- Hakeem Olajuwon was one of the greatest defenders of his era
- The Dream was a nightmare to go up against
- He once defended all five players in a single possession
Such was the defensive skill that Hakeem Olajuwon possessed that in one of his games, ‘The Dream’ guarded an entire team in one possession.
A clip of this showcase went viral on social media earlier, leaving fans gasping about the stellar effort that Olajuwon put in to ensure the other team had no chance of a basket.
On defense, Olajuwon had the rare blend of speed and strength that allowed him to guard a wide range of players and some of them at once as demonstrated in the video above.
He was also noted for both his relentless shot-blocking and stealing the ball even if the margins to make the move were minimal. The big is the only player in the league to register more than 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season.
In addition, he is also the only center to rank among the top ten all-time in steals. He was also a brilliant rebounder and led the league twice in rebounding during the 1989 and 1990 editions.
Olajuwon was named the 2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. He was a five-time NBA All-Defensive First-Team selection as well. Such was his immense contribution that the NBA renamed the DPOY the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.
On the numbers front, Olajuwon was a force averaging 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists from 1238 games. It goes without saying that he was one of the greatest defensive presence to take the floor since Bill Russell.
NBA Fans React To The Viral Clip Of Hakeem Olajuwon Guarding All The Players In One Possession
Soon after the clip went viral on Instagram, fans shared their two cents on the clip, lavishing praise on Hakeem Olajuwon,
[Please note some of the comments are edited for grammatical clarity]
“He and KG literally covered the entire court it was insane.”
“People don’t realize how insane it is that Hakeem became the all-time record holder for blocks while playing in the 90s.”
“When he retired, Hakeem was top 11 in points, steals, rebounds, and blocks (where he still is 1st). He is still the only player in NBA history to do that. It’s wild.”
“Top 3 in his position top 10 all time clear.”
“Was there anything The Dream couldn’t do?”
“Best defender ever, one of the best centers ever, with a strong case for the #1 spot. Top 10 for sure.”
Such was Olajuwon’s ferocity, that Robert Horry once said that even Michael Jordan was one of the players scared to go up the Rockets legend.
“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’.”
If that was the impact that Olajuwon had on the GOAT, then that shows how brilliant he was as a player.
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