RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Great player who is very talented and does many things. There aren't too many players like him that will show up ever again.

Rated in the top 10 of categories traditionally reserved for guards. Has two quadruple doubles, which is the best indication of complete game domination.

Hakeem Olajuwon is arguably the greatest center of all time outside of Wilt Chamberlain. People tend to get too hung up on stats when comparing the all time greats. I tend to look at a players physical gifts and how they played against other great big men of there time and how I believe they would match up against other all time greats. I have a hard time believing head to head anybody but Wilt could outplay Olajuwon. Olajuwon outplayed handily at various times in his career the following all time greats in play-off series: Jabbar(obviosuly an older Jabbar but still), David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O'neal. Olajuwon is possibly the greatest defense center of all time as well regardless of what people say about Bill Russell the fact of the matter is the league was smaller and whiter when he played then when Olajuwon did. Olajuwon has a carrer average of over 2 steals a game! On top of that the era Olajuwon played in I would consider the most exciting era of baskteball with the highest level of play in the history of the NBA. The "Dream" is an apt nickname for this classy warrior.

THE greatest player of his generation. Had he retired at the age Bird did or Jordan left the Bulls we would see his efficiency ratings bettering everyone including Jordan regular season and play offs. he simply dismissed Robinson and abused Shaq and Shaq admitted he found The Dream unmanageable. Shaq and everyone else.

I have a pitcure of him getting dunked on by 6'-1" Kevin Johnson. The only reason he won two championships is because of Jordan's two-year baseball career.

Agile, fast, athletic, and decent stats. . .Olajuwon was not only a great player on the court but a solid citizen off the court. A real champion. . .He's not my all-time center but is unquestionably a hall of famer. . .

The best player of the mid-1990's when MJ was playing baseball. Hakeem was The Dream. He had quick feet of a guard and a feathery outside shot. ... I remember a regular season game against Patrick Ewing, Hakeem spun 360 and swished a 15-footer. Ewing could only watch in confusement. Hakeem was that quick. What he did to MVP David Robinson in the 1995 playoffs was legendary.

My personal favorite center of all-time, do you remember how he schooled shaq in the finals sweep? PHI SLAMA JAMMA 4 LIFE!

Of players in the 90s, I'd put him just behind Pippen and just ahead of Jordan. I know, Hakeem and Pippen couldn't win a title together, but: 1) Both Hakeem and Pippen were a little past their primes at that point. 2) It was a shortened season which doesn't really count. 3) No two star players have won a title in their first year together (West/Chamberlain, Pippen/Jordan, Frasier/Monroe, Shaq/Kobe, etc); star players need at least a full season together to learn how to play off each other. If Pippen had stayed...

A three for Kevin Johnson throwing down that wicked dunk on him despite giving up a foot in height to him. He only won titles because Jordan likes baseball.

The best center of all time. The star of one of the dominant college teams of the 80s, first overall draft pick (ahead of Jordan), dominant player for years, and then, in the mid-90s, had one of the greatest stretches of individual play in NBA history. Schooled David Robinson, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and on, and on and on, in the playoffs. Just embarrassed people with how good he was, on both sides of the court. Shaq will always have getting schooled by Hakeem as part of his legacy. He never returned the favor.

The Best, Most versatile Center who played big like a Center but had the quickness and agility of a guard!!!

The Dream will never die

The Dream indeed. On and off the court, one of the NBA's finest ever!

Greatest skilled bigman. Class, unlike Karlnoclassmalone

The best offensive center in the history of the sport. skills skills skills skills and more skills this dude had. and he could fight, too.

Exploited Shaq's "I use muscle to make up for no talent" style of play. The Dream wiped the floor with Shaq Daddy back in '95.

The Dream dominated games and led the Rockets to two championships in his heyday during Jordan's sabbatical in 1994 and 1995. His clutch play helped the demise of my beloved Knicks during the '94 Finals. He certainly belongs in the Hall.

The greatest center ever in my opinion, the Dream Shake was one of the best moves of all time, plus watching him block shots was a thing of beauty, plus he was a winner too.

The center of choice to start for the mother of all teams. He is everything that Bill Walton should've been. Amazingly, he learned the game at a late stage in life, yet accomplished more than even he imagined. What sets him apart from the other big men was his relentless effort. He didn't plod down court, he didn't wait for the rebound, and he certainly didn't half-step to the basket...rather, he hustled, he took, and he conquered!!!

I have never seen a more fluid and graceful seven footer. His baseline "Dream Shakes" were a thing of beauty, and once Hakeem had shown you that he was more skilled than you were, he wasn't afraid to slam the power game in your face as well. It's interesting that up until a couple of years ago, Shaq freely admitted that Hakeem was his idol... it's pretty big praise when the most dominating player on the planet considers you the best big man in the game.

The true best center of all time, this guy could shake the entire team off of him if he had too! When he was at his prime, you should have seen Shaq try to defend him! He looked like he was about to cry!

He never should have chnged his name from AKEEM.

One of the greats! Any player who carries his team to two World Championships has got to be considered one of the best to play the game. In his prime, Olajuwon was unstoppable on both ends of the floor. Because of Hakeem's soccer days, he developed a light step and quick feet that left other centers tripping over themselves. Additionally, guards driving the lane had to either alter their shots or be blocked - there was no third option. It's a shame we never got to see a Michael-Hakeem meeting in the finals.