Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time for all the honors he piled up during his days with the Chicago Bulls, winning six NBA championships with the Bulls, as well as several individual accolades. Michael was great, getting praised by fans, analysts and even more impressive, by his colleagues.
One of those who had and still has a big admiration for MJ is Hakeem Olajuwon, considered the greatest center of all time and one of the greatest to ever do it, too. In his book, ‘Living the Dream’, Olajuwon described what it was like to face Michael Jordan and the difference between MJ and the rest of the players, which makes him another type of player.
“If he were an animal in the jungle Michael Jordan could lie out on the biggest rock and no one would disturb him, no one would attack him,” Hakeem said.
“Most superstars, if they match up against each other at the same position, neutralize each other. When you put together your game plan you figure that unless someone has an outstanding night, this is a stand-off, the game will be won by the other teammates. But Michael Jordan isn’t neutralized. He’s different. Michael Jordan dominates superstars.”
“Michael Jordan is a natural athlete. His form is perfect, he has strong basketball basics and fundamentals, and his game is all footwork. At 6’6” he is an in-between player. Most 6’6” players are small forwards; he is a natural guard. That’s why he creates problems-Michael Jordan is a big guard. He does everything guards can do, and much more, with size. He’s as quick as other guards but bigger, so he takes advantage by shooting over them. When he plays bigger guys he’s quicker than they are and has great ball-handling skills, so he beats his man easily, makes the shot and gets fouled. He also has very big hands-big man’s hands. When he shakes your hand you don’t think he’s a guard. He could palm the ball like Dr. J, which made his ball control even greater.”
There is no doubt that these two had mutual respect, with MJ even claiming he didn’t believe his Bulls, the ones that won six titles in the 90s, couldn’t stop Olajuwon and his Rockets. According to former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich, Michael had serious doubts about the chances the Bulls had to stop ‘The Dream’ in a speculative Finals.
“He gave our team great respect,” Tomjanovich said. “He didn’t feel that they could contain Hakeem [Olajuwon]. They just didn’t have the personnel to do it. And he said he thought we were the team that gave them the most trouble.”
It looks like these players would have gotten along really well if they played together at some point. That was a real scenario back in 1984 when Jordan was drafted by the Bulls. Olajuwon himself revealed the Rockets received a juicy offer from Portland that included Clyde Drexler and the 2nd overall pick of the 1984 draft in exchange for Ralph Sampson.
In his autobiography, Living the Dream, Olajuwon mentions an intriguing draft trade offered to the Rockets that would have sent Clyde Drexler and the number two pick in the 1984 NBA draft from Portland in exchange for Ralph Sampson.[18] Had the Rockets made the deal, Olajuwon states the Rockets could have selected Michael Jordan with the number two pick to play alongside Olajuwon and Drexler, who had established chemistry playing together during their Phi Slama Jama days in college. Sportswriter Sam Smith speculates that such a trade “would have changed league history and maybe the entire Michael Jordan legend”.[18] From 1991 to 1998, every NBA championship team included either Jordan or Olajuwon; furthermore, at least one of Drexler, Jordan, and Olajuwon was involved in every NBA Finals from 1990 to 1998.
Imagine what would have happened if Jordan, Drexler, and Olajuwon joined forces in Houston. That would have drastically changed the balance of the NBA. At least one of these players played in the Finals from 1990 through 1998. If they shared touches, the Rockets would have become the best team in NBA history.
They still managed to win two NBA titles with Olajuwon leading them, but the hypothetical team with the likes of Jordan and Drexler could have dominated for at least a decade in the association.