Why do people underrate Hakeem so much?

Question

He is arguably the greatest Center of all time and a lock for the top 3 yet some people don't even mention him in their top 5...

I wonder if those people are aware of the fact that Hakeem played in the era with the toughest competition for any bigmen and he outplayed all of them. He dominated Kareem in 1986. He destroyed Ewing in the 94 finals holding him to 19 Points per game, he outplayed first Stockton and Malone and then Charles Barkley in the 95 Playoffs before embarrassing reigning MVP David Robinson and Dennis Rodman in the WCF. In the Finals he swept Shaq.

Hakeem's 94 and 95 Rockets are 2 out of only 6 teams to win a title with just 1 Allstar on their roster and his ring in 1994 was and still remains the only time anyone won a championship without another Hall of Famer or Allstar by his side. The only finals he lost was vs a super stacked Celtics team in 1986, considered by many to be one of the greatest teams of all time.

The Dream could score at will and against everyone while his defense was that good that he is still number 1 in career blocks while also being in the top 10 for steals (only Center). He also has the 3rd highest Blocks per game career average behind only the 2 specialists Mark Eaton and Manute Bol but ahead of guys like Mutombo.

sucker4lush · Accepted Answer

No idea! Unstoppable on offense - dominant to use that word so falsely attributed to Shaq - and not only a dominant defender by being #1 all-time shot blocker, but also #8 all-time in steals. Steals!
Won a Championship even before getting old-man Drexler; so really had no  other great, much less all-star.
#2 after Jordan in my book.

? · Answer

I love Olajuwon. Easily Top 5 center all time, and top 10 overall (gee, just goes to show how dominant centers have been in this league).

When you start getting into arguments between Hakeem, Kareem, Wilt, Bill, and Shaq though, it really comes down to what your criteria is, and there's nothing wrong with that, I think you're ever so slightly exaggerating Olajuwon's accomplishments, Kareem and Shaq were not in their primes when he played them, and you seem to ignore he only made the NBA Finals twice, and never played Jordan, so he's not an excuse for only 2 rings, but I agree in general that Hakeem is underrated by histpry

? · Answer

I've always assumed it was because he played in Houston and they never got much national press.  If he played on a west coast team like the Lakers or an east coast team like Boston or the Knicks, he would get the respect he deserves.  Hakeem was by far the greatest center I ever watched, but I'm only 40 so I haven't seen everything.

? · Answer

Players always get underrated by some people, as well as overrated by other people. As for why, there's too many people for there to be a unanimous list.

Olajuwon is not a lock for top 3 centers ever. He won 1 MVP and was top 4 four times. Compare that to Chamberlain, Russell, and Jabbar who have each won a minimum of 4 MVPs and have been top 4 a minimum of nine times. Chamberlain and Russell were better shot blockers but blocks weren't kept as a stat back then.

Austin · Answer

Cause a lot of people don't know what a great basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon was.

Why do people underrate Hakeem so much?

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