Rockets proudly host NBA’s first Nigerian Heritage Night as Olajuwon, Udoka take part

Hakeem Olajuwon, Ime Udoka, and Chiney Ogwumike were part of Houston’s inaugural Nigerian Heritage Night, which was the first held by any NBA team.

When Julian Duncan joined the Rockets as chief marketing and strategy officer in July 2021, the native Houstonian had a vision of celebrating Nigeria and its communities during a regular-season game. The Houston metropolitan area is home to one of the largest Nigerian immigrants communities in the United States.

Two years of planning turned out to be well worth the wait for Duncan and his staff. Last Friday, the Rockets paid tribute to the Nigerian population in Houston and surrounding areas by hosting the team’s inaugural Nigerian Heritage Night at Toyota Center.

It was the first such tribute arranged by an NBA team. It was a massive success for fans in attendance and those individuals who joined a postgame Q&A session with icons such as Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon; Rockets head coach Ime Udoka; WNBA All-Star and ESPN personality Chiney Ogwumike; and award-winning recording artist Tobe Nwigwe. All are of Nigerian descent.

“Being in Houston, it is the city of innovation, but it is also a city with rich cultural heritage,” Duncan told Rockets Wire.

“We celebrate tons of different heritages here, but the one we had not touched bases with was the Nigerian heritage,” Duncan explained.

“It made the most sense when one, you have Hakeem Olajuwon in your city, and two, Houston is home to the largest population of Nigerians, bigger than any other city in the nation. It just made sense. So, two years in the making, we have a beautiful celebration of Nigerian culture and heritage here in Houston.”

Ogwumike, who grew up in the Houston area and became a national player of the year at Cy-Fair High School, was honored with the team’s ceremonial pregame “First Shot.” Naturally, she made it, earning $5,000 for charity from Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.

In subsequent comments, she said it meant a lot for her to participate in an event that celebrates her culture and represents her family.

“It meant the world to me,” Ogwumike told reporters after being formally honored by the organization as a hometown hero. “I am able to celebrate my culture here, the African diaspora, and the sports world, and how it has brought us all together.”

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NBA stars who had a winning record against Michael Jordan

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during …

There aren’t many stars who can boast about besting Michael Jordan, widely regarded as the greatest of all time by most basketball fans. Though MJ gave everybody the business, a bunch of NBA luminaries managed to beat him more often than not during his early days with the weak Chicago Bulls roster in the mid-80s or when he donned the Washington Wizards jersey.

Few accomplished that when MJ and his team were at the peak of their powers – most notably a towering center from the Western Conference.

Here’s a list of stars who retired with a winning record against the GOAT:

Kevin Durant passed Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring then admitted his mom had a crush on The Dream

This was a special moment for Wanda “The Real MVP” Durant.

Last night was a special night for Kevin Durant as he passed Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon to become the NBA’s No. 12 leading scorer of all time.

This was an especially impressive accomplishment from Durant as he has unfortunately missed quite a bit of time during his professional career due to injury. In fact, Durant is the only player on the NBA’s top 20 all-time leading scorers list to play less than 1,000 career regular season games.

After passing Olajuwon last night, when asked about his achievement, Durant shared a fun fact with reporters during his postgame interview. He said that growing up, Olajuwon had special significance in his house.

Here is what Durant had to say:

“My mom had a crush on Olajuwon when I was a kid. So that’s all I used to hear in the house. It wasn’t Jordan. It was Olajuwon in the house. [That’s] somebody she told me to since since [I was] a kid and I really admire his game and his journey as a man and as a basketball player. It’s always amazing to be amongst the greats.”

Durant was able to share the special moment in front of his mom as she attended the game in Los Angeles.

Wanda Durant, also known as “The Real MVP” due to an incredible speech from her son, was the Suns-Lakers game and had a chance to briefly catch up with LeBron James after the game.

After all the adversity he has faced overcoming severe injuries, we can only imagine how special it must have felt for her to see her son pass her favorite player in scoring.

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Where Rockets rank in updated list of 77 greatest NBA players of all-time

With 77 NBA seasons in the books, @HoopsHype issued an updated list of the greatest 77 players of all-time. Here’s where players with #Rockets ties were ranked.

The 2023-24 regular season is the NBA’s 78th overall, which means 77 seasons are in the books.

With that in mind, our friends at HoopsHype recently compiled an updated list of the NBA’s best 77 players of all time, complete with statistics and information through the 2022-23 campaign.

As one might expect, the Rockets are well represented. Along with many All-Stars over the years, they had three Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners: Hakeem Olajuwon, Moses Malone and James Harden. Historically, Houston is among the league’s top franchises.

Granted, the Rockets haven’t won a championship since Olajuwon led them to their only two in the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals. But the hope is that could change in the years ahead. If it does, perhaps a rising star such Jalen Green, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr. might crack an updated version of this list in a decade or so.

For now, with the start of 2023-24 training camp only days away, here’s a look back at where legacy Rockets stand on HoopsHype’s updated list of the 77 greatest players in NBA history.

Shaquille O’Neal tips cap to Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon for 1995 NBA Finals

“I realized that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best,” Shaquille O’Neal says of Hakeem Olajuwon. “That year [1995 NBA Finals] we faced off, and the best won out.” #Rockets

In a show of respect between Hall of Fame centers, former Orlando Magic center Shaquille O’Neal reflected on his team’s loss to the Houston Rockets in a four-game sweep during the 1995 NBA Finals.

On Friday, O’Neal — who works as an analyst for the NBA on TNT — served as “principal for the day” at Pine Shadows Elementary School in Houston’s Spring Branch.

In a wide-ranging interview at the event, Josh Criswell of chron.com asked “Shaq” about his battles with rival Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets. When asked of his greatest takeaway, O’Neal said:

Just him being one of the best ever. I realized that in order to be the best, you have to beat the best. That year we faced off, and the best won out. It just made me a much stronger competitor.

Olajuwon was named NBA Finals MVP after averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. O’Neal averaged 28.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in four straight losses.

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Gilbert Arenas bizarrely trolls Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon for training rates

Despite endorsements from the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Gilbert Arenas apparently thinks Hakeem Olajuwon’s training workouts are too expensive.

Legendary Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the best big men in NBA history, and the Hall of Famer is particularly well regarded for his footwork in and around the low post.

That’s why numerous current stars, most recently two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals champion Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, often attempt to work with Olajuwon to improve their games.

“This season, (before) training camp, I have a trip that I’m going to go down to Houston and try to work out with Hakeem Olajuwon,” Antetokounmpo said on the “48 Minutes” podcast. “I love his game and if I can take a few things from his game or learn anything from the few days I’m going to spend with him, it’s going to be a blessing.”

Olajuwon is believed to charge $50,000 for a week of his services, according to past media reports. That price is excessive in the eyes of former Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas.

In a light-hearted rant, here’s a sampling of what Arenas had to say about it on his own podcast, “No Chill Gil”:

First of all, who wants to learn a move from somebody who did it in 1990, anyway? He ain’t been good since the 90s. That means any moves from the 2000s, he don’t know. Who (are) you going to do the moves on? (Victor) Wembanyama?

Nobody wants that Hakeem Olajuwon skyhook. You should be ashamed of yourself. Charging these young whippersnappers $50,000. When you came into the league in 1984, you weren’t getting $50,000 a game. You’re trying to make the money back through the youth!

Arenas didn’t explain why he believes Olajuwon’s rates should be relative to salaries 39 years ago, as opposed to today’s figures.

Whatever the case, Olajuwon’s training has received high marks from legends LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and that’s of greater significance than a bizarre slight by Arenas.

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Every Houston Rockets player who’s scored 50 points in a game

How many players have scored 50-plus points for the #Rockets in an NBA game? The list is shorter than you might think.

By almost any metric, the Houston Rockets are one of the NBA’s better franchises. In addition to representing the fourth-largest city in the United States, they are one of only 11 clubs to win multiple championships (1993-94, 1994-95) and they rank 11th among the league’s 30 franchises in all-time winning percentage (.515).

That winning clip, of course, was higher before this rebuilding run of the past three seasons, which allowed Houston to get three straight top-four draft picks. But after stockpiling first-round talent from those drafts and supplementing it with a new head coach (Ime Udoka) and key veterans (Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and Jeff Green) in the 2023 offseason, a resurgence may not be far away.

Historically, the Rockets are a proud franchise, and they’re striving to return to their past glory. Since debuting as the San Diego Rockets in 1967-68, a wealth of basketball talent has passed through the club: Hall of Famers, MVPs and all-time greats.

Now, in this dull part of the offseason, we’re looking back at some of the history the Rockets have produced during their NBA years.

This edition looks at elite scorers. Per StatMuse, eight players have scored 50-plus points in a regular-season game for the Rockets.

Ordered by number of 50-point games, those players are:

Celtics champ, broadcaster Cedric Maxwell counters Dr. J’s all-time great list with his own

With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league.

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With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league in the absence of new deeds to analyze on the court or in roster construction. And in the wake of Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving putting out an all-time list of NBA greats, others have started to do the same.

Among them are former Boston Celtics championship forward and current broadcaster Cedric Maxwell broke down his list compared to Dr. J’s on his eponymous CLNS Media podcast with cohost Josue Pavon. The names on Erving’s list are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor along with more modern era players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Karl Malone.

To hear who Maxwell put on his all-time great list, check out the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Robert Horry says Hakeem Olajuwon and not Shaquille O’Neal was the best big man he played with

Former Laker Robert Horry may have thrown a bit of shade at his old teammate Shaquille O’Neal while on the podcast “All The Smoke.”

Robert Horry was one of the more beloved role players in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. He hit some of the biggest game-winning and game-clinching shots in team history, including, of course, his dagger at the buzzer of Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference finals against the Sacramento Kings.

Neither the Kings nor the city of Sacramento has gotten over that 3-pointer, even 20 years later. But Horry’s contributions to the early 2000s Lakers went far beyond shots like that.

He is also one of the luckiest players in NBA history. He won multiple rings with three teams: the Lakers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs. In doing so, he played with Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan, probably the three best big men of the last 30 years.

On a recent episode of the “All The Smoke” podcast, Horry may have irked some Lakers fans when he said Olajuwon, not O’Neal, was the best big man he ever played with (h/t Lakers Nation).

“All the other teams I played for, the one common denominator was great big men. Think about it, Shaq, Tim Duncan. And if you said right now, name the top five big men, I played with three of them… Dream No. 1 by far. We don’t like to, nobody want to talk about it. I think you have these guys who are quiet. Think about it. Dream, he’s a really quiet guy, you can’t get him to do much, to say much. So we kind of veer away from him. We don’t talk about him, but to me, if you look at what he put together. Defensive player of the year, MVP in one season. All-time leading shot blocker. Those things that you look at his history and what he’s done for the game and where he, how he started the game. This dude didn’t play basketball growing up. Went to (University of Houston) where they wasn’t, think about it, we all went to college where they going to teach you. U of H they just roll the ball out there and he went to work. So I think with his body of work was just incredible. And he’s just a good dude, too, man. That’s what you have to think about. A good dude.”

An argument could be made that Olajuwon was O’Neal’s equal when the former was at his peak in the mid-1990s. However, Olajuwon’s prime lasted just a few years, while O’Neal was in his prime for up to a full decade.

In the end, it is somewhat hard to compare the two. While O’Neal was the ultimate power player and likely one of the three greatest physical specimens in basketball history, Olajuwon was arguably the most skilled center ever, and his post moves, ball fakes and footwork were something to behold.

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke relishes memories of Houston’s golden basketball era

Four WNBA championship banners for the Houston Comets still reside in the Toyota Center rafters, and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke (@AllDecade14) is a big reason why.

It is not easy to become an icon in the city of Houston, especially in the sports world. The fans are very strict on whom they call a Houston sports legend, especially in basketball.

That elite moniker is reserved for individuals such as former Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, who led his team to two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. An example from a different sport is Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who has helped bring two recent World Series titles to the fourth largest city in North America.

Yet, another name falls right in line with those icons. It’s a woman who is largely responsible for the four WNBA championship banners that still hang inside the Toyota Center, home of the Rockets.

In this case, she is so legendary throughout Houston that people seldom call her by her full name. They simply yell, “Coop!”

Long before former Houston Comets player Cynthia Cooper-Dyke was winning WNBA titles and multiple finals MVPs, she perfected her skills at the University of Southern California in rigorous practices versus players such as 1995 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Cheryl Miller, and  Pam and Paula McGee.

“I didn’t start at USC, I came off the bench, so I had to practice against Cheryl Miller every single day,” Cooper-Dyke said via Zoom. “Those practices were tough. To try to get to the rim against Cheryl and the McGee twins, I had to step my game up a little bit.”

Her contributions helped USC win two NCAA championships. Those playing days, along with helping lead Locke High School in Los Angeles to their first and only state championship, were recognized by the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 as they enshrined Cooper-Dyke into their inaugural 2020 class of inductees.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, individuals could not attend in person, so the ceremony was postponed. This month, the inductees were finally able to have an official induction ceremony.

“I am incredibly honored,” Cooper-Dyke said about being recognized for her on- and off-court accomplishments. “There is a lot of talent that comes out of California. That puts me in good company. I grew up in Los Angeles, and to have success with the amount of talent that comes out of that city and really state, I feel very fortunate. To be recognized for my accomplishments is just an amazing honor.”

After spending a decade playing professional basketball overseas, Cooper-Dyke finally showcased her talent with the Comets in the newly formed WNBA in 1997. This challenge would be more difficult for her than the practices at USC against Miller, since she was turning 34 in her rookie season. Making matters more challenging was her star teammate, Sheryl Swoopes, missed a significant amount of time due to her pregnancy.

If you have been around “Coop” for any time, you know obstacles never deterred her from getting the job done. That’s exactly she did. She was named league MVP for leading the Comets to the inaugural WNBA championship in 1997. She also earned the WNBA Finals MVP honor.

Three more titles over the next three years helped set a foundation for the WNBA and solidified her place among basketball royalty. She became the first WNBA player to be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. It also made for a golden era in Houston basketball, since those four championships by the now-defunct Comets came shortly after the Rockets’ two titles.

“I knew when I started playing in the WNBA, the work I put in, the effort we put in, the games we won, the championships we won, would help lay the foundation for a stronger WNBA,” Cooper-Dyke said. “Hopefully, I left a legacy of hard work, winning championships, not settling, but continuing to grow and get better every single year. I love the state of the WNBA now, because you see talent all over the place.”

After her playing career, Cooper-Dyke became a head coach and helped rebuild the women’s basketball programs at Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern, two historically black colleges in Texas.

Giving back to the sport she loves so much did not stop after her coaching days ended. Within a few weeks, Cooper-Dyke will be reunited with her former teammate, Sheryl Swoopes, when they will host the “Legends Tournament” in June for girls between the ages of 9 through 17, followed by a basketball camp in Houston.

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