LeBron James shares a postgame moment with Hakeem Olajuwon

Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon has referred to a brotherly relationship with LeBron James, and that was evident after Saturday’s game.

James Harden wasn’t the only Houston Rockets legend to receive postgame praise Saturday from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

After Saturday’s 124-115 victory by the Lakers, the four-time MVP and three-time champion immediately went to hug Hall of Famer Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, who was seated courtside in Houston.

Olajuwon won an MVP award and two NBA titles for the Rockets in his Hall of Fame career, which spanned from 1984 until 2002. He has supported the franchise in many ways since the conclusion of his playing days, and he’s a regular at the team’s home games at Toyota Center.

However, Olajuwon is also known for giving back to the sport of basketball as a whole — most frequently with teaching sessions for modern players aimed at improving post play and footwork.

One of his most high-profile pupils was LeBron James, who came to Texas to work with Olajuwon in the summer of 2011. At the time, James was dealing with the aftermath of a shocking NBA Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks, and he had yet to win a championship in his career.

James has since won three NBA titles, including two consecutive years immediately after his work with the legendary Rockets center.

That training seems to have cemented the bond between two of the NBA’s all-time greats, with Olajuwon describing the relationship as “like a big brother” to James. And when the so-called little brother won his first NBA title in 2012, Olajuwon happily celebrated his achievement and proclaimed that “all the critics can shut up.”

In 2020, James’ Lakers (34-8) are clearly in the way of the Rockets (26-15) and their own title ambitions. So if the two sides meet up in the playoffs for the first time since 2009, Olajuwon will certainly cheer for his city, first.

But if James gets the best of them, as he did Saturday with 31 points and 12 assists, expect Olajuwon to offer another hat tip to his star student.

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