Hakeem Olajuwon should be in the GOAT debate...

[Swagnificent]

I'm confused as to how you have Wilt's name in there when an actual GOAT candidate (KAJ) made a valid case for why he's overrated.

Watch this:



I used to think all Wilt did was dunk on short white guys. Then I saw tape of him in his prime and was blown away by his skill level. Just look at how clean his fadeaway was. He looks so much like Hakeem in these clips. Then you take into account his size and athleticism at nearly 7'2" and you're talking about arguably the greatest physical specimen in NBA history. When you put sublime skill level together with arguably the greatest physical gifts in NBA history, I don't know how you could argue against Wilt Chamberlain as the greatest of all-time.

As much as I love Kobe and Jordan, I find myself creeping Wilt closer and closer to the #1 spot on my all-time rankings. He was that incredible.

 

[TheIsleofMan]

Shaq>

 

[Hey_zeus]

Probably the GOAT 2 way player. Him or MJ

 

[HabitualChiller]

Watch this:



I used to think all Wilt did was dunk on short white guys. Then I saw tape of him in his prime and was blown away by his skill level. Just look at how clean his fadeaway was. He looks so much like Hakeem in these clips. Then you take into account his size and athleticism at nearly 7'2" and you're talking about arguably the greatest physical specimen in NBA history. When you put sublime skill level together with arguably the greatest physical gifts in NBA history, I don't know how you could argue against Wilt Chamberlain as the greatest of all-time.

As much as I love Kobe and Jordan, I find myself creeping Wilt closer and closer to the #1 spot on my all-time rankings. He was that incredible.

That's all fine and dandy and all, but the stats, skill, and talent don't match the results.

 

[Swagnificent]

That's all fine and dandy and all, but the stats, skill, and talent don't match the results.

I know Wilt gets ripped for not winning as much as he should have. I just don't know much about the circumstances around that. I wasn't alive in the 60s to know how that all went down. Circumstances are really tough to judge unless you were able to live through them.

 

[The_Third_Man]

An example of how important the teammate and GM aspect is tied to individual player all-time rankings. Talent and Production he’s as good as anybody., but he never played with a lot of talent for a consistent part of his career, and when he did he got them to the Finals.

He won a title with no-all star on his team and a declining Clyde Drexler, Imagine if he played with a young Penny Hardaway. Young Kobe, Young Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and LeBron like Shaq?

Sometimes having solid reliable role players that compliment the superstar and coaching that can adjust and utilize all the pieces he has is better than having other stars as teammates.

Kenny Smith/Cassel
Drexler/Maxwell
Ellie
Horry/Thrope
Hakeem

thats a good (modern) team right there that can punish the opponent if they decided to double team Hakeem. it worked for them.

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

Hakeem cant be in the GOAT debate if he was never better than another GOAT contender and they actually played in the same era and got drafted the same year.

Can't be the GOAT when you clearly were not in the discussion for best player of your era.

Goat and draft year are irrelevant you moron. If a draft has multiple generational talents, the players shouldn't be penalized for it. Especially when there numbers validate the GOAT claims.

If Dream came out the previous year or the next year, his numbers and achievements would hold more weight in your eyes then?

Makes no fukking sense in regards to GOAT discussion.

But Hakeem is easily the most skilled big man ever and could literally dominate in any era. He's what AD is trying to be but failing miserably.

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

He was a championship level player from 1986 on. He just never had the talent around him to show it. Give Hakeem a sidekick like Scottie and he's the one with 6 rings instead of Jordan.

Facts

 

[VBM]

So what's the problem with rating him based on skills instead of stuff he couldn't control like who his teammates were?

You ready to put Bron ahead of Kobe then? Because that's essentially what you'd have to do based on that rating.

 

[god shamgod]

No player who’s lost in the 1st round 7x and missed the playoffs entirely in his prime a goat candidate foh

 

[murksiderock]

No player who’s lost in the 1st round 7x and missed the playoffs entirely in his prime a goat candidate foh

The mental gymnastics nikkas play with superstar-to-GOAT level players is astonishing. nikkas will dead ass sit on here and say Wilt or Hakeem are worthy of some elevated praise for shyt that they kill other guys over...

nikkas will overvalue "skill", there is no unskilled All-Time great player, and more importantly skill has low relevance on what you do in money time vs the greatest challenges....

I may not always agree with your posts but at least cats can be consistent on how they evaluate dudes. This backtracking, contradictory shape-shifting these nikkas do depending on the player is embarrassing...

 

[god shamgod]

The mental gymnastics nikkas play with superstar-to-GOAT level players is astonishing. nikkas will dead ass sit on here and say Wilt or Hakeem are worthy of some elevated praise for shyt that they kill other guys over...

nikkas will overvalue "skill", there is no unskilled All-Time great player, and more importantly skill has low relevance on what you do in money time vs the greatest challenges....

I may not always agree with your posts but at least cats can be consistent on how they evaluate dudes. This backtracking, contradictory shape-shifting these nikkas do depending on the player is embarrassing...

op says scottie pippen is top 5 of all time based off talent Or some stupid shyt Like that. Just an utterly ridiculous statement he’s a kobe stan who desperately tries to rewrite history based off his opinions

he don’t know wtf he be talking about , hakeem one of the greatest most skilled centers ever he don’t have a case for the goat

 

[NatiboyB]

I am a Hugh Hakeem fan but he’s not top 5... and I don’t trust anyone who has lebron outside of the top 5.

 

[Slaimon Khan Shah]

TWAS ONLY A DREAM!

 

[murksiderock]

op says scottie pippen is top 5 of all time based off talent Or some stupid shyt Like that. Just an utterly ridiculous statement he’s a kobe stan who desperately tries to rewrite history based off his opinions

he don’t know wtf he be talking about , hakeem one of the greatest most skilled centers ever he don’t have a case for the goat

Exactly, to the bolded is all anybody has to say, and pretty much everyone views Hakeem that way. He's only underrated in the sense we don't talk about him all the time, but shyt basketball culture doesn't really talk about any big that often, from Russell and Wilt to Duncan and Shaq and everyone in between...

The popularity of and narratives of the sport are driven by perimeter players. That said, Hakeem isn't underrated, and its proven in this thread, anytime he's brought up he's spoken of glowingly. People love Hakeem, and that 9-12 range that most people have him is appropriate. Ain’t no case whatsoever for greatest ever...

Swag's GOAT convos are thinly veiled Kobe manifestos. Like dude, we all recognize Kobe as one of the greatest to ever do it (Top 10), but yall know my opinion, he doesn't really have a case for GOAT either for a variety of reasons I've supported before, and he's forced in there by a culture where people who grew up on him are now adults and conflate being popular with being the best player ever...

shyt is ridiculous...

I am a Hugh Hakeem fan but he’s not top 5... and I don’t trust anyone who has lebron outside of the top 5.

At this point saying LeBron isn't Top 5, I mean cool, people can have whatever opinion they want, but that obviously and clearly isn't one based in objectivity...