This week’s NBA Legend is one of the most dominant big men in NBA history, Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon.

In today’s NBA, fans are spoiled by the array of truly elite point guards dotted around the league in what is seemingly a golden generation of exceptionally talented playmakers. Players such as Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook are among the league’s brightest stars and often dominate games by utilizing a combination of guile, athleticism and basketball intelligence.

However, while these smaller players are excelling in the modern game, the days of the dominant big man seem to be in decline. In fact, apart from Dwight Howard, it is difficult to find any center of the traditional mould with the ability to completely dominate and influence the game on both ends of the court. This of course was not always the case with the ’80s and ’90s being an era defined by the role of the NBA big man.

The likes of Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, Moses Malone and Shaquille O’ Neal were among the stars of the league around this time, all having the ability to take over a game at any time with their combination of height and power. But perhaps the most dominant big man of this era was the 7 ft Nigerian Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon.

The 1984 NBA Draft

Just this week, in preparation for the upcoming, much anticipated 2014 draft, NBATV released a documentary centred on the 1984 NBA draft, regarded as the greatest in the leagues history. While other draft classes such as 1996 (Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash) and 2003 (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony) also hold the distinction of being amongst the league’s most memorable, it is the ’84 edition which undoubtedly introduced the greatest array of talent into the NBA in a single year.

In fact, five of this draft class are members of the basketball Hall of Fame, with Messrs Jordan, Barkley and Stockton names which all NBA fans will be familiar with. During this time in the NBA, it was taken for granted that for a team to have any chance of success the most important member of their roster was their center. For this reason Hakeem Olajuwon was the player most people expected to be selected first, and with their second consecutive number one pick the Houston Rockets duly delivered by taking Olajuwon first and pairing the Nigerian with their 1983 first pick, 7ft 4in Ralph Sampson.

It may seem like madness now, given how legendary Michael Jordan has become, but at the time Olajuwon was the consensus choice and it speaks volumes that the big man being picked ahead of Jordan is not, with the help of hindsight, now regarded as a mistake.

At this point we should spare a thought for poor old Sam Bowie who was drafted second, ahead of Jordan, and is now regarded as the NBA’s biggest ever draft bust.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMWHFNekHBA

A Unique Talent

While Olajuwon displayed all the attributes a franchise could wish of their big man, namely being dominant offensively and impenetrable defensively, he also brought a set of skills which had never been seen in a man of his size before.

In thanks partly to his background playing soccer in his hometown of Lagos, Olajuwon demonstrated a grace and agility which seemed to belie his huge frame. Defensively this allowed the center to guard numerous positions, with his quickness around the court and his strength under the basket enabling him to rack up a massive amount of blocks as well as steals.

Yet it was on the offensive end where Olajuwon’s unique set of skills set him apart from his fellow competitors. His agility, athleticism and strength, combined with some deft footwork meant that he was extremely difficult to guard, often being too quick for his fellow centers.

Most famous of his array of offensive moves was the incomparable “Dream Shake” which left opposing players baffled on more than a few occasions. A move perhaps only matched in effectiveness by Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s “Sky Hook”, Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake”, a move consisting of quick turns and fakes, required all of the big man’s strength, speed and exceptional footwork to perform and left even the best of defensive opponents nonplussed. This combination of offensive ability with defensive agility ensured Olajuwon was one of the most complete big men the NBA has ever seen.

Championship Success

Despite some initial success with the Rockets, including a Finals appearance in 1986 where they lost at the hands of Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, Olajuwon’s early tenure in Houston did not deliver on the potential which had so many fans excited when he was first drafted by the franchise.

Ralph Sampson, Olajuwon’s frontcourt partner and other half of their so called “Twin Towers” struggled badly with injuries and was eventually traded to the Warriors. The expectations that an Olajuwon/Sampson frontcourt would lead Houston to league domination never materialised and it wasn’t until 1993 that Houston became contenders once again.

The 93-94 season would be a historic one for both Olajuwon and the franchise. “The Dream” would lead the Rockets to a franchise best 58-24 regular season record, and by defeating the New York Knicks in the Finals, they would also claim their first NBA championship. Olajuwon would win both regular season MVP as well as Finals MVP, in addition to winning his second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award, once again emphasising his ability and influence on both ends of the court.

The Rockets would repeat their championship winning feat the following year, despite having a relatively poor regular season. It was in that season’s playoffs where Olajuwon again underlined his dominance. Firstly in the Conference Finals, Olajuwon faced that season’s MVP David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs and put on a virtuoso performance. He averaged 35.3 points in the series, combining offensive excellence with defensive strength to which Robinson simply had no response.

He then faced the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, led by young buck Shaquille O’ Neal. Again Olajuwon dominated with O’ Neal later acknowledging “Hakeem was the only guy that I couldn’t intimidate”. A second Championship and a second Finals MVP had been secured.

Olajuwon wouldn’t reach these heights again in his career, but he had cemented his legacy as one of the NBA’s greatest ever big men. His combination of shot blocking and steals on the defensive end, as well as his physically imposing frame meant the Nigerian was one of the league’s elite defensive players.

Meanwhile, his rare blend of grace, footwork and strength meant he was also a phenomenal attacking talent. Hakeem Olajuwon had all the attributes and his place amongst the greatest and most influential players to ever play the game is not in question.

NBA Career Statistics: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.1 BPG.

NBA Honours: 2 Time NBA Champion, 1 Time NBA MVP, 2 Time NBA Finals MVP, 2 Time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, 12 Time NBA All Star, Member of Basketball Hall of Fame.

BONUS VIDEO: Here’s The Dream teaching LeBron how to maximise his effectiveness in the post.

Brian Bowler, Pundit Arena.

Read More About: charles barkley, david robinson, hakeem olajuwon, houston rockets, john stockton, michael jordan, ralph sampson, San Antonio Spurs, shaquille o'neal