At No. 12 overall, Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon was the highest-ranked Houston Rockets player on a newly released list of the top NBA players of all-time, as voted on by an ESPN media panel.
But at least one future Hall of Famer thinks that’s still too low. Paul Pierce, who played 19 seasons from 1998 through 2017 and was named NBA Finals MVP in 2008 as a member of the champion Boston Celtics, made the case on ESPN’s The Jump for Olajuwon deserving a higher spot.
Regarding “The Dream,” the 10-time All-Star forward — whose own career overlapped with Olajuwon’s time by four years — said:
He doesn’t get enough credit. He’s the only player in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same year. Hakeem Olajuwon is the one player that stands out to me that is not in the top 10. You look at all these players who accomplished so much. No one has ever accomplished that feat.
Paul Pierce: “He [Hakeem Olajuwon] doesn’t get enough credit, he’s the only player in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive player of the year and Finals MVP in the same year.”
The truth speaking the truth pic.twitter.com/B2kWjo3Jxd
— Rob (40-24) Rockets (@Hou5ton4L) May 14, 2020
Pierce was referring to the 1993-94 season, in which Olajuwon averaged 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game while earning MVP honors and leading his Rockets to their first-ever NBA championship.
In all, Olajuwon played 18 seasons in the NBA while averaging 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks in 35.7 minutes per game. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time league champion and NBA Finals MVP.
Players ranked just ahead of Olajuwon on ESPN’s list include No. 11 Oscar Robertson; No. 10 Shaquille O’Neal; No. 9 Kobe Bryant; No. 8 Tim Duncan; No. 7 Larry Bird; and No. 6 Wilt Chamberlain.
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