Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Kobe Bryant

[Lebron23]

Who's the better individual player?

Both are 1x NBA MVP, and 2x Finals MVP. Hakeem was a former defensive player of the year.

The Black Mamba vs. the Dream.

[feyki]

Hakeem easily .


Both far better than Leballoon ..

[ArbitraryWater]

Anyone taking Bean is one mindfcked motherfcker

[rmt]

Always go with the big man - more impact - especially one so great defensively as Hakeem.

[scuzzy]

Hakeem, better on both ends

[KiiiiNG]

Hakeem and it's not even remotely close

[BlakFrankWhite]

Hakeem

[Im Still Ballin]

Hakeem

Shows you how it's less about volume of rings and more about the individual and what said individual accomplished in an isolated vacuum. Stats help illustrate this.

Duh

[scuzzy]

Whelp that's a 8-0 sweep


Homerun ruled, Hakeem wins

[Lebronxrings]

10th best player > 12th best

[Dray n Klay]

LOL, Hakeem even if he was injured and couldn't walk

[greatest-ever]

Hakeem is clearly the better player, he had a 3 year stretch(93-95) that Kobe never really came close to, however based on career accomplishments i can see why someone would want to have Kobe ahead all time, even though i wouldn't agree with it.

[ISHGoat]

As players? Easily Olajuwon.

[lakers_forever]

Hakeem is clearly the better player, he had a 3 year stretch(93-95) that Kobe never really came close to

Really?


Playoff Stats Year-by-Year

2008
30.1 ppg 5.7 rpg 5.6 apg 48fg% 30%3P 81%FT 58TS% 51eFG%

2009
30.2 ppg 5.3 rpg 5.5 apg 46fg% 35%3P 88%FT 56TS% 49eFG%

2010
29.2 ppg 6.0 rpg 5.5 apg 46fg% 37%3P 84%FT 57TS% 51eFG%

2x NBA Champion
2x NBA Finals MVP
1x NBA MVP
1x All Star Game MVP
3x All NBA First Team
3x All-Defensive First Team

There aren't many players who have done better.

Kobe has had one of the best 3 year runs of any NBA player ever.


So we're looking at a three year stretch where he got 30/6/6/2 on 47 FG%, 51 eFG%, 57 TS% including some epic series. 2 rings, 3 finals. Not many have done it better...agreed.

His conference finals series:

29/6/4 53% vs. Spurs (who just a year before embarassed Lebron and were top 3 defense)
34/6/6 on 48% vs. Nuggets (shut down Chris Paul that year and top 10 defense)
34/7/8 on 52% vs. Suns (who after the all-star break were top 5 defense)

Those years were Jordanesque (Jordan > Kobe, before anyone claim I said otherwise).

[lakers_forever]

Not even Kenny Smith claims Olajuwon was better than Kobe.
Second best player in the early 90's: Barkley. Second best player of the late 90's: Malone. Olajuwon was lucky (not his fault, of course, congrats to him) to have peaked when Jordan retired. Olajuwon was never in serious GOAT level discussion when he was playing. People here treat him like he was Kareem or Wilt.

[bigkingsfan]

Really?


Yes, 29 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assist, 4 blocks and 1.5 steals average in those runs.

Kobe stats are not eye popping at all.

[InsanityKills]

I'll take 53 year old Hakeem over prime 12be.

[JebronLames]

The dream

[Magic 32]

I'll take 53 year old Hakeem over prime 12be.

I actually believe you.

That's how much I think of you.

[LAKingKobe]

Kobe has five rings. He's way better than Hakeem. Same with bron. 90s are garbage and guards are better than centers.

[SummrtimeEmbiid]

Always go with the big man - more impact - especially one so great defensively as Hakeem.

Basically this.

You give Hakeem half the supporting cast Kobe had during his winning years & the 90's would've shaken out much different.

[TheMarkMadsen]

Yes, 29 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assist, 4 blocks and 1.5 steals average in those runs.

Kobe stats are not eye popping at all.


Yeah because so many players have put up 30/6/6 while making 3 straight finals and winning b2b rings. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Hakeem's rings come with a huge **, he'd be ringless if Jordan didn't retire.

Lost with HCA numerous times, numerous first round losses, including 4 straight years of getting beat in the first round.


kobe 2005-2013
2 championships
2 finals mvps
1 season mvp
8 first team all nba's
6 first team all defense's
9 time allstar starter


Hakeem's entire career

2 championships
2 finals mvps
1 season mvp
6 first team all nba's
5 first team all defense's
8 time allstar starter

[bigkingsfan]

Hakeem three year is easily more impressive. Kobe #'s don't come close. :oldlol:

Comparing accolades from a center, with his elite competition and when there's only one spot on the all NBA/defensive team vs a guard with two spots.:rolleyes:

[TheMarkMadsen]

Hakeem three year is easily more impressive. Kobe #'s don't come close. :oldlol:

Comparing accolades from a center, with his elite competition and when there's only one spot on the all NBA/defensive team vs a guard with two spots.:rolleyes:

"easily more impressive" yeah.. No..

And even if you believe that.. Are you just going to look at a specific three years to judge his entire career off of while ignoring the rest of his play through the his tenure in the nba? Lmao..

Care to explain all those first round losses and all of those losses with HCA?

And there have been plenty of times where two centers made the all nba defensive first team.. Soooo :confusedshrug: :confusedshrug:

[bigkingsfan]

"easily more impressive" yeah.. No..

And even if you believe that.. Are you just going to look at a specific three years to judge his entire career off of while ignoring the rest of his play through the his tenure in the nba? Lmao..

Care to explain all those first round losses and all of those losses with HCA?

And there have been plenty of times where two centers made the all nba defensive first team.. Soooo :confusedshrug: :confusedshrug:

Care to explain how many times Kobe missed the playoffs entirely?

Yea, so many times where two centers made the all defensively first team, especially in years Hakeem making it, he's the lone one, same with his 2nd.

Also happened to leave out his two DPOY awards in the comparison. :rolleyes:

[ClipperRevival]

Kobe was pretty darn masterful as "the man" from 2008-2010 but Hakeem was GOAT level great during his 2 year run. I'll take that Hakeem over any version of Kobe.

[Jacks3]

Hakeem is so overrated.

lmao @ the idea that this dude was "easily" better than a guy who was out there putting up 36/6/5/2/57% TS/115 ORTG/30 PER for 70 game stretches while playing with absolute garbage casts and horrible spacing. Get real.

[PsychoBe]

Yeah because so many players have put up 30/6/6 while making 3 straight finals and winning b2b rings. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Hakeem's rings come with a huge **, he'd be ringless if Jordan didn't retire.

Lost with HCA numerous times, numerous first round losses, including 4 straight years of getting beat in the first round.


kobe 2005-2013
2 championships
2 finals mvps
1 season mvp
8 first team all nba's
6 first team all defense's
9 time allstar starter


Hakeem's entire career

2 championships
2 finals mvps
1 season mvp
6 first team all nba's
5 first team all defense's
8 time allstar starter

this sums it up. if hakeem is better than kobe and "easily" above him then what does that say about bran? :lol

[bigkingsfan]

Ask ESPN all time rankings. :pimp:

[Smoke117]

Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the greatest two players of all time (and the greatest modern defensive player)...Kobe bryant is one of the greatest volume scorers of all time...yeah. Dream easily.

[fiddy]

Ask ESPN all time rankings. :pimp:
We are talking about basketball over here, not gossip.

[CuterThanRubio]

Shortened three point line era basketball deserves an asterisk

What happened to Hakeem when Jordan was around?

Houdini Olajuwon

He was outplayed by Shaq in the finals too.


Kobe has a higher win shares career average in the playoffs and they averaged the same amount of points in the post season, I'm taking Kobe.

Stats don't lie and eye tests don't lie either, not saying Hakeem sucked or anything like that but why are all of the clutch moments from the Rockets back to back run and beyond from their shooters and not him?

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Kobe is more accomplished, but Hakeem was the better player.

In the next "best players of all-time" thread, I'll make a bit of a distinction on that stuff.

Maybe a Top 10 accomplished versus players list.

[BeastMode24]

Kobe was way better. Hakeem would've been ringless if not for Jordan taking a vacation for 2 years.

[100grandman]

Hakeem is the most talented center I ever watched.

I say Hakeem.