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Back then, Shaq called out every center not named Shaq
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...urn=nba-259999
Shaq to Hakeem in 1995: 'I want you one on one'
By Trey Kerby
Back in 1995, a young Shaquille O'Neal(notes) led the Orlando Magic to the NBA Finals. Pretty nice accomplishment for a 22-year-old. But once he got to the finals, things didn't work out too well as he was destroyed in every conceivable notion by the legendary Hakeem Olajuwon. Not only did Olajuwon go for more than 30 points in each game of the sweep, he also outscored O'Neal in every game and held the giant a point below his season average for the whole series. Pretty dominating little stretch of basketball by one of the best centers of all-time.
Hilariously — and this might be something people have known about for years but not me, so deal with it — Shaquille dropped a little note to Hakeem after the finals ended, challenging him to some one-on-one. Sports Illustrated's Andy Gray unearthed the note and it's pretty much the best thing ever.
Hysterical. It's even funnier if you imagine Hakeem Olajuwon getting this in the locker room and laughing very loudly — albeit politely since this is Olajuwon after all — about Shaq challenging him to a one-on-one game after Hakeem had just destroyed him for four straight games. Cool challenge, Shaq, and way to sell out your teammates too. Never change.
As Skeets wisely noted, this is probably how those Taco Bell challenges got their start, so that's one of life's greatest mysteries that has now been solved. However, this note offers another mind-boggler — why did Shaquille O'Neal have a typewriter immediately after an NBA Finals game? And if he didn't and this was prepared before the game, why did he bring a type-written note admitting defeat to an NBA Finals game? I demand answers.
Back then, Shaq called out every center not named Shaq
And he went on to rape Hakeem and every other center on his way to 4 nba les, so?
lolwut
Troll alert
Hakeem vs Shaquille O’Neal: 1995 NBA Finals
Game 1: Olajuwon: 31 pts - O’Neal 26 pts
Game 2: Olajuwon: 34 pts - O’Neal 33 pts
Game 3: Olajuwon: 31 pts - O’Neal 28 pts
Game 4: Olajuwon: 35 pts - O’Neal 25 pts
By the end of those 1995 Finals, Olajuwon was clearly ahead of Robinson and Ewing.
Shaquille O’Neal, in a 1995 interview, called Olajuwon the best center in the game. “He’s got great moves, a great at ude. He’s a class act. I have no problem with Hakeem being called the best player in the game.” Of course, at the time, Olajuwon and O’Neal were represented by the same agent and agency. But O’Neal was giving respect to the right player.
Shaquille O'Neal stated: "Hakeem has five moves, then four countermoves -- that gives him 20 moves." The Dream Shake made Olajuwon nearly unguardable for most of his career, because "big men" were not quick enough and guards not strong enough to stop him. Olajuwon himself traced the move back to the soccer-playing days of his youth. "The Dream Shake was actually one of my soccer moves which I translated to basketball. It would accomplish one of three things: one, to misdirect the opponent and make him go the opposite way; two, to freeze the opponent and leave him devastated in his tracks; three, to shake off the opponent and giving him no chance to contest the shot."
Hakeem was better, but it wasn't like Hakeem destroyed Shaq. Hakeem took like 30 shots a game. And Shaq less than 20. What good is showing the point totals without showing the number of field goal attempts and shooting percentages?
1995 NBA Finals
Hakeem: 32.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 48.3% FG (116 field goal attempts)
Shaq: 28 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 59.5% FG (74 field goal attempts)
And I believe there was only one blowout in that series. Two of the games were decided by 3 points or fewer. Sure, Hakeem was better. But Shaq actually had justifiable logic to think he could take Hakeem one on one.
I"m going with what Jordan said.
“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
The man who is 25000000000 times better than Kobe has spoken
This is also the same man who thought Kwame Brown was the best player available in the 2001 draft.
Hakeem had the better series. Shaq had the better career and its not even close.
Two words: Ball denial.
Three more: Leading your team.
lol wut?
You obviously can't count so let me break it down for you.
4>2
And dat peak. 2000 Shaq was ridiculous.
So Horry better than Jordan? Alot of the great players never won a ring, so does that automatically make Shaq better?
I know that note is a fake because it isn't written in crayon.
Of course Horry is not better than Jordan for obvious reasons. Jesus Christ you can't possibly be this stupid.
The Mav Krew is right. Rocket fan is ing re ed.
Shaq didn't have a problem getting getting the ball. He took about 3 more FGA in the NBA Finals against Hakeem and the Rockets than he did in the playoffs prior to the Finals. It was just that Hakeem was taking 30 shots a game. Of course he was going to score more, but it wasn't like he was outscoring Shaq 50 to 10. The difference was about 5 points while the difference in field goal attempts was over 10.
I'm not saying Hakeem wasn't better than Shaq in the 1995 NBA Finals. I'm refuting the notion that Hakeem "destroyed" Shaq in that NBA Finals.
Read the opening paragraph of the posted article:
What's pitiful is how the author tried to make a point that Hakeem held Shaquille O'Neal to ONE POINT below his season average as evidence that Hakeem dominated Shaq. He failed to mention that 28 points was 3 points greater than what Shaq had been averaging in the those playoffs or that Hakeem allowed Shaq to shoot at a FG% greater than those playoffs or the regular season. But somehow holding Shaq to ONE POINT less than his "regular season" average proved Hakeem dominated Shaq that series. Forget that Shaq shot the ball better, rebounded and shot blocked better in that series. Keep Shaq from scoring that one extra elusive point meant domination.
That was what my post was in response to...
Last edited by JamStone; 08-03-2010 at 10:44 PM.
Then why did you say 4>2? Horry had seven rings and Jordan only had six. Since 7>6, Horry should be better than Jordan with your logic
I don't think any sane person will argue whether Shaq was a better player than Hakeem. If you think so, you're just being a blind homer. I'll tell you what no player in the history of basketball had a better peak than Shaq had from 2000-2004.
Prime Shaq (especially in 2000) was much better than Hakeem and i'm sure even Kobe nuthuggers will agree to that.
Hakeem may have had more PPG, but Shaq was darn right close with 10 less shots per game, rebounded better, blocked more shots & had a much better FG%. Rockets fans can't have it both ways. Hakeem was much more mature than Shaq and obviously was a better leader of that team back then.
Hakeem was retired or old as by the time Shaq won his first le.
Jam with the goods, couldn't have said it better.
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