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2. Hakeem Olajuwon; 1st overall; Houston Rockets; Toronto Raptors
Career Averages: 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 3.1 BPG, 1.7 SPG
Olajuwon is a 2 time NBA Champion, 1 time MVP and 12 time All-Star. He was as versatile as they come and earned the nickname “Dream” for his incredible footwork. Olajuwon perfected a set of fakes in the low post which began to be called the “Dream Shake”.
He’s the only player to have more than 200 blocks and 200 steals in one season. Olajuwon is also the only center to feature on the top 10 All-time steals leaders. He’s also one of four players to have recorded a quadruple double.
On defence, his rare combination of quickness and strength allowed him to guard a wide range of players effectively. He was an incredible shot-blocker and for a frontcourt player, turned out to be a surprisingly good ball thief.
When asked who he would choose as the center for an all-time team, Jordan went with Olajuwon. Need one say more?
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.
