Is Olajuwon the second greatest basketball player of all time?

[Chronz]

Who are the other ones?

D-Rob, Wilt, Nate Thurmond and maybe Russ

Prolly some guard too, maybe Fat Lever

[Chronz]

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.

Those arent Shaqs rankings.

[rockbottom2010]

center wise yes....all time prolly top 5-10 for sure
u got

jordan
magic
kobe
russell
abdul jabbar
robertson
bird
olajuwan
malone
lbj
shaq
barkley
pippen

[sunsfan88]

1. Michael Jordan
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Jeremy Lin
5. Bill Russel

[Hangtime]

D-Rob, Wilt, Nate Thurmond and maybe Russ

Prolly some guard too, maybe Fat Lever

Alvin Robertson

[IndiansFan337]

Olajuwon was great, but wasn't even the best C of all-time....So certainly not second best player of all-time.

[JordansBulls]

Olajuwon was great, but wasn't even the best C of all-time....So certainly not second best player of all-time.

I think he can range from 7-10 alltime.

[Thunder 9]

1.Bird
2.Maravich
3.Johnson
4.Robertson
5.Jordan
6.Chamberlain
7.Abdul-Jabar
8.Olajuwon
9.Bryant
10.Russel

[JordansBulls]

1.Bird
2.Maravich
3.Johnson
4.Robertson
5.Jordan
6.Chamberlain
7.Abdul-Jabar
8.Olajuwon
9.Bryant
10.Russel

This is a freaking terrible list. The worst ever. Pete Maravich in no shape or form is even close to top 10 all time yet alone top 2. Bird lost more times with HCA than any other superstar legend and never even won a series without HCA. Oscar only won a title as a 2nd fiddle to Kareem and only led one team to 50+ wins in his career.

[bagwell368]

Nope... couldn't beat the best while he was playing. He won his two when the undisputed number 1 team was out.

If he would've beaten the Bulls a couple times and ended with 4 titles, then you would have a pretty nice argument.

He's not even the best center of all-time.

Hakeem played with one of the weakest set of teammates of anybody mentioned as a top 15 player.

Exchange Jordan and Hakeem - same teammates, same coach, and now how many titles do they each have?

Hakeem is easily the best all around Center of all time, there isn't anyone that can even offer a decent alternative, besides a mythically healthy Walton.

Low post offense? Top 4 all time, including power forwards (McHale says hi)
Overall defense at C? top 2-4 all time
Out of the paint offense? Top 6-10 all time
Steals? Yeah Steals - #1 all time for a Center
Rebounding? About 5th
Athleticism - #1 all time
Passing - ahh now you have him, not top 15 at C.
Dominating competition in his time - well since the league got fairly competitive at Center around 1965 name me a guy that dominated his peers as well as Hakeem? Maybe 3 other guys?

Pretty good all around - no?

Shaq was a dominating low post offensive player, no doubt. His defense was pretty much done after 5 years. Strong as an ox, not fast, couldn't hit foul shots (had to be sat at times late - ohhhh the shame), couldn't play in an uptempo offense. Shaq can be Hakeems back-up.

BTW, I don't like ranking best or second best. I choose a mythical team that could play together for years (which means 12 scoring champs that don't play D isn't my team, also means the guys can play an all around game). Hakeem is clearly my choice for starting Center, to be joined by Duncan, Bird, Magic, Jordan. What's the absolute rankings of those 5 guys? Who cares? They won't lose with any regularity to any team real or imagined. What's the next best team with a current flair? Shaq, KG, James, Wade, Paul? Not bad - but they don't pass as well, and as a team they have as much proven intestinal fortitude to win. Although at the #2 and #3 my team is a bit lighter on 1 on 1 D. But I'd pay big money to watch it.

[Reyes6]

Well I think the greatest player at each position is

PG- Magic
SG- Jordan
SF- Bird
PF- Duncan
C- Olajuwon

I put Olajuwon over Duncan. I put him over Bird. Do I put him over Magic?

Tough Call.

I'd say

1. Jordan
2. Magic
3. Olajuwon

[nastynice]

1. Michael Jordan
2. Hakeem Olajuwon
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Jeremy Lin
5. Bill Russel

Is this a joke? You have seriously underestimated Jeremy Lin

[KnicksorBust]

Hakeem played with one of the weakest set of teammates of anybody mentioned as a top 15 player.

Exchange Jordan and Hakeem - same teammates, same coach, and now how many titles do they each have?

Hakeem is easily the best all around Center of all time, there isn't anyone that can even offer a decent alternative, besides a mythically healthy Walton.

Low post offense? Top 4 all time, including power forwards (McHale says hi)
Overall defense at C? top 2-4 all time
Out of the paint offense? Top 6-10 all time
Steals? Yeah Steals - #1 all time for a Center
Rebounding? About 5th
Athleticism - #1 all time
Passing - ahh now you have him, not top 15 at C.
Dominating competition in his time - well since the league got fairly competitive at Center around 1965 name me a guy that dominated his peers as well as Hakeem? Maybe 3 other guys?

Pretty good all around - no?

Shaq was a dominating low post offensive player, no doubt. His defense was pretty much done after 5 years. Strong as an ox, not fast, couldn't hit foul shots (had to be sat at times late - ohhhh the shame), couldn't play in an uptempo offense. Shaq can be Hakeems back-up.

BTW, I don't like ranking best or second best. I choose a mythical team that could play together for years (which means 12 scoring champs that don't play D isn't my team, also means the guys can play an all around game). Hakeem is clearly my choice for starting Center, to be joined by Duncan, Bird, Magic, Jordan. What's the absolute rankings of those 5 guys? Who cares? They won't lose with any regularity to any team real or imagined. What's the next best team with a current flair? Shaq, KG, James, Wade, Paul? Not bad - but they don't pass as well, and as a team they have as much proven intestinal fortitude to win. Although at the #2 and #3 my team is a bit lighter on 1 on 1 D. But I'd pay big money to watch it.

The 2nd team actually has a scary ability to win that matchup. You underrate their passing big time and forget that CP3 would have his way with Magic on offense.

[dh144498]

Hakeem is the most skilled center of all time, and IMO is the greatest defensive center of all time (some would argue Russel was). I think he can out-match every center in NBA history in a match up. Although I would have really wanted to see 2000-2002 Shaq (his peak years) against 94-95 Hakeem, that would be a great show. But in terms of career dominance I'd go with
1.shaq
2.hakeem
3.......

in terms of NBA all-time greats/career/accomplishments etc
1.kareem
2......


but in terms of greatest players of all time Hakeem is not 2nd.

[STL Don]

Olajuwon was great, but wasn't even the best C of all-time....So certainly not second best player of all-time.

This.