Hakeem Olajuwon Articles - Page 3

Many consider the 2019-20 season to be another asterisk year for the NBA finals. It’s obviously due to the fact that an unprecedented pandemic literally put the season on hold for a good four months. For the most part, the coronavirus-hit campaign is anything but a “normal” season. This is not the first time the […]

Los Angeles Lakers guard JR Smith is a bit perplexed that ESPN ranked Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki ahead of Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon in their top foreign-born NBA players of all-time. Smith shared his sentiments on Twitter, noting that he doesn’t have any contempt against Nowitzki. He knows what Dirk has done throughout […]

Here’s a popular sentiment: the Chicago Bulls would have won eight straight championships if Michael Jordan did not retire in 1993. Coming off their first three-peat, Jordan shocked the world by announcing his retirement from professional basketball. He ultimately spent a season and a half away from the game before making a triumphant return in […]

The defending champions Toronto Raptors has been home to many memorable superstars over the years, with the likes of Vince Carter, DeMar DeRozan, and Kyle Lowry just to name a few. While Kawhi Leonard only spent one season with the Raps, he also won’t be forgotten anytime soon after leading the entire nation to its […]

Houston Rockets legend and Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon is already regarded as one of the best big men in league history. Former Rockets big man Clint Capela will likely never reach Hakeem’s lofty status. Yet, current NBA analyst and former Olajuwon teammate Kenny Smith drew lines of comparison between the two bigs. When […]

The Houston Rockets have always played like the team of the future. They were the pioneers of the 3-point revolution and the poster child for using advanced analytics to make their personnel decisions. But while they’re always looking ahead, they’re clearly still trying to recreate the successes they had in the past.  The Rockets have […]

Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon is undoubtedly one of the greatest players in NBA history — included in anybody’s top 10 or 15. Turns out, The Dream puts current Rockets star James Harden in the same echelon of all-time greats. Olajuwon heaped some tremendous praise on the 2018 MVP, who has taken his scoring to […]

To celebrate 74 years of the NBA, ESPN recently ranked the top 74 players in league history, and like any list of the best players of all-time, there were controversial choices. Some of them were debatable — Kobe Bryant in the top 10 is probably a stretch, but it’s still hard to complain. Some of […]

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal recently said his one-on-one game was like fellow Hall of Famer Grant Hill. The Diesel also admitted he wanted to put moves on Hakeem Olajuwon back in the day. When he was slim with the Orlando Magic, O’Neal sometimes displayed his point center skills. The four-time champion told Tom Haberstroh of […]

When it comes to competitive sports, few others compare to the intensity of the NBA Playoffs. As such, this annual event has brought about some of the most memorable individual performances in the history of the sport. As they say, the best of them shine when the lights are the brightest. Below we take a […]

The 1984 NBA Draft is considered by many to be the greatest draft in league history, mainly because both Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan went in the top three. Olajuwon went to the Houston Rockets at No. 1, and Jordan was taken by the Chicago Bulls at No. 3. The less said about the Portland […]

Legendary Houston Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich is being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year and as is customary, will need someone to present him when he gets inducted. Per Mark Berman of Fox KRIV, Tomjanovich has chosen former teammate Calvin Murphy and Hakeem Olajuwon, whom Tomjanovich coached as both assistant and head […]

Despite having only two championships in franchise history, the Houston Rockets have had some of the best players the league has ever seen. What’s even more impressive is that the Rockets have drafted a handful of Hall of Famers, proving their eye for talent over the years has been good. For this piece, we will […]

One of the welcome surprises of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 was the inclusion of former Houston Rockets head coach Rudy Tomjanovich — an induction several pundits thought was overdue. Tomjanovich was a finalist for the hall in 2017 and 2018, though not in 2019. Two of his former Rockets players, Hakeem […]

Kenny “The Jet” Smith is refusing the idea that Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls could have won eight straight NBA titles, had he never retired from basketball. The former Houston Rockets point guard won an NBA title during the first year of his absence (1994) and then another in 1995 after Jordan returned for […]

San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan received perhaps the biggest compliment he’s ever had in his career from Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams. Prior to the Spurs’ hosting of the Suns at the AT&T Center on Monday, the 48-year-old bench boss likened DeRozan to one of the greatest to ever play the game: NBA […]

Joel Embiid is hoping to transcend how today’s African player is viewed in the NBA, not only as a capable player with star potential but as the best player in the league. The Philadelphia 76ers big man has very high aspirations, including winning the Most Valuable Player award, Defensive Player of the Year, and leading […]

Sixers big Joel Embiid has carved a place as one of the NBA’s best and most skilled centers due to his highly-versatile style of play. While the 7-foot, 280-pound behemoth can crush opponents with his towering size and strength, the Philadelphia 76ers big man operates in many sides of the floor, something his idol Hakeem […]

In what could be an early effort to recruit the All-NBA big man to the Windy City, Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen likened Los Angeles Lakers power forward Anthony Davis to Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon on Tuesday evening ahead of the two teams’ matchup. Per The Athletic’s Bill Oram, the second-year Bulls […]

For Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen, Wendell Carter Jr. has the capacity to turn into a basketball legend like Hakeem Olajuwon. Boylen — who’s on his second year as the Bulls’ head coach — shared his observation of Carter Jr. Boylen says that the second-year center is equipped with the physical presence, intelligence and […]

Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors is putting forth an incredible effort in the 2019 NBA Playoffs that will likely live forevermore. After cruising in the first round past the Orlando Magic, Kawhi Leonard had to truly turn up the heat against an extremely tough Philadelphia 76ers team – producing one of the most memorable […]

Toronto Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam made NBA history in his first NBA Finals game on Thursday. According to Basketball Reference’s official Twitter account, Siakam becomes just the fourth player with a maximum of three years’ experience to score at least 30 points in his first NBA Finals game. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, […]

Kawhi Leonard almost single-handedly carried the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, and his offensive production undoubtedly paved the way for the team to reach their first-ever NBA Finals. After ousting the Magic in the first round with ease, Leonard delivered one of the most memorable shots in Raptors franchise history in Game 7 against the […]

Houston Rockets star guard James Harden has joined Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in franchise history to earn three straight All-NBA First Team nods. Olajuwon accomplished the feat from 1987-1989. Harden was named to the first team All-NBA squad on Thursday. James Harden is just the second player in @HoustonRockets history […]

Philadelphia 76ers veteran big man Greg Monroe sees some Hakeem Olajuwon in Sixers superstar center Joel Embiid. During his playing days with the Houston Rockets, Olajuwon was one of the most dominant players in the league on both ends of the court. He still has a long ways to go, but Embiid appears to be […]

James Harden made all kinds of history in the Houston Rockets’ blowout win over the Utah Jazz. The 29-year-old All-Star recorded a triple-double of 32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assist to lead the Rockets to a 118-98 victory in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. In the process, Harden set a new mark […]

The New York Knicks’ 2018-19 season was seemingly over before it even began. However, they still have something to be happy about in rookie center Mitchell Robinson, who has been the lone bright spot for the team as he impressed on the defensive end of the floor. While Robinson, who was selected by the Knicks […]

During a discussion on who is the best foreign player to ever play in the NBA, FS1’s Shannon Sharpe said Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon is the clear answer. That’s when Skip Bayless chimed in and said San Antonio Spurs great Manu Ginobili was better than Olajuwon, prompting Sharpe to tell Bayless he was going to throw him […]

There is no bigger honor in basketball than being a part of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Imagine having your name called for your contributions in your league and how it has affected the world of basketball, there must be no feeling in the world that could top the esteem that this prestige […]

Sixers big man Joel Embiid is a name that most hoops fans are becoming increasingly familiar with. In just a short time, the Yaoundé, Cameroon native has established himself as one of the more dominant bigs in the league. However, there was a time when he “sucked,” to use his own words. How did he […]

For hardcore fans, the 1995 NBA Finals will be remembered not only as a matchup between the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets but also of two legendary centers in Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon. O’Neal, who had averaged 29.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game that season, was set to go head-to-head with […]

A basketball stat line is a clear barometer on how a player affects the game. Good or bad, a player’s stats will reflect that. Once in a blue moon, stat lines reflect basketball anomalies, a reflection of some of the most bizarre things in NBA basketball. Here are some of the most impressive and bizarre […]

Hakeem Olajuwon might be the greatest player to ever do it for the Houston Rockets. That being said, lost in history, was his stints with teams outside the great state of Texas. The last twenty years in the NBA gave birth to numerous rivalries. But among the many feuds, the one between LeBron James and […]

According to an ESPN article from 2011, an average NBA career lasts for approximately five years. To triple that average and still remain an impactful player in a sport that is quite reliant on athleticism, explosiveness and tiresome scheduling truly is a remarkable feat. Only 151 players in NBA history managed to reach that longevity […]

James Harden was determined not to have two poor games in a row, making quick work of the Washington Wizards with a 38-point performance in 34 minutes, one that led to a 120-104 rout. From his usual courtside seat, Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon watched intently, sharing a back-and-forth moment, along with some laughs with […]

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, like everyone expected. The Mavericks were without Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, and J.J. Barea, yet they gave the Rockets all they could handle before eventually losing by seven points. The effort by the Mavs impressed former Rockers superstar Hakeem Olajuwon, who reportedly entered the visiting locker […]

Tanking a season has been frowned upon by the NBA which instituted the NBA Draft Lottery in 1985 to prevent teams from doing so. The lottery was created to give all non-playoff teams a chance for the top pick in the NBA Draft. Despite several changes to the system since then, teams continue to tank […]

The 1984 would always be in the mix of the conversation on the greatest draft in the history of the NBA. Notable players include famous picks in the following order, Hakeem Olajuwon (1), Michael Jordan (3), Charles Barkley (5), Alvin Robertson (7), Otis Thorpe (9), Kevin Willis (11), John Stockton (16). This draft class has […]

New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis has continued to make progressive strides forward in his development in his third season in the league. At the same time, he has also remained a high-impact player on the defensive end of the court that has put him on pace for exclusive company in NBA history, according to […]