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Houston Sports: The ten best athletes to ever represent the city of Houston

By Joe Fernandez

Jan 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; A general aerial view of the downtown Houston skyline prior to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; A general aerial view of the downtown Houston skyline prior to the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon stands while being honored against the Orlando Magic before the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon stands while being honored against the Orlando Magic before the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

Hakeem Olajuwon

Was there any doubt?

He went to the NBA Finals three times with the Rockets, winning two of them in 1994 and 1995, bringing Houston sports its only two championships.

I think what’s most impressive about Hakeem is the fact that he played in an era where the big man was king. His opponents included so many hall of fame and all-star centers. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Robert Parrish, Bill Laimbeer, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Vlade Divac, among others.

He played against so many greats and during his career he was dominant.

The way he spun the just crowned MVP David Robinson around in the 1995 Western Conference Finals is definitely a favorite Dream moment for most Rocket fans.

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But it’s not just his affiliation with those great aforementioned Cougars teams that he and Drexler were so great on or his incredible career with the Rockets or the fact that he still works with the team.

It’s the fact that he is in such a high pantheon as an overall player, not just as a Rocket. If you talk about the greatest centers of all-time he’s normally top 5 on that list.

He revolutionized the center position, fronting opponents with the ball displaying a dizzying array of ballhandling skills, long range fade aways and of course…the Dream Shake.

He’s won an MVP award. He’s the all-time leader in shots blocked by a long shot, leading 2nd place Dikembe Mutombo by 541 blocks. He’s 8th all time in steals (1st among centers). And he’s the only player in NBA history to record two quadruple-doubles.

In terms of his overall greatness in the game, how identifiable he is as a Houston Rocket, the fact that he’s won championships for the city, and he still is involved with the franchise, this makes him unquestionably the number one athlete to ever represent the city of Houston.

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