No one can dispute that Hakeem Olajuwon is the GOAT of the Houston Rockets. He is also one of the NBA’s greatest-ever big men, having carried the Rockets to consecutive championships during the 90s.
Hakeem Olajuwon had a very brief stint as a Toronto Raptor to end his career, but apart from that, he was a Rocket through and through. It wasn’t smooth sailing, though, especially before they won their championships. In fact, Olajuwon was once open to leaving, and he said as much in 1991.
“The team was playing so well that some radio hosts and fans began calling for Hakeem to be traded. ’Trade Akeem’ is all we heard,’ said head coach Don Chaney.
“Hakeem Olajuwon himself weighed in at the time, saying, ‘Sure they could always trade me. Do you know how long it would take the Rockets to trade me? About one day. The Rockets would get two or three players and probably some money. And I know that I’d get more money. So I guess everybody could be happy. I could be happy with more money if that’s what everybody wants.'”
Hakeem Olajuwon wore goggles for the first time in his career during a game at Orlando in late December of 1990. His decision to wear them was a response to the exceedingly physical nature of post play in those days.
The goggles, however, lasted just one quarter before they were… pic.twitter.com/ZTESioJc8G
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) April 13, 2023
Hakeem Olajuwon was already a perennial All-Star by this point and had made many All-NBA teams. In the 1991 season, the team won 12 out of 15 games during one run without him, which is what led to that scenario. But Houston Rockets fans will be very glad they didn’t trade him, as he would go on to win MVP, 2 Defensive Player Of The Year awards, 2 championships, and 2 Finals MVPs after that point.
Hakeem Olajuwon Eventually Had The Defensive Player Of The Year Award Named After Him
When players talk about him now, the praise for Hakeem Olajuwon is endless. Robert Horry claimed he was greater than Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal said that Olajuwon was a better center than him in the 1990s. But what cemented his legacy was when the Defensive Player Of The Year Award was named after Olajuwon. He addressed it too.
“That’s the crown. That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.”
It’s safe to say that if the Rockets had traded Olajuwon away, the franchise might not have any championships today. He averaged nearly 31 points per game to go along with over 10 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game in the two playoff runs that netted them a championship. Olajuwon remains the greatest Rocket in history.
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