Hakeem Olajuwon's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech 

Ismail Burale You said it best!!!

Hakeem is the most humble human being I've ever met in my life!

The room is silent when any player speaks but ok....

And a killer on the court 😎😎 my favorite center of all time

Or perhaps they're sleeping lol

hartsickdisciple forgot fg%

He was also drafted before Jordan but no one brings that up as a bad thing. Which it isn't and that's saying something

+Jeremy Pearce so you discriminate one of the nicest legends in the NBA because of his religion? Your opinion on anything is invalid you simpleton.

+Shemzinho I'm a Christian and Hakeem is a Muslim but I have the up most respect for this person. I watched every single game of his and he is pure class and character. I believe his religion made him stronger. He will always be a center piece to my father and my best memories...Don't even dignify Jeremy's post. He obviously doesn't know Olajuwon like we do.

Nicholas Kless Bless up bro

+James Summerlin men/us like this are not value any more. here in north america anymore by most women today. so they don't breed with us anymore. so that's why there are not more men/us like this in the world.

James Summerlin well said

Well said, sir!

James Summerlin Well said. I grew up with Hakeem as a role model. My dad would point out the way that he carried himself, with leadership and team first characteristics. He stopped dunking the ball around 1991, which I actually hated at the time, but again my dad pointed out to me why this was more effective for his character. I got to go back in the locker room of the old Summit in 1993 and meet Hakeem. He was being yelled at by reporters and his wife asking him to leave, and yet he still took 5 minutes to sit and talk with me, and have my poster signed by the entire team. That day lives with me still, and I feel blessed to have had such an honorable human being to watch and learn from all of those years. The Rockets went in the win their first championship that season, and my dad passed away 3 years ago. There was a very special bond between he and I threw sports and why it can be such a powerful factor in becoming a real man in the world. But then again, I was blessed to be from a city with a man of Hakeem’s character and honor to learn from...

@@Jamedia66 cool story. As a kid we use to wait after games to get autographs outside the summit. Late 80's Akeem came out once (pre muslim conversion) and didn't give any autographs. He changed his character after his conversion

Bear Udyr Couldn't be more accurate.

anomaly19851 totally agree

Great player was Olajuwoun but i still think that Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar was overall better to have them in team.

Olajuwon could do more than them. For scoring, those guys are obviously better, but you'd want Olajuwon to pair with a guy like Jordan because Jordan's ball dominant and Olajuwon doesn't have to be. He can still block, steal, pass out, and rebound better thn almost anyone else even after taking scoring away from him.

Imagine Hakeem playing with Magic his entire career...

Best Center ever u mean*… Greatest Center ever is easily Kareem.

@@kanyecrazy7440 come on man what's the difference between them

@@princewu2404 best is based off of skill. Greatest is based off of awards/accomplishments

@@kanyecrazy7440 oh ok cool

Kareem easily, bullshit they played against each other 23 times in regular season which Kareem won most of them cause he had a better team they averaged about the same points Olajuwon averaging 2 more points but but doubled him rebounds and steals and blocks but in the playoffs Olajuwon killed Kareem beating 4 out of 5 games Olajuwon was a way way better defender than Kareem, He is the most talented big man and best defender ever even the God Michael Jordan was scared of him,,,, MJs word we are scared of the big Nigerian

That is amazing! Thank you for sharing.

Nicholas Kless ramadan is not in November, never! It’s always when the new moon is sighted

@@Tramplyfe Ramadan is a month on the Arabic calendar. The Arabic calendar is a lunar calendar has at least 354 days a year. Which is why new moon sighting is used to decide Ramadan and other months in the Arabic calendar. When compared to the Gregorian calendar, which is a Solar calendar of 365 days, Ramadan shifts by 11 days every year. So Ramadan this year which is in April will and it will take another 33 years for the Arabic calendar to have Ramadan in April.

Shut the fuck up he’s not a muslim

@@popeyes7969 WTF is wrong with you! Chill mate. Hakeem is a Muslim. A practising to be more precise. Half of Nigeria has Muslim population. Stick with facts mate, it will keep you calm. Take care.

I say this in all seriousness, being a half-Egyptian brotha. I want to see a Mexican-born NBA Superstar! I think it would be GREAT for the game!

@@jamalabdelbaset6635 would you settle for puerto rican? we have two. jj barea and carlos arroyo. as a puerto rican i like barea a little better because he's more humble. i'm still a bit angry at arroyo because one time he had the ball. and on the other side of the court was yao ming, waiting for him. and he ran towards yao ming, and tried to do a layup in his face.....and of course the ball ended up outside because of a HUGE block, not because of a lack of talent but of his arrogance thinking he could just score on yao ming like that....

@@sabin97 Hahaha!!! Yeah Arroyo was a cocky prick! Lol! I still remember him flipping his jersey when Puerto Rico beat the US in 04.

zbanghy1986 David Robinsons is the most complete center. His presence still echoed in the SPURS culture up to this time. He win almost all the awards in the NBA. That's complete trophy.

...I've seen Olajuwon vs Robinson so many times...not only once Robinson won the matchup.

​@@O_fata_simpla260how come he has a 30-12 head to head match-up record vs Hakeem then? Outside of the 95 WCF, Robinson played him closer than any other center

The Dream did it when it matterd most.

Eric Matterson Dream shake is a move. Kareem is a Chief Hook Master. Did more post work and scored more and higher FG%. Wilt post moves Up and under, tomahawk, hook, finger roll and fadeaway dirk style. Finger roll master and fadeway master.

hakeem played against the best generation of centers and took em all to school. Wilt and kareem are up there but Hakeems footwork was on another level

But The coach assigned Kareem to Ralph Sampson. So if Hakeem was so good why could he not handle a 37 to 40 year Kareem ?

Wilt came into the NBA with a passing game. Hakeem had to develop it. Wilt could jump higher and run the fast break with very good passes. He degraded Kareem. Kareem was to much for Hakeem.

Wilt had the best rookie season ever. MVP 4 times 22.9 RPG. Hakeem 11.1 RPG.. 30.1 PPG. Hakeem 21.8 PPG 4.4 APG. Hakeem 2.5 APG 54% FG. Hakeem 51.2% FG

what god?

How true he is a man of faith and a amazing human being!

A devout Muslim who took his religion seriously.

You are so right about that! All it took was a coin flip for the 1st pick at the '84 draft. When it went the Rockets way, Hakeem declared for the NBA. Dream felt very much @ home in Houston. But think about how different the NBA would be today if one or both those things dont happen.

+Randy H. without hakeem they wouldn't have ever been there

Captain Hook Oh most definitely!

+Captain Hook 😂😂😂😂

It's alright man, Dream kicked most everyone's asses. At least the Knicks didn't get it quite as bad as poor D Rob in 95

Mr. Jish Oh yeah! The Magic got swept correct?

So you calling him a Terrorist or something bad like that huh? You know not all Muslims are bad people? You sound fucking stupid man. I don't give shit what religion or what he believes in he one of greatest center of all time and a two time nba champion so yeah am going give him Credit

+Nick Garza don't talk to me like that u weasel

+Jeremy Pearce what are you going do about it? Let guess nothing

+Jeremy Pearce how am I bullying you? Your the one comment on my post? No I haven't been trolling anyone so how about you get lost and quit saying lies. Yeah I do have life actually I go to college and work so please you don't even know and you saying am trolling you?

+Nick Garza your a loser you want to run your mouth off on the Internet because in real life you're a scared little boy. your typical bully once you put in the corner you start attacking and cowering like a coward , people like you have nothing better to do in your mundane boring lives than to troll and stalk harmless law abiding citizens on RU-vid. be a man for once in your life stop bullying because it's not right you came up against someone who won't stand for it and it scares you and intimidate you so now you know how your victims of bullying feel

Congrats! Hakeem also Inspired many other kids! At least Top 2-3 center of all time!

jr jr Knicks fans and Magic fans lol

;D

17 dislikes now

Must be David Robinson

Wilt... Kareem

@@jamesjackson2117 hakeem is more skilled than them

He is not Ghanaian

L Bird as well.

David Robinson

Joe Johnson he's definitely the most skilled center ever

Antbeast23 YES INDEED...THX FOR COMMENTING

sexy 2

stop shouting pls

Other than the guy who scored 100 pts in a game

That's why NBA players go to him for advice.

Hey man great times for sure

Jason Burdette I'd say top 3, with Kareem and Wilt

He's a top five overall player of all time Bro

Top 5 34

@@marktorres6255 exactly

@@waipareil eh.. Kareem mostly only dominated when he had help from his HOF teammates. Thanks to guys like Oscar and Magic...they elevated his game and his "eliteness". His stats got bolstered further due to his longevity. Hakeem had few all-stars and few healthy, elite teammates throughout his entire career. He was always the best player on his team. Don't get me wrong.. Kareem was an all-time talent at the Center but he's not close to top 5 center or goat conversations.

X Grind Lucky...

Yh i went for a camp once lmnl your point guard go hard.... I’ll be there 2020

@@n.s2368 Hakeem still there?

@@affye3127 I believe he is. Look up "Birmingham Rockets"

If you want to stay awake, listen to Mutombo's speech. It will give you daymares.

I was scrolling the comments to see if I was the only one....

You’re pathetic

Jason Burdette he is. Notice the silence. Everyone respected him and still respects him.

I love Shaq,but Dream is #1

There is a guy who scored 100 pts in a game

@@jamesjackson2117 in an Era where all his competition was like 6’4” white guys and him(Wilt) being a 7 footer.

@@kanyecrazy7440 he cant control his birthday .....btw Babe Ruth is considered the best baseball player....when alllll the players were little white guys....they don't hold it against him

@@jamesjackson2117 i feel u guess u right. But all im saying is if we took 1962 Wilt Chamberlain and time traveled him in to 2021 he would not still be grabbing 30-50 rebounds a game and dropping 40+ points every single night.

As salaamu alaikum Hakeem O

Shit religion 🤣

Olofmeister Due to your numerous scholarly studies, I’m sure you’re convinced.

Alhamdulillah

Mohammed was A pedophile

Nice story

+itillbeme1 jahlil okafur

+Guy Thomas LOL cmon now.. Okafur?

+Guy Thomas Hakeem was already an all star by his rookie season. Okafor still needs time to develop.

+AgentJ2007 To be fair, Olajuwon played 3 years in college, while Okafor only had one.

Trey B. Cartwright To also be fair, Olajuwon didnt start playing basketball until he was 15.

Handball

Bec Boone Now that would have truly been a Finals for the ages. The two greatest players in the ‘90s squaring off would have been a joy to watch.

MJ never won anything without pippen and only beat the celtics after birds back went out how come people don't mention that

@@MrDasilva8383 The same reason why you didn't mention that Bird won with 3+ Hall of Fame teammates while all Jordan had was Pippen.

Ralph Simpson MJ was surrounded by three point spot up shooters dumb ass and also had rodman

@@rss83073SFBayArea Pippen is rated by many as top 20 of all time. He's underrated because MJ got all the spotlight. When MJ retired he won all star MVP and came in third for league MVP, which Hakeem ended up winning. Kerr leads the NBA in all time 3 point percentage. Rodman was the best rebounder/defender.

When Jordan was away

@@jamesjackson2117 You’re acting like he’d beat him.

I believe your right he is the greatest player of all time he did it on both ends of the court like no other, true GOAT YES but underrated because he doesn’t speak fluent English, was not a flashy player and he didn’t have the big Nike contracts but he’s more valuable on a basketball team then any other player in history that’s why he’s the greatest player ever

And as good as ANY player, anywhere on the planet that ever suited up