- Kevin Garnett provided a hilarious account of Hakeem Olajuwon’s trash talk
- Olajuwon reportedly told Garnett he was beating him with “lateral movement”
- Garnett admitted that he didn’t know how to respond
Center Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the best players of all time and is considered by many to be the best player to put on a Houston Rockets uniform. There’s no doubt that he is widely respected for his elite basketball ability, and it seems as though the center knew just how good he was.
Kevin Garnett recently revealed that Hakeem Olajuwon was a huge trash-talker on the court, claiming that Olajuwon would say that he’s using “lateral movement” to destroy Garnett, and added that he would never know how to respond.
“Olajuwon, another m*********er that talk shit to you. Olajuwon would do some s**t like take his mouthpiece out and say “I’m hitting him with lateral movement. He can’t do anything”… I don’t even know how to respond to that. What do you say?”
Though Hakeem Olajuwon isn’t necessarily the sort of player one would expect to talk trash, it is clear that he had his own way of going at opponents. Ultimately, he is a two-time champion and an MVP, and it is fair for Olajuwon to be confident in his abilities.
In his career, Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game. He was an absolute two-way force, and there is no doubt that he is one of the legends of the game.
The Only Player Michael Jordan Feared Was Hakeem Olajuwon
Throughout his career, Hakeem Olajuwon commanded a lot of respect from his opponents. Even Michael Jordan respected him, and Robert Horry once revealed that Jordan only feared Olajuwon when it came to opponents in the league.
“If you ask Michael Jordan what one guy he ever feared, it was Hakeem Olajuwon. He used to say ‘I’m scared of the big African’.”
Hakeem Olajuwon was absolutely elite during his prime, and if he had a better team surrounding him in his earlier seasons, he might have won more than two championships. One of the biggest knocks on Olajuwon is that he only managed to win while Michael Jordan was retired but to be fair to him, you can only face the players who are in front of you. It is also clear that Michael Jordan had a healthy level of respect for the center, which shows you just how good Hakeem Olajuwon was.
Modern Superstars Still Train With Hakeem Olajuwon
Though Hakeem Olajuwon played in the ’90s, there are still a lot of modern players who go to him for help with their skill and footwork. In fact, Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed that he will train with Hakeem Olajuwon this season.
“I am going to go down to Houston and work with Hakeem Olajuwon. There’s a few people I have worked with, KG, Kobe, and now Hakeem will be the third guy. I love his game, and if I can take some things, anything from the few days I’ll spend with him.”
There is no doubt that Hakeem Olajuwon can teach modern superstars finesse and skill moves. A big man like Giannis Antetokounmpo will need to become more skilled as his athleticism wanes, and it is easy to see why he wanted to take the opportunity to work out with Olajuwon.
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