It's such a shame what the league did to Hakeem and the Rockets in 1993. Hakeem was the clear MVP that year. Jordan said so and after Barkley got the award, he said he'd have no problem if Hakeem was named the winner. Hakeem was just unreal that year. Some people were calling him the best in the league. In the last game of the season, the Rockets got shafted by the refs when they counted a David Robinson putback at the buzzer (replays showed it was clearly late) which allowed Seattle HCA.
@TyroneNBAFan Olajuwon was 6'11'' and those mentioned centers were all above 7 foot . When he won nba championship in 94' he didnt have Drexler but he had Veronon Maxwell , Kenny Smith , Otis Thorpe , Mario Elie , Sam Cassell and Robert Horry . None of them were great players but together they made preety doog crew .
Man as a player it would be a dream to play w a prime olajuwon. You can take a non athletic player whose slow as hell but have a good jumper and the dream can make his career.
I was in Houston for his entire basketball career. For us, 4:53 to 5:03 was Hakeem being Hakeem. We were accustomed to witnessing Greatness before our eyes. And didn't take it for granted.
@TyroneNBAFan Thing about Hakeem was although he was smaller, he was strong with a really good base. People were too awed by the moves to forget just how physical he was in the paint. Only guy he couldn't bump off in the post was Shaq.
@oneman91 Well, Barkleys Suns took Hakeems Rockets to 7 games on both title years, and Barkelys back was on worst shape then, than on the 93 finals. Anyway, that Rockets vs Bulls Finals would have been epic, its a shame it didnt happen. The 2 best players from the era going at it in the greatest stage, can you imagine?!
McHale was certainly a great player, but honestly, comparing him to Hakeem as a post player is apples to oranges. McHale didn't have the athleticism or agility to do many of the things Hakeem could do.
With Olajuwon playing like that in 96-98 years, we would have three Bulls - Rockets finals. No way Sonics or Jazz could beat that man. And Sonics were saved by the refs in 1993.
@srsh12345 You should do more research . McHale injured his foot in 87' playoff's but still continued to play after he was suggested by his doctors to rest in the entire playoffs . After that injury he was never the same . Kareem's skyhook wasnt unblockable , i saw Wilt blocking it clearly in some vids 3 or 4 times .
Somewhere out there Jazz fans are still crying. All they can try to say is losing to Jordan's Bulls is the same is winning a title because Utah will never win an NBA championship lol.
@TheHNIC88 What I was saying was that McHale has always had the best moves down low. Does this mean he was the most efficient? Not quite. Hakeem was extremely efficient because of his strength and athleticism combined with the moves he would go on to develop. Back then doubling the post man was the norm, both Hakeem and McHale would have about 2 or 3 post dribbles before the help defense came. I would agree that Bird was a better set up man than anyone on Hakeem's team though.
Hakeem operated the low block more effectively then McHale. McHales might be more polished but just saying he's GOD under the block in general is just crazy. I watch a few Celtics games and by saying Mchale gets double teamed like Hakeem night in and out is wrong. McHale gets a lot of his buckets from Bird's set ups as well.
Yeah Hakeem also knows what it's like to sweep Shaq, win a title vs. him and make him break down in tears.....sadly I can't say Shaq knows what it's like to do the same vs. Hakeem.
@srsh12345 I have never said that the sky hook wasnt the most difficult shot in basketball to block , that is unquestionable . I said its not unblockable . So what is McHale had Bird ? When he got the ball in the low post he was alone , one on one or even a lot of times double teamed .
@Strat0Blues when you got celtics vs heat or heat vs lakers it is but the AVERAGE game for the NBA is not nearly what it was 10-15 years ago when I began watching.
.....1/2 assed it and gave a 1/2 hearted effort, he mailed it in in Miami. Shaq has NEVER played a full 82 game season to this date, and people (including you) are talking of this supposed longevity he has over Dream. Jabbar was still the 1st option on offence until age 40 and not mailing in games like Shaq in his late 30s. Wilt was leading rebounder in his last year and could've played longer, that's true longevity. All I see from Shaq is being blessed to be on CLE team that masks his age.
Shaq FINALLY won a title in 2000, but not after being TAUGHT by Hakeem how to win a title. And then Duncan in his 2nd year won a title before Shaq who'd been in the league for 7 years....LMAOFFFF. And both of them swept Shaq when collecting their hardware.
Note in 01 & 02 it was Kobe that was leading scorer vs. S.A. and not Shaq. Shaq has NEVER won a series vs. Duncan/SA where he ended up as leading scorer.
LOL@ShaqPop.......It appears Shaq brought quitting ways to the Cavs too. They went further in the playoffs last year without him than they did with him this year. And look at Game 6 in Boston......they quit. I mean where did I see that before? Oh yeah in '95 HAHAHAHA!
@garioldwin McHale was deserves to be in the HOF but he doesn't deserve to be compared to Hakeem. McHale never showed the ability to carry his team. As Bird's back was giving him problems, the Celtics championship run came to an end with a healthy McHale. McHale & Hakeem both had an incredible # of post moves but the dream shake was almost as unblockable as Kareem's sky hook.
@garioldwin You're one of those literal ppl. Yes there is no such thing as an unblockable shot. The Sky Hook was the most difficult shot in basketball to block. If you can't acknowledge this ... then there's no point in even continuing the conversation. Hakeem's dream shake because of his exquisite foot work was almost as difficult to stop. McHale also has plenty of low-post moves but he always had Bird on the Floor. Kareem & Hakeem suceeded as the #1 options on offense.
Cost....I think you KNOW in your heart if Shaq played on those 86,94 & 95 Rocket teams in Olajuwons place....not only would he have NOT won a title....but none of those 3 teams would've made it to the Finals. Hakeem would've won all 4 (and maybe more) of those rings that Shaq won in LA/MIA....and I don't see if you flipped the ages in the 95 Finals a 32 yr. old Shaq sweeping a 23 yr. old Olajuwon in his 2nd playoffs on the road.
Cost....I am not "blaming" Shaq per-se for last year, he played great....the point is Hakeem scored and rebounded better than he did at the same age. CLE? They're 5-1 in games Shaq didn't play, he's on a talented young team that can easily mask the decline in his game. He's with the best best passing forward (if not player) in the NBA. Dream at 36 was stuck on a aging team and posting better numbers than Shaq last year. Of course Shaq made it this far with the amount of time he's...
"hakeem may not have the consistent longevity or the accolades of kareem & shaq (the 2 centers i rank above him only)" Hey bro....I wish you could clarify this statement. I agree with Kareem's longevity being unrivalled at the C spot.but Shaq's? Not buying it. Hakeem age 34 two games (and a dirty Malone screen) away from the Finals. Shaq at same age swept by the no name Bulls in 1st round?. Shaq age 36: 18ppg 8 rebs missed playoffs? Hakeem age 36: 19ppg 10 rebs 1st rd exit?
"1999 playoffs...... hakeem- 11.3 ppg shaq- 29.5 ppg" Yeah Olajuwon won a title vs. Shaq and a Finals MVP vs. Shaq.....while Shaq was breaking down in tears. Shaq: "The '95 Finals is the only time in my professional career I cried" Let's see Shaq won vs. Olajuwon........the right to be Duncan's whipping boy,LOL.
@TheHNIC88 Mchale was a foward and Olajuwon was a center , they cannot be compared . Mchale had the best post moves ever and to say Olajuwon post moves were more deadly is stupidity . You never watched Mchale play . Also give the man a credit , Mchale had 26 ppg in one season , thats very high if youre 2nd star player in the team . Imagine his stats if he was in some weaker team .
@TheHNIC88 Let's actually watch a Celtics game first before we say something like that, shall we? I'm not saying that McHale was better than Olajuwon, but to say that he got less double teams and better looks is ridiculous. He was doubled almost constantly and the post moves he put on display were the best of the best. Hakeem's strength and athleticism certainly helped him develop some deadly moves, but when it came down to sheer operation on the low block, no one was better than Mchale. No one.
@biddybizzell Sure, sure. I was enjoying an intelligent conversation (though the other party seems to have left me halfway). No need for hate messages when I have legitimate reasons to believe McHale's post moves were on Hakeem's plane. Notice how I never claimed that McHale was as good an overall player as Hakeem. I was just defending his post moves and disagreeing with the overly simplistic view that he was never doubled or rarely doubled.
LOL@Shaq....just reaching for empty stats. If Hakeem were 27 and Shaq 36 there wouldn't have been any different. Shaq at 36 couldn't do anything to stop a 32. yr. old Duncan in '08 or Parker when he got to the rim at will. Hakeem won a Finals MVP, a title while Shaq broke down in tears. Shaq won the right to be swept by Duncan in the following round,lol.
That doesn't change that Shaq is a career loser vs. Hakeem in the playoffs. He ONLY has 3 wins to Hakeem's 5. Hakeem has a title, a Finals MVP vs. Shaq, a game winning basket and a 3 pter in his face. Shaq had......tears,LOL.
"in 07 the heat had a better record WITH WADE OUT!!..." So it was Shaq that was the difference maker and true leader on that team.....oh wait that was the SAME team that got SWEPT by Luol Deng/Ben Gordon combo,lol.....Nick Anderson's fault Shaq lost in 94-95...his postseason #'s 14ppg-5 rebs-3 asts and 44% shooting. Hakeem WON a title with Vernon Maxwell as the starting SG SCORING LESS...REBOUNDING LESS than Anderson who Shaq got swept with....And only shooting 37%,LOL.
LOL.....Jordan beaten by Shaq in '95...who went on to weep like a baby after being broomed outta the '95 Finals. Jordan named Hakeem THE greatest Center ever...not Shaq. And before he retired: "Luckily we haven't faced that team, we just can't seem to figure Hakeem out.....he's had our number for sometime!".....Shaq on '95 Finals years later: "I'll be a man and admit it.....Hakeem dusted my butt,LMAOFFF!
how many series had kobe won over billups and ben wallace without shaq?.....didnt shaq eliminate them in 6 in 06?.... Kobe evened the score last year with Billups. As for Wallace....why should he feel bad, he's advanced 3 out of 4 times vs. Shaq. Can you answer why Kobe can win vs. Dunca w/o Shaq, but Shaq can't win a series w/o Kobe vs. Duncan.
"GEE,WITH THE BALL GOING THRU SHAQ THEY WON 3 STRAIGHT....WHAT HAPPENED IN 2003?" Gee what happened when they went through Shaq in '99 vs. S.Antonio.....oops swept!!! Heck at least they didn't get swept in '03. Kobe has won a series W/O Shaq vs. Tim Duncan. Shaq is 0-1 vs. TD w/o Kobe.....and has only beat Duncan in the playoffs....when Kobe was the leading series scorer,LOL.
LOL....The 2nd leading scorer on the 93-94 Rockets TITLE team was Vernon Maxwell with a terrible 13.8ppg and 38% FG!!! Shaq has been SWEPT with Kobe averaging 20ppg and his THIRD option Rice averaging 18ppg in 98-99. Shaq LOST in the playoffs in 02-03 with Kobe averaging 32ppg and Fisher with 13ppg and shooting 50%. Shaq....swept again with Wade averaging 23ppg. Shaq = the big waste.
"hakeems legacy is pretty much being the whipping boy of alltime great gary payton......it doesnt matter that they played different positions....." And Shaq's career legacy is whipping boy of Ben Gordon.....career bench player. Never won a single playoff game vs. him,LOL. Oh yeah Ben Wallace has won 3 of 4 series vs. Shaq.....And he's Center,lol.
..."i dont recall ben gordon having a career winning record vs shaq" Maybe you don't recall 4 wins to 0 loses vs. Shaq? Or Ben Wallace....THREE PLAYOFF SERIES WINS vs. Shaq. Malone 8-1 vs. Shaq in the playoffs. My gosh Ben Wallace won THREE series vs. Shaq...HAHAHAHA
olajuwon - 2nd greatest center of all time russell & chamberlain are 2 of the most overrated players in sports history the only center better than olajuwon was kareem