Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan will always be linked in history, since both were Hall of Fame big men for Texas teams. Each man more than lived up to his billing as a No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft by leading his franchise to multiple NBA titles, including each team’s first ever.
Olajuwon’s career lasted 18 seasons from 1984 to 2002, and it overlapped slightly at the end with the younger Duncan, who played 19 years for the San Antonio Spurs from 1997 through 2016. Both MVP centers were ranked among the top 12 NBA players of all-time in ESPN’s recent list.
One man who knows them both well is Mario Elie, who played five seasons alongside Olajuwon with the Houston Rockets before finishing his career with two seasons next to Duncan in San Antonio. Elie was a part of Houston’s title teams in 1994 and 1995 and the championship Spurs squad in 1999, so he saw both greats at the peak of their powers.
When asked Thursday by SiriusXM NBA Radio to pick between the two, Elie was diplomatic about it and acknowledged Duncan’s higher total of five team titles, as compared to two for Olajuwon. However, Elie ultimately said he would go with “The Dream” as the more skilled player.
I played with him, I played with [David] Robinson, and I played with Duncan. I know numbers do matter, and championships and all that. But if you’re telling me skill-wise between Duncan and Olajuwon, you have to give the edge to Olajuwon.
Olajuwon’s footwork, fadeaway jumper, jump hook… he can face you up, can put it on the floor. He shot 85 (percent) from the line and was an outstanding defensive player. He was always in top of the league in steals. [He’s] the package. This guy doesn’t get enough credit for how good he was. I know Michael Jordan did rule in the 90s, but I think the guy sort of second to him, 1B, was Olajuwon.
Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon?@marioelie1 played with both Hall of Famers and tells @TermineRadio & @Jumpshot8 who gets the edge. pic.twitter.com/G8ES1hxdK4
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) May 21, 2020
Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points (51.2% shooting), 11.1 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game over his career with the Rockets, while Duncan tallied 19.0 points (50.6% FG), 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game.
Elie was more diplomatic than fellow Houston teammate Robert Horry, who played with Duncan later in his Spurs career. In comments from June 2017, Horry said Olajuwon was “20 times better” than Duncan.
While Duncan ultimately won more titles, he was always flanked by a combination of current or probable Hall of Famers such as Robinson, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard. By contrast, Olajuwon played most of his first decade in the NBA as the lone star in Houston.
It could also be argued that Olajuwon played in the era of Michael Jordan, which made it tougher for any other team to win titles.
In any event, both Olajuwon and Duncan are regarded as class acts and among the greatest big men to ever play the sport of basketball. But if Elie had to choose — and as someone that played with both, he’s in a position to know best — it sounds as if he would go with “The Dream.”
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