Hakeem Olajuwon: The Center Who Mastered Everything

There’s a certain poetry to the way Hakeem Olajuwon played basketball. He had a very elegant gait and the brain of a chess player for a man who was seven feet tall.

When people talk about the greatest center of all time, his name should be right at the top — and it should be there for all the right reasons.

The Skill Set That Didn’t Make Sense

Olajuwon’s game shouldn’t exist. Centers were not designed to have that footwork, that balance, that creativity. However, “The Dream” altered the formula.

His “Dream Shake” signature was not only a move; it was a puzzle for defenders, and they couldn’t solve it. One fake, two fake, spin, fade, and all the big men were feeling lost.

Learn from legends of the past, such as David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal, who have both experienced it firsthand. Unlike many big scorers, Olajuwon didn’t score on sheer muscle power. He had great accuracy.

Two-Way Dominance at its peak

The unique thing about Olajuwon’s career as an all-time great center is that he didn’t only have a good offense, he also had an even better defense.

He is a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year and is the only player in NBA history to be top 10 in points, rebounds, blocks, and steals all-time.

In the 1994 NBA Finals, he completely outplayed the reigning NBA MVP, Robinson, dominating at both ends of the court. He then endured a series of stellar big men before emerging victorious as a Houston Rocket a year later.

No superteam. No stacked roster. It’s just Hakeem in his prime.

The Case for the Greatest Ever

But why Olajuwon and not names such as Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

He could be the most well-rounded center in game history.

Kareem was long-lasting, and he had the unstoppable sky hook. Wilt dominated the game. But Hakeem? He possessed all of them – ability to score, defending, footwork, all-around ability, and the ability to lift his game to meet the very best.

When at his best, there was no weakness upon which to strike. You couldn’t find any part of his game that you could exploit.

The Lasting Impression

Modern players, from guards to big men, today train in the offseason on Olajuwon’s footwork. He had an impact not only on centers but on the way basketball skills are taught.

Perhaps that’s the best one of all.

Hakeem Olajuwon was not only dominant, but he was also sensational. He was complete. In a game that evolves so quickly, completeness could be the rarest greatness of all.