It will always be a big man's game if the big man plays the right way. The sky is falling in Houston because it feels like the franchise’s window to reach a Finals, and win its first title since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon, has closed. Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (/əˈlaɪʒuɒn/;[1] Yoruba: [olaɟuwɔ̃]; born January 21, 1963), formerly Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. And when I break the fast at sunset, the taste of water is so precious.". The Rockets went from a 29-53 record before Olajuwon's arrival to a 48-34 mark, but they were eliminated in five games by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1985 NBA Playoffs. [24] After the Rockets lost in the first round in five games to the Jazz in 1998,[51] Drexler retired. He averaged 33.0 points on .531 shooting, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.81 blocks in the 1995 Playoffs. His impact in the city, however, did not go unrecognized. Olajuwon scored 75 points in victories in games three and four, and after the series Lakers coach Pat Riley remarked "We tried everything. The 1989–90 season was a disappointment for the Rockets. Privacy Policy | Accessibility and Closed Caption | Terms of Use | Do Not Sell My Personal Information. When asked whether the league was becoming more guard-oriented and big men were being de-emphasized, Olajuwon responded, "For a big man who is just big, maybe. During the 1995 postseason run culminating in Houston's second NBA championship, the Rockets defeated the San Antonio Spurs and the Orlando Magic, two teams with great centers who were left bewildered by Olajuwon's moves. During the tournament, he shared his minutes with Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson. In his rookie year, Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds while shooting .538 from the field and finished second to Jordan in Rookie of the Year balloting. [7] It has been said that a coach in Nigeria once asked him to dunk and demonstrated while standing on a chair. The transformation was apparent when the Rockets advanced to the 1993 Western Conference Semifinals. The man called "Hakeem the Dream" had now developed a set of patented moves involving great footwork with ball and head fakes with either his back to the basket or facing opponents abusing defenders. All of which became known as the "Dream Shake.".

Sometimes they kill for them.

[10] Shaquille O'Neal stated: "Hakeem has five moves, then four countermoves – that gives him 20 moves. Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon says he didn’t watch “The Last Dance” documentary on Michael Jordan and the 1990s Bulls, but he does have opinions on the comparisons between those six championship Chicago teams and Olajuwon’s two title teams in Houston.. At that time (before the NBA Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985), the first pick was awarded by coin flip. In the NBA Finals, Houston met the Magic and the league's great young center, O'Neal. Olajuwon outscored O'Neal in every game,[41] scoring more than 30 points in each and raising his regular season rate by five while O'Neal's production dropped by one.
Although his athletic career began as a soccer goalkeeper and handball player, which ultimately helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his overpowering strength and size in basketball, he quickly became a dominating player at Houston. Olajuwon joined the workouts and went head to head with Malone in several games throughout the summer. During his 18-year NBA career, Olajuwon earned more than $107 million in salary. Permission was granted and a basketball superstar was born. Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton.
[7][8] He was the third of eight children. [11], Despite early struggles, Olajuwon said: "Basketball is something that is so unique.

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