Although Hakeem Olajuwon is definitely the biggest name in the history of the Houston Rockets franchise, everything almost fell apart due to a contract dispute accompanied by an alleged fake injury on Hakeem’s part.
“The Dream” had spent his entire playing career up to that point in H-Town. The Nigerian native came to the United States to play basketball at the University of Houston, was selected as the first overall pick by the Rockets in the 1984 NBA Draft, and it seemed he was destined to become a “Space City” legend. Then came a beef with the team owner at the time, Charlie Thomas.
Hakeem denied faking an injury
It all started in March of 1992 when the Rockets center refused to play a game, claiming he felt hamstring stiffness and wasn’t 100 percent ready to suit up, even though the team’s medical team ran some tests and cleared him to return to action.
Houston didn’t appreciate that move from their superstar center, claiming it was just a “negotiation ploy” by Hakeem. Angry at such accusations, the Hall of Fame center reflected on the times he almost left the franchise he called home for good, insisting that the “hamstring thing” was real.