few years to try to win one - time will tell.
The league is a bit different know, leaning more towards wing men and guards, and outside shots.
*****
we've yet to see Dwight do any McHale or Hakeem move on a consistent "this is my bread and butter" basis.
Waiting for a current centre to realise that power and dunking aren't actually basketball skills. Athlete skills yes, but not basketball skills. Look at the footwork in this clip. The elite centres are taking 6-7 years to learn 1/4 of what you see here in 3mins of highlights. It will turn though. It will turn.
Robinson won the MVP that year..Hakeem took that personal
Still, David was better in the regular season and deserved that MVP award! It was a close series although Hakeem had the better co-star with Clyde the Glide and better shooting around him.
True, & thats saying a lot b/c that Robinson/Rodman/Elliot Spurs team were no slouches! I remember being really happy with the Spurs lineup & their potential to contend that year...
"Kenny, bring me some water" 😂😂
They were the sixth seed this year too. Hakeem's 93-94 & 94-95 runs were arguably as good as MJ's threepeat. Hakeem played had 2 MVP / all-nba caliber players in Ewing, Shaq and Robinson in his way and machine gunned them all. Mike had Scottie to beat an old Magic, whoop Clyde Drexler who was never in MJ's class and Barkley who was on Mike's level also. On paper Shaq Ewing and Robinson were as good as he was. There's a reason why Dream won when Mike was out. He's a close second to Mike. *And that's saying a lot!*
"Look at his footwork"
- Bill Walsh
Why can't people like them both? Jordan and Hakeem. They where both my fav players of the 90's
Hakeem is one of the greatest centers of all time and one of my favorites players of all time!!
I remember watching this game...he went OFF!