Houston Rockets: Argument for Hakeem Olajuwon as best center all-time

Rare feats only he has accomplished

Sometimes what makes you great is being the only player to do something in the history of the game. And Hakeem lays claim to a couple of those feats. One is being the only player to have a year so dominant in the 1993-1994 season, that he won the regular season MVP, Defensive Player of the year and NBA Finals MVP in the same season.

Another accomplishment that only he can say he has done is recording two quadruple doubles. This statistic displays Hakeem Olajuwon’s all-around game.  There have only been five official quadruple doubles recorded in NBA history according to NBAhoopsonline.com. Hakeem has 40 percent of them. Now unofficially Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell may have one or two as blocks and steals weren’t officially recorded until 1972.

But Hakeem Olajuwon is the only player with the official two quadruple doubles with the following stat lines:

• 29 points. 18 rebounds. 10 assists. 11 blocks.
• 18 points. 16 rebounds. 10 assists. 11 blocks.

Most centers are not known for their ability to pass the ball. But Hakeem was very adept at recognizing a double-team quickly and kicking it out to Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith or Robert Horry for a three or finding them cutting to the hoop as soon as the double team came.

The Rockets of the 1990’s were very good at the inside out game that most teams played at that time. And Hakeem Olajuwon was no small part of that with his great court vision.

While a statistical anomaly that is rare to accomplish may not be a compelling argument, being the only player to accomplish the feat twice is a credential to put on the resume for best center of all-time. It’s not like a no-hitter or even a perfect game in baseball where there are some players who have accomplished that feat that don’t have the career numbers to back it up.

Hakeem has those career numbers. And now we’ll analyze them and go further into the argument for Hakeem as the best center.