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How do you compare Dwight’s defense to other greats like Hakeem Olajuwon? Wilkins: “He’s one of the best defenders in the history of this league. There is no question on how dominant he was defensively. That’s the truth. A lot of times guys didn’t want to come to the basket against Dwight (laughs). They didn’t want to come to the basket against him. It was his ability to move without the ball. He wasn’t one of those guys that had a lack of mobility. He was very mobile for a big guy. He was very mobile. It’s not just about being athletically solid. But his court awareness and ability to help defensively was huge. You have a lot of big guys where it takes them a little bit more time to get there from A to B. But with Dwight, he was quick for a big guy. He was very quick for a big guy.”
IMG Academy continues to lure top talent to Bradenton, Fla. Ascenders hoops will have a blue-chip name to know joining their roster for the 2025-26 season. Four-star small forward Aziz Olajuwon, the son of NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, is transferring from Clements (Texas) to IMG for his senior season, he told League Ready’s Sam Kayser on Monday evening.
Kyrie Irving: "I'll give you another name, right? That we're not going to allow people to revise history: Hakeem Olajuwon. Salams to my big brother, man. Salams to Hakeem. We're not going to let people pretend like Hakeem was not that. Before there was a Tim Duncan, there was a Hakeem Olajuwon." "Now, I'm not comparing the two—I'm not. But I'm saying before there was a Kobe, there was a Mike. Before there was a Mike, there was a Julius Erving. You guys gotta really just put it in perspective how I'm saying these things."
Even when the right players go high, they don’t always provide those teams with the relationship to winning that they hoped for. Take the top pick. The last No. 1 pick to win an NBA championship with the team that drafted him is Kyrie Irving, who went No. 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. He is one of just six No. 1 picks since 1980 to do that: Irving, LeBron James (2004, Cleveland Cavaliers), Tim Duncan (1997, San Antonio Spurs), David Robinson (1987, Spurs), Hakeem Olajuwon (1984, Houston Rockets) and James Worthy (1982, Los Angeles Lakers).
Brian Geltzeiler: The following players have won a league MVP, the scoring title, a championship, and finals MVP in the same season Michael Jordan Kareem Abdul Jabbar Shaquille O’Neal Hakeem Olajuwon Shai Gilgeous Alexander is on the verge of joining this list
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Tom Haberstroh: Jalen WIlliams just did something -- score 40+ in a Finals game -- that the following players have never done: Larry Bird Hakeem Olajuwon Karl Malone Kawhi Leonard Dirk Nowitzki
Shaquille O'Neal leaves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out of his top 10 GOAT list
Netflix: Shaq reveals his top 10 greatest NBA players of all time 👀 Watch one of the all-time greats make his next play on Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal premieres June 4.
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Promoting a documentary series streaming on Netflix, Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal, Shaquille O’Neal went into revealing his all-time Top 10 list. Sharing his opinion on the best-ever NBA players, 53-year-old Shaq initially listed himself in tenth place, but quickly moved on to present his ten favorites. The turned-basketball analyst reserved first place for Michael Jordan. In addition, he did not name his partner in the brand new Netflix series, Allen Iverson. Shaq’s all-time Top 10: 1. Michael Jordan 2. Kobe Bryant 3. LeBron James 4. Magic Johnson 5. Bill Russell 6. Wilt Chamberlain 7. Larry Bird 8. Hakeem Olajuwon 9. Tim Duncan 10. Julius Erving
Josh Lewenberg: Players to win MVP and an NBA championship in the same season: Steph, LeBron (x2), Duncan, Shaq, Jordan (x4), Hakeem, Magic, Bird (x2), Moses Malone, Kareem (x2), Willis Reed, Wilt, Bill Russell (x4), Bob Cousy Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 4 wins away from joining that group.
Jorge Sierra: Most counting stats on NBA championship teams. Hakeem Olajuwon at No. 3 and No. 9 even though he won his titles in a low-pace, low-scoring era.
Most counting stats on NBA championship teams.
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) May 27, 2025
Hakeem Olajuwon at No. 3 and No. 9 even though he won his titles in a low-pace, low-scoring era. pic.twitter.com/8MsDiFfz5P
Hakeem Olajuwon was the fourth of five No. 1 overall pick in Houston Rockets' history during the summer of 1984. Olajuwon now has a chance to deliver Houston its sixth-ever No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery on Monday night. Olajuwon, the 12-time All-Star, two-time champion, one-time MVP, and the greatest player in Houston history, will represent the Rockets on Monday at the draft lottery in Chicago. Houston enters lottery night currently slated to hold the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, having acquired a lottery pick from the Phoenix Suns due to the previous shrewd trades by general manager Rafael Stone.
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