Wilt probably was more talented but Hakeem was more skilled? I mean even current players who are super stars in the nba go to his camps to learn how to play better. Some starts pay 100k for a week of one on one coaching and training. Kobe and Amare i think were the first ones and later others followed.
@@alekseydrotenko3289 Imo, it is still arguable whether or not Wilt had more talent than Dream. I'm thinking that maybe an even better word is more Athletic. Of which Wilt is hands down better than Dream. Wilt is in the top 3 most athletic PLAYERS, on any position. We both agree that Dream was hands down more skilled. And imo Dream is better all around player: Offense + Defense + Free Throws. What do you think?
@@ATLienForLife I agree. Wilt was a force of nature. People forget he dominated track and field in high school. Dream was the complete package for a player at any position. I think current nba stars still pay him 100,000 for one week of one on one training. That shows a high level mastery of the game and a skill set that is being emulated to this current day.
@@alekseydrotenko3289 Add to that, we're not talking just regular players, we're talking some of the Greatest of the great players that got training from Hakeem: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Yao Ming, James Harden. The list goes on.
Why doesn't he have a podcast ? I can listen to Payton talk about anything lol. I would love if he had a podcast where he first goes trough NBA stuff,what's happening etc and than just reviews and talks about stuff that are happening in the world. Dude is honest but wiiiild.
@@ForWhatItsWorth_ I believe Ralph Sampson helped out a whole lot. I'm about 50 so I remember very well the twin towers Dominated in that series and then got took to school by the Celtics front court. Shaq got his in that finals sweep against the rockets. Shaq abused Duncan and Robinson and anyone else. Shaq was struck fear in the league, I don't remember people fearing the dream as great as he was he was never feard
@@sugarbear1225 I dont care about Ralph Sampson. If you want to use that excuse the Magic had Penny with Shaq and they dominated in 95 and 96. Also Hakeem averaged 35 a game that series in the Finals and.out played Robinson and Ewing in that 94 finals and 95 WCFinals and who outplayed Hakeem in the 86 Finals LMFAOOOOOOOO
@@ForWhatItsWorth_ not sure if watched that series but it took both of them to deal with Kareem. It's kinda funny that you mentioned 86🤔 what was his record vs Kareem 🤔 Kareem was an old man dominating him. Kareem 18 wins Hakeem 5.
Olajuwaun might be the only center you could throw in any era and he doesn't lose a step. Also he would have no problem guarding the big perimeter players (Dirk, KD, even AD).
Yea, someone like Shaq dominated in the slowest, grindiest era of the NBA. He would still be an offensive centerpiece in today's League, but he would have a lot of weaknesses that he didn't back then. He was a transition liability in his 'prime', now teams would get to play 4v5 half the time on offense. Then on offense he offers no floor spacing, he would still absolutely dominate in the post, but every possession he doesn't get the ball, he's a liability except on the offensive glass and the occasional lob and screen (AD is a better dunker/lob threat). He'd be an OK roll man, but too slow. Then back to D, he wasn't that great of a rim protector, and teams would switch like hell to get him on the perimeter. If Shaq played like he did in 2000 today, he would be an elite, but with very, very glaring flaws. If he worked on his game and maintained his mid 90's shape though, he could still be great, but that depends on him. He wasn't AS big, but was an athletic force on top of his size. Compare that to Hakeem, shit, he could just do everything, so no problems with ANY era. In today's league of switches, no team would want to switch onto him. He could drive and would probably have a Joel Embiid level 3 ball, run PnR, and still have his post moves. Oh, he'd also have the help D of someone like Giannis and the rim protection of Gobert, RIP.
@@sugarbear1225 the dream was a guard in a 7fter body. He could guard the 1-5. He wasnt a liability on any switch. On ball d was elite. He didn't get all those steals just by playing passing lanes. I have no reason to think he couldn't handle any stretch 4 or long 3.
@@phillywayne you went to far with the guys that mentioned. The Dream was great though but guarding 1 thru 5 is ridiculous,he could guard a back to the basket power forward.
The crazy thing was, Akeem didn't have much game when he showed up to U of H. He had to work really hard to improve his skills. Battling with Moses Malone helped a ton. And if you look at Akeem from 1984-1987 and then 1990-1993, you can see how greatly improved his offense became.
@More Cowbell Believe it or not: His offense didn't change much from his second season in 1986. He had all the moves then. Just go back and watch some of his playoff games and series from 86-88, even 85. He had them. And at Univ of Houston, he showed similar moves (though they didn't look as polished) in his soph and Junior seasons before he left for the NBA. So basically, his learning curve was astronomical from 1982-1986. Even if you wanna say 1981-1986; just friggin insane development!! The difference was: When Hakeem first came into the league, he was so explosive, it would only take him one or two moves to beat the defense. However, you would see times, when he would pull out the 3rd and 4th move when necessary. So the counters were always there, along with multi-court positioning and shooting.
@@Johnkoth son, hakeem got to the finals in his 2nd year by OWNING Kareem Abdul Jabbar and sweeping the Lakers. He basically outplayed every big man in his era
@@Johnkoth held under 50% during play to play in 95 !! Shaq finals in 95 is samething LeBron 2014 good stats but if see deeply stat padding at the highest Shrinking during crunch time
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 He's 6'10...6'11...his midrange game was retarded....post game was retarded....on the other end of the floor his footwork allowed him to contain guards on the help....his hands were like fly paper stealing the ball like Ron Artest....superior shot blocker....he's top 5 in defense and top 2 in offense....he's unguardable in the post or at 10 or 12 feet....won a championship from the 8th seed....ran through every elite center there was....won back to back titles....flirted with quadruple doubles multiple times....I think he has one or two...and the eye test...he looked like the best player on the floor on both ends like he was Wilt or Bill Russell...
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 If The Dream were born in this modern game with threes and bigs being primary ball handlers.....THIS WOULDN'T EVEN BE A DISCUSSION.
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 Unselfish...willing passer....excellent passer out of the post even though he was completely dominant and ultra skilled in the post...."STOP IT" is too harsh of a reaction.
One of the most overlooked things about Hakeem's game was also that he was capable of holding his own in defending the perimeter due to his lateral movement, and more finesse build. Kind of like what KG would come to be. Very few top tier bigs in the 90s could do so at his level, where they would always play drop coverage on pick n rolls, kind of like how gobert does on the jazz. Hakeem wasn't perfect in this area, but who else could have made that play to block starks' 3pt attempt in game 6 of the 94 finals?!? Add to that his insane timing with shot-blocking and you have a near perfect defensive player.
Pry the most straight forward/releaset professional basketball explanations I've ever heard. Doesnt always have to be X an O talk. Way to break it down OG
@Uncle Yeah, they started playing that illegal defense against Dream/Houston, after he torched them in the 87 playoffs (though Houston lost, with their top 3 guards out due to drug suspension), so he knew. LOL Same reason, Pat Riley played that super physical defense with Mason in the 94 finals, cause he remembered 1986 when Dream torched the Lakers in the WCF.
I hope they do a 2 episode documentary the Rockets Back-to-Back title run about Dream called "The Cut In". They can spend some time going in depth about Shaq, Penny & Horace Grant beating Jordan & Pippen in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Last Dance didnt want to talk about that.
GP and those 90s Sonics guarded Olajuwon the best of any team in the NBA that era. Looking back at games it seemed like they were the only team in the league then trying to force the ball out of his hands as soon as he got a touch and forcing other Rockets to beat them. They threw the entire bus at him on defence in the 93 series
This has to be the best starting 5 I've ever came across, you could put curry for Jordan and put Jordan at sf if wanted, but otherwise this is as solid as it gets
As a Rocket fan, I am happy that the Glove mentioned not only Hakeem but my second favorite center, Yao Ming in this video. Yao Ming was plague with injuries but he was a joy to watch when he played.
Great guy and great player. Helps being a fucking tower, but he had skill to his game for someone that size, and it took him time to put on mass to go from dominating trash in China to dominating the NBA. Sad that once he reached that point and was ready to join the pantheon of all-time centers, he started getting injured.
@@sanjaygupta1047 They are best friends from college - brothers. No need to entertain like a guest. GP is now a host at Basketball Kingz - check us out!
Payton broke that down great I thought. The dream shake was unstoppable and you couldn't foul him with shaq you just had to bring in goons and send him to line and hes giving away possessions.
Dream is the best center of all time. The best defender of all time. We know he was great at blocks and rebounds. He retired at 7th all time in steals...SEVENTH OVERALL. NOT FOR CENTERS,.....OVERALL! And no one could guard him one one. Best post moves ever that why kobe and lebron came to him to teach him the post moves
That Sonic team with Payton and Kemp was a nightmare matchup for my Rockets. They eliminated us 3 out of 4 playoff meetings. The one we’re we got pass them we won the championship.
Dream is one of the few 80’s -90’s players who would DOMINATE today’s NBA. He could move and run well enough to keep up with the pace of the modern NBA, but there is absolutely ZERO centers who could even begin to stop him right now.
GP & the Sonics would actually triple Dream, making him pass the ball to his crappy teammates. Seattle actually played a zone like defense to keep Olajuwon surrounded & under control. They had great success vs Houston because of it
Amen.. I remember Gaorge Karl saying the refs won't call illegal defense every time, so that's what they did.. That 1-2 technical free throws was worth containing Dream and asking Kenny Smith non-dribbling ass to consistently make a play...
I agree with GP. Hakeem is the most skilled center I have ever watched in my life. No disrespect to Wilt or Kareem but I'm too young to have seen either of those two gentlemen play in their primes. Also keep in mind that the Shaq that Hakeem played against in 1995 wasn't as good as the Lakers Shaq of 2001-2003. It would have been great to have seen those two battle in their primes. They're both good individuals too so you can't go wrong no matter which one you like more.
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 Hakeem was much Better on D and really also better on O. On days when Shaq was not allowed to commit offensive fouls with impunity, he was ineffective. He'd be in foul trouble the whole game, or he'd spend the whole game bricking hideous jump hooks. Hakeem could also hit foul shots, whilst Shaq could be controlled with a steady diet of fouls. Shaq won four rings, but three(!) of those four are the most dubious rings in the history of the league. Google "NBA fixed playoff series" and you get the 2002 Lakers Kings, 2006 Heat Mavs, and 2001 Lakers Portland. Further, watch the 2006 with the Heat and you see Shaq was largely ineffective. Alonso Mourning was the better center on that team, and Wade the primary force, not counting the officiating.
@@TTFMjock it's called the rules, like the bad boys etc etc physical play was a huge part of the 90"s aka Jordan era and Shaq physical dominated the greatest era ever, so yes Shaquille Is better, has better stats, more rings etc etc. Do you discount the pistons titles cause of the way they played? That was a team and Shaq is one man... that's how really dominant he was.
Has Shaq ever took a team with no all stars to the finals and win. Has shaq ever won defensive player of the year? Let's not talk about free throws and he learned how to play basketball at like 16, 17 or 18 years old. Just imagine if hakeem played aau as a kid. Man. Hakeem was a way better basketball player, not even close
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 haha Shaq dominated in the 90s? Wasn't he swept five times in the 90s 😂?He got outplayed by Hakeem in 95 even with Penny Hardaway on his side...Hakeem outplayed all the big men in his era.... Only when the top centers retired or old is when he dominated !!!Rodman locked him up in 96, what happened to Shaq in 2004 against Ben Wallace 😂?.
Wilt Chamberlain - Most athletic Shaq - Most dominant Hakeem - Most all around Bill Russel - Most rings: 8 in a row + some David Robinson - nicest guy Mutumbo - no no no ☝️
when it was REAL and there were HOF centers on 6-7 teams in the league shaq NEVER won..Using the "young shaq" excuse doesn't work because if you're good enough to make it to the finals then you got a shot to win it..and he beat JORDAN's bulls to get there..he was 3 years in the league..not a rookie. he averaged 29.3pts and 11.4 reb in 1994-95. he was already DOMINANT..he only had 1 year with better numbers than that his whole career and that was his 1st championship in 99-00. so no excuse. Dream was just better than he was and by the time shaq got to LA all the centers including dream were past their prime..hell Hakeem was 11 years deep in the league when he swept shaq. 32 or 33 yrs old. so of course shaq outplayed him LATER DOWN THE LINE..but when it was for the ring he got SWEPT..couldnt win ONE GAME. Dream went to the finals in his 2nd year and lost to the 86 celtics and was able to win TWO games against 1 of the best teams in history..AND LETS NOT FORGET that even when Shaq got to LA, Utah was kickin' his ass every year with NO dominant center and stockton and malone were 13-14 yrs in the league. .. by the time he won his first, dream was in his 16th year in the league lol. All of the ALL TIME greats had pretty much faded and the door was wide open. shaq was a great great player, but most of his production was based mainly on his size and ability to over power people..dream had more moves, more skill, better footwork, better touch, better DEFENSE, in better shape, beat all the best centers in the playoffs in his time, including kareem.. top 10 all time in steals, just too much..and it wouldnt have mattered if it were LA shaq or orlando shaq, if he faced the dream between 93-96 dream would have outplay him..period.
As far as I'm concerned Shaq didnt have one single impressive winning series in his entire playoff career vs any prime HOF PF/C led team whose opposing star could score and rebound just as good as he could.
I remember watching the Rockets in the 80's as a little kid with a nerf basketball hoop and my dad put in the kitchen. I would watch Dream shake and bake and during the commercials I'd run to my nerf hoop and try to shake and bake like Dream. I'd yell look mom, I'm shake'n and bake'n.
Come on, you cant be that foolish ... its completely irrelevant what he scored ... Hakeem literally MURDERED him , SWEPT HIM 4 - 0 , while DOMINATING him mentally , in terms of go-to-move arsenal , skillwise , physically , in terms of IQ , in terms of finesse , and especially in terms of professionalism ! Shaq was a young buck , and HAD to learn that it takes SO MUCH MORE than just physical power to overcome certain challenges and achieve greater goals . Getting OUTPLAYED so hard in Offense and Defense , while hearing Hakeem simply telling him " Nice elbow young Fella ... " when he tried to intimidate him with dirty shots , literally KILLED him on spot .
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 Rings? Teams win championships. Jordan is the goat with or without his rings, simply because he was the best player to ever step on the court. No center touches Dream’s skills on the court!
Jordan said the same thing..hakeem is his all dream team center..the only thing shaq can do better than Hakeem is dunk harder thats it Hakeem was a better rebounder shot blocker better at free trhows better at getting steals ..and on offense he was the best offensive center to ever lived..and a clutch free throw shooter in a thight game..you couldn't even have shaq in the game in a close game cause he was the wrose free throw shooter ever Its really not even close Hakeem the Dream Olajuwon or THE NIGERIAN NIGHTMARE was the best center ever
Yep. Shaq has so much respect for Hakeem. He said the one player to whom he couldn't get inside their head was Hakeem. Just like you quoted, Dream would say: "That was Good play, hahaha" then go down the court and school him again.
@@ATLienForLife Kinda like Stockton. GP tried to get in his head, nope. Stockton was the king of dirty little guys with dirty screens and subtle dirt. Then when it was reciprocated, getting laid out by the nastiest screen CWebb could give him, he just bounced back up, slapped him the ass and said 'nice screen' like nothing had happened, lol. Composure and durability will throw guys off and demoralize them just as much as any dirty play or trash talk.
@@localneo-graphic4647 I agree! Stockton is a perfect example of a player who did little dirty things, got into your head and made you retaliate. Then just smile and keep going, knowing he was making them play his game. Rodman is another perfect example.
These guys sitting with GP look shocked and disappointed by GP with no hesitation taking Hakeem over Shaq. Lol. But, if these dudes looked at the statistical categories and criteria that we judge a center on, Olajuwon is better both offensively & defensively than Shaq. In addition, there are only 3 centers in NBA history to have 25,000+points, 12,000+rebounds, and 3,500+ blocks for a career: 1) Wilt Chamberlain 2) Kareem Abdul Jabbar 3) Hakeem Olajuwon
Actually I love gary response and no I wasn't shook. I don't like to argue with hall of Famers when they've played said opponent. I think Shaq was more dominant but Hakeem was more skilled but as Jordan says : 4 rings is better than 2
Olajuwon is also 9th all-time in steals. When he retired he was like No. 5 all-time. He's ahead of guys like LeBron, Isiah Thomas, Magic, Allen Iverson, Paul Pierce. And he's a center. And oh yeah...he's the NBA All-Time Leader in Blocks.
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 If rings is the deciding factor for you, then that's a poor assessment on your part. Rings are team accomplishments. A player's impact on the game and his teammates requires you to dig deeper.
I still say Orlando should've won game 1 vs HOU. I will never understand why Brian Hill kept doubling Dream. Yes Dream was getting buckets, but Shaq was getting them at the other end so they were basically canceling each other out. When Hill started doubling, Dream started kicking it out for 3s and that's when HOU got back into that game.
I wish the Rockets could have had better luck against Seattle. Seattle was always ruining our season. The one time Rockets got past them, they had to blow it against Utah.
The guy on the right is probably the most annoying and irritating people I’ve seen in a video. Kills the whole vibe of the video. GP was spitting knowledge
It was CLEARLY Dream, Shaq could never win defensive player of the year like Dream, or average 2.5 steals per game or 5 blocks per game, these were Dreams stats in his prime years LOOK IT UP, only if Dream had Kobe and DWade as his side Kicks for 11 seasons like Shaq did he’d have 6 rings.
Hakeem didn't need to talk trash his game did the talk. As a side note, anyone notice how hard your mans on the right was trying to to get Gary Payton's attention ? Lol
I for one noticed EARLY part of Shaq career the refs let him do whatever he wanted on offense which waa a lot of offensive charging . Later in career he would use the SAME OFFENSIVE MOVES ONLY NOW THE REFS WERE CALLING OFFENSIVE CHARGING. GO FIGURE.
Hakeem retired a top 10 career leader in 4 categories. Find the next man that did that and then tell me other people can do what he was doing. It’s nonsense. He played in what was at the time a mid market….he was Nigerian born. All of those things kept Hakeem out of everyone’s living room when it came to broadcast numbers. Take the players who played in that era at face value….when they said he was better, shut up lol. They know, way more than you could ever facing him.
So most people's consent on nba's top5 centers of all time : Wilt Bill Kareem Hakeem Shaq Hakeem is the only one who got the ring(first ring) without any current or future HOFer. He had more competition(Kareem Moses David Patrick Shaq) than any other centers. Defensively, there's no match (fxxk Bill. He played great defense against plumbers and got destroyed by Wilt). So Hakeem is the one.
@@basketballkingzpdx1659 No that's not what he said only. He said Dream was the goat of all centers. Dream won without a single all star on his team other than himself. There's a reason MJ said he'd pick Dream over Shaq and other centers on his starting 5.
Hakeem "the dream". Top 5 Center of all time. #1 Wilt Chamberlain. #2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. #3 Bill Russell. #4 Hakeem Olajuwon. #5 Shaquille O'Neal. There's your Mount Rushmore of Centers...
People forget how good David Robinson was. That series against the Dream has clouded everyone memory. David routinely beat the Dream in the regular season outplaying him.
