Hakeem Olajuwon said Friday he has been asked by the Rockets to talk to Dwight Howard about the possibility of signing long-term with them in the event they acquire Howard.
“The Rockets asked me to reach out, and I’ll talk to him (if the deal goes through),’’ Olajuwon said of Howard, who can become a free agent next summer and could arrive in Houston with no guarantee he will stay past 2012-13. “I’d like the talk to be more like real, and I’ll let him make his decisions after that
"For the Rockets, of course I could encourage him, but ultimately he has to do what’s best for his career. Of course, Houston is a great city. A lot of players settle in Houston. Wherever he goes, he’s going to be a franchise player for that team. Does he want to try to win a championship sooner (rather) than later? Then I’m sure he’s (thinking of) teaming up with superstars to get to that level. I don’t know, in that case, who he will team up with in Houston that can give him that (immediately).’’
But Olajuwon is confident the Rockets would be able to build a solid supporting cast around Howard.
“(Team owner) Les Alexander is very bold, and he’ll make a big splash,’’ Olajuwon said. “I admire him for that.’’