Is Olajuwon the second greatest basketball player of all time?

[PredatorPeppers]

Assuming MJ is the greatest, do you guys think that Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon has an argument as the second best basketball player of all time? Although I don't like to admit it, considering I was a HUGE Patrick Ewing fan, but Olajuwon was better than Ewing and I think is better than any basketball player in NBA/ABA history not named Michael Jordan. I feel very lucky I got to watch the great players of the 90's from Jordan, Barkley, Pippen, Ewing, O'Neal, Robinson, Miller, Malone, to Olajuwon. I remember seeing Olajuwon DOMINATE games against the stiffest competition and during the playoffs. He was UNSTOPPABLE during the 94' and 95' playoffs in which the Rockets won back to back NBA championships against Ewing's Knicks and O'Neal's Magic. He also out played the likes of Barkley, Malone, and Robinson on the way to those championships. I still believe that John Starks 3 would have gone in, as time expired in game 6 of the 94 NBA finals and the Knicks would have been NBA champions. But thanks to Olajuwon's block, that dream was snuffed out. But what do you guys think, is Olajuwon the second greatest basketball player of all time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakeem_Olajuwon

If I had to pick a center [for an all-time best team], I would take Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain. It leaves out a lot of people. And the reason I would take Olajuwon is very simple: he is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position. It's not just his scoring, not just his rebounding or not just his blocked shots. People don't realize he was in the top seven in steals. He always made great decisions on the court. For all facets of the game, I have to give it to him.
—Michael Jordan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBrEsNS9zKg Hakeem "The Dream" Olajwon's Greatest Hits.

[Ebbs]

No Julius Peppers is.

[PocketKings]

No Julius Peppers is.

Oh.My.Goodness.

ENDLESS

[Ray]

He consistently out preforms his opponents in the playoffs. This guy out played Shaq, Robinson, Kareem (granted he had Sampson with him), and Ewing in all the biggest games. While he was in college in the off season he would play pickup games with Moses Malone and people would say that from his sophmore year on wards he would get the better of him as well. He was arguably the most complete two way center in the history of the NBA and in my opinion the greatest center in the modern era(I put Bill Russell and Wilt in the pre-modern era, Kareem I would say played in his prime during the transitional phase of the two eras).

Was he the 2nd best player in the history of the NBA? I don't know if I can say that confidently, but I can tell you that if I was building a team, he would be my first choice to play the center position(and arguably my first choice to play pf because he did in the beginning of his career when he played with Ralph Sampson).

[mRc08]

He consistently out preforms his opponents in the playoffs. This guy out played Shaq, Robinson, Kareem (granted he had Sampson with him), and Ewing in all the biggest games. While he was in college in the off season he would play pickup games with Moses Malone and people would say that from his sophmore year on wards he would get the better of him as well. He was arguably the most complete two way center in the history of the NBA and in my opinion the greatest center in the modern era(I put Bill Russell and Wilt in the pre-modern era, Kareem I would say played in his prime during the transitional phase of the two eras).

Was he the 2nd best player in the history of the NBA? I don't know if I can say that confidently, but I can tell you that if I was building a team, he would be my first choice to play the center position(and arguably my first choice to play pf because he did in the beginning of his career when he played with Ralph Sampson).

ill go with what he said

[tr3ymill3r]

One of the few guys to drop a quadruple-double.

[Htownballa1622]

I would love to think so but idk. All I know is it was a pleasure to watch.

[AllKohn]

I just posted Hakeem as my 2nd best in that stupid is Magic the best thread.
I've never seen anyone dominate the bigs like Hakeem.

[MichaelJordan23]

I just posted Hakeem as my 2nd best in that stupid is Magic the best thread.
I've never seen anyone dominate the bigs like Hakeem.

Shaq says Hi

[magichatnumber9]

Kobe is the greatest followed by Jordan. Then Russell I guess

[MichaelJordan23]

Kobe is the greatest followed by Jordan. Then Russell I guess

[ManningToTyree]

He has a case for it, but not IMO

[PredatorPeppers]

Shaq says Hi

Shaq was very dominant, but he was no Hakeem Olajuwon. He agrees...

In Shaq's own words...

"If I'm going to fight you, I'd rather just beat you," he said. "If I can't beat you, I'll be a man and say I can't beat you. I'm not going to [cry about it]. . . . I'm the first guy to say that somebody is better than me. I was the first guy to say Hakeem Olajuwon beat me in the [1995] NBA finals. He killed me. He dominated me. I didn't go, 'Oh, he's traveling. They had experience. Wah-wah-wah.' I'm a man. Hakeem Olajuwon dusted my butt.

Shaq ranks his top 5 centers of all time.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/spor...res_my_top.php

5. Bill Russell -- 11 rings, but shot only 44% as a center and never averaged more than 18 points.

4. Shaquille O'Neal -- 4 rings, 5th all-time scoring and the most powerful force in NBA history.

3. Wilt Chamberlain -- Averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds in '62 and regularly dominated Russell.

2. Hakeem Olajuwon -- The most skilled offensive center in the history of basketball.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- NBA all-time leader in points scored and minutes played and owner of the game's most lethal shot, the Sky Hook.

[marvILLous]

Shaq was very dominant, but he was no Hakeem Olajuwon. He agrees...

In Shaq's own words...

"If I'm going to fight you, I'd rather just beat you," he said. "If I can't beat you, I'll be a man and say I can't beat you. I'm not going to [cry about it]. . . . I'm the first guy to say that somebody is better than me. I was the first guy to say Hakeem Olajuwon beat me in the [1995] NBA finals. He killed me. He dominated me. I didn't go, 'Oh, he's traveling. They had experience. Wah-wah-wah.' I'm a man. Hakeem Olajuwon dusted my butt.

Shaq ranks his top 5 centers of all time.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/spor...res_my_top.php

5. Bill Russell -- 11 rings, but shot only 44% as a center and never averaged more than 18 points.

4. Shaquille O'Neal -- 4 rings, 5th all-time scoring and the most powerful force in NBA history.

3. Wilt Chamberlain -- Averaged 50 points and 25 rebounds in '62 and regularly dominated Russell.

2. Hakeem Olajuwon -- The most skilled offensive center in the history of basketball.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -- NBA all-time leader in points scored and minutes played and owner of the game's most lethal shot, the Sky Hook.

yea hakeem dusted shaq's *** but he was like 22 yrs old..

they were both great in their own ways but you can't say they aren't comparable.. they were both the most dominant centers in the league during their primes, so in the end it pretty much depends on preference when talking about who was more dominant

[earleyra]

No Julius Phttp://www.collegefun4u.com/track.php?u=10eppers is.

thanks