• Robert Horry once said that Michael Jordan feared Hakeem Olajuwon
• Olajuwon was drafted No. 1 in the 1984 Draft and Jordan went No. 3 in the same draft
• Hakeem’s Rockets are the only team to win titles during the Jordan era from 1991 to 1998
The 1984 NBA Draft is often considered the greatest draft of all time. Not only does it feature the greatest player of all time in, Michael Jordan, but it also features the likes of John Stockton, Charles Barkley, and the No. 1 overall pick, Hakeem Olajuwon.
Olajuwon is one of the greatest big men of all time and is considered to be arguably the greatest defender in NBA history. Hakeem’s former teammate Robert Horry claimed that if you asked Jordan who is the one player he feared, he’d name Hakeem.
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“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 is the only player that could be drafted ahead of Jordan and people say it wasn’t a bad pick. Ultimately, he brought the only two NBA championships the city of Houston has ever seen in the middle of the Jordan era, winning the 1994 and 1995 titles, and having some of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history.
Michael Jordan Didn’t Get The Better Of Hakeem Olajuwon
Regardless of any purported fear MJ had for Hakeem, he didn’t let it show on the court. In his career, he averaged 30.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 3.0 steals in 23 games against Hakeem. Surprisingly, Jordan comes out short in that battle as Hakeem won 13 games to MJ’s 10.
Hakeem had the winning record and solid numbers to prove his impact on the court, averaging 21.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks. Unfortunately, they never met in the NBA Playoffs. Hakeem’s Rockets won the title the year MJ went to play baseball and went back-to-back after MJ lost to Shaquille O’Neal’s Orlando Magic, a team the Rockets swept in the Finals.
MJ can rest easy knowing his career turned out the way he wanted, even though Hakeem was drafted ahead of him. Similarly, Hakeem may not be 6-0 in the Finals, but he had one of the greatest careers in NBA history nonetheless.
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