When you see opponents employing special defensive strategies to contain a standout player, it’s clear that he’s a true legend. This usually occurs only with the most dominant and skilled offensive talents, and Hakeem Olajuwon was certainly one of them.
This was especially evident during the Hall of Famer’s prime in the mid-90s when he averaged an impressive 27.7 points per game . Most of these points came from his play near the basket, where “The Dream” displayed incredible footwork and a smooth shooting touch.
Hakeem’s skills created significant challenges for his opponents—so much so that some, including the Seattle SuperSonics and their former star Gary Payton, resorted to tactics that weren’t exactly fair play.
“What we were trying to do is really, really agitate him. And what I did to agitate him is I would go on him fast and hit his arms and his wrists,” Payton admitted in the book ” Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon .”