The Case For Hakeem Olajuwon As The Greatest Player In The NBA History

[PTB Fan]

Greatest Player in NBA history is a title that needs a better resume than Hakeem's. How can one say he's the GOAT when others have much better resumes and similar skill?

I made a decent case for him. Thanks for the read and comment

[PTB Fan]

When you say mj is the goat you are really only disrespecting 1 or 2 guys at best. Not many people average 30 per game en route to 6 rings. But when you say Hakeem is the goat it's an insult to at least a half dozen players who got better stats and more rings.

Larry has a higher scoring average
More rings in a tougher era
Beat hakeems team h2h

Awww it was hakeems 2nd year, guess what Larry did 2nd year?

Hakeem won his ring with an army of sharp shooters raining 3s: horry, Maxwell, smith, elie, cassell. Not hall of famers but they stretched the court and allowed dream to do his thing. 95 was even more ridiculous with the nerfed 3pt line. Hakeem had help.

I have Hakeem in my top 10 but definitely behind Larry. Respect.

It's an opinion though. I have Hakeem as one of those guys who can challenge MJ as the GOAT. His case is definitely good.

[PTB Fan]

I don't really think he has a case for GOAT, but to me, he's the GOAT center. He's really the most complete player the NBA has ever seen. There isn't a thing he didn't lack, and that's why he's the only guy to win chips withour an all-star on his team. He was truly unstoppable.

I agree with this post partly. Thanks for the read and comment

[PTB Fan]

Hakeem was certainly one of the most skilled centers in NBA history. Only a complete idiot would suggest that he was not among the best players of all-time. Having said that, I am not going to get into these discussions on how a prime Hakeem would be in today's NBA, or in the 60's and 70's. All of that is pure speculation. We can only go by concrete evidence. He was AMONG the best players of his era, but to say he was THE best is debateable. The majority opinion at the time, and even today, would claim that Jordan was considered the better player.

There was no question, though, that he was a GREAT player. He was among the better offensive players of his era, and was considered the best defensive player for much of his career.

Thanks for the read and comment. I think Hakeem's case as the GOAT is solid. Not as strong as other's but he definitely has a case.

[PTB Fan]

dont also forget this......

that playoff run he averaged:
38 ppg
17 rpg
3 bpg
3 spg
2 apg
57% FG
88% FT

Yeah, that was certainly amazing.

[PTB Fan]

Hakeem is the 2nd best player I've ever seen play the game in their prime (watching NBA since 88ish). However, he really has no case for GOAT.

Thanks for the read and comment

[millwad]

When you say mj is the goat you are really only disrespecting 1 or 2 guys at best. Not many people average 30 per game en route to 6 rings. But when you say Hakeem is the goat it's an insult to at least a half dozen players who got better stats and more rings.

Larry has a higher scoring average
More rings in a tougher era
Beat hakeems team h2h

Wow, for real, did Larry beat Hakeem H2H!? That must have been hard since Larry always had two HOF:ers by his side, you may know McHale and Parish..? And lets not forget Johnson.

Awww it was hakeems 2nd year, guess what Larry did 2nd year?

Bird won it at all in his 2nd year, while having 3 HOF:ers by his side and that particular year he had 2 all-stars by his side, Archibald and Parish. In all he had 3 players in playoffs who helped him big time averaging more than 15 points per game. And lets not forget that that the roleplayers were ballers too, Maxwell got the Finals MVP that year, not Bird.

Hakeem won his ring with an army of sharp shooters raining 3s: horry, Maxwell, smith, elie, cassell. Not hall of famers but they stretched the court and allowed dream to do his thing. 95 was even more ridiculous with the nerfed 3pt line. Hakeem had help.

Haha, "help" is all about how you define the word. While Bird won with Hall of Famers and all-stars Hakeem never even had an all-star when he won. Give Hakeem two prime HOF:ers and see how much he'd win...

In fact, the Rockets 2nd best scorer in the '94-playoffs was Vernon Maxwell who averaged 13.8 points on pathetic 37% shooting and now go and compare Hakeem's "help" to Larry's HOF:ers..

To even understand how much Hakeem meant to the Rockets you can go and check the games he missed from '92-'96. Rockets were 7-27 without Hakeem and you're comparing his "help" to Bird's who had 2-3 HOF:ers by his side all the time. The Rockets with Hakeem those years were contenders, without him they'd be in the lottery..

[Odinn]

Nope. Hakeem doesn't have case to be g.o.a.t. player.

Jordan-Kareem-Russell-Wilt-Magic the only ones who has realistic case for goat player.

[Big164]

Haha, "help" is all about how you define the word. While Bird won with Hall of Famers and all-stars Hakeem never even had an all-star when he won. Give Hakeem two prime HOF:ers and see how much he'd win...

To even understand how much Hakeem meant to the Rockets you can go and check the games he missed from '92-'96. Rockets were 7-27 without Hakeem and you're comparing his "help" to Bird's who had 2-3 HOF:ers by his side all the time. The Rockets with Hakeem those years were contenders, without him they'd be in the lottery..

We've already seen how Hakeem does with strong bigs and that was a loss in the finals. Hakeems 3 pt platoon is what was needed along with 1994 being the weakest year in NBA history. A closer 3 pt line and drexler sealed the deal for ring #2.


You throw around the word hof as if these guys would've been first class without larry. Put Robert parish on golden state and you'd never hear from him again. Honestly.

It was bird who made his guys hall of famers. He extended djs prime and turned mchale from a good pf to an all-star. Give Larry 7-4 Ralph Samson and 3 rings later I guarantee he'd be All time great as well.

[lakers_forever]

Olajuwon's case for G.O.A.T:

[swi7ch]

hakeem only won titles cos jordan was in retirement

therefore, jordan > hakeem

[lakers_forever]

Any claim of Olajuwon as the G.O.A.T center or player is revisionist history. When he was playing, no one dared to claim he was the greatest ever.


How is he supposed to be the best Center ever, when he was only considered the undisputed best player in the world for what? one or two years???

When he was 27,28,29, and 30 years old,when players are near (or in) their prime, he could not even make it to the ALL NBA first team and he is the best center ever??

What other top 10 player of all time failed to make the nba first team on all those ages?

[millwad]

When he was 27,28,29, and 30 years old,when players are near (or in) their prime, he could not even make it to the ALL NBA first team and he is the best center ever??


What other top 10 player of all time failed to make the nba first team on all those ages?

If you're gonna make a claim like that, check it up before so no one will make you look like an idiot, like I'm doing now..

Hakeem was ALL-NBA first team when he was 27, he was ALL-NBA 2nd team when he was 28, ALL-NBA 3rd team when he was 29 and he was ALL-NBA first team again when he was 30...

And the year after that he was the league MVP, Defensive player of the year and finals MVP and he's the only player who got all 3 of them in the same year to this date.

Why are you making up stuff?

[The_Yearning]

OP, are you making him a case for GOAT center or GOAT player?

You're an idiot if it is the latter.

As for the former, I'd say he is the best center to ever play the game.

[The_Yearning]

Nope. Hakeem doesn't have case to be g.o.a.t. player.

Jordan-Kareem-Russell-Wilt-Magic the only ones who has realistic case for goat player.

They do not.