Take a look at the Shuttlesworth Six, as we have decided to call them.
As one of the greatest to shoot the rock in the history of the NBA, Hall of Fame Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen knows a thing or two about the sort of excellence that sets great players apart from the very, very good ones on his way toward winning titles with the Celtics and the Miami Heat.
And the University of Connecticut alum recently used that discernment to share the players who comprise his all-time starting five, even throwing in his sixth man for good measure while speaking at a meet-and-greet attended by Fadeaway World’s Ishaan Bhattacharya (h/t Bleacher Report’s Doric Sam).
Let’s take a look at the Shuttlesworth Six, as we have decided to call them.
There are more Boston Celtics in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame than players of any other team – but who else might be joining them from Boston’s ranks? https://t.co/HJtGaEY0q2
“The reason I thought we would’ve beat them is because they were too small for us,” Kenny Smith says of a hypothetical Rockets-Bulls matchup in 1995. “We would’ve smacked them.”
As the starting point guard of the 1993-94 and 1994-95 championship squads for the Houston Rockets, Kenny Smith knows the strengths of those iconic Hakeem Olajuwon-led teams as well as anyone.
There is, however, a hypothetical question surrounding those titles. Would Houston have won them, had Michael Jordan not abruptly taken a mid-career retirement from October 1993 to March 1995? After all, Chicago won the three NBA championships both before and after Houston’s two-year “Clutch City” run in 1994 and 1995.
Many around the Rockets have long bristled at that notion, especially because the 1994-95 team had the toughest title path in NBA history. There’s also the fact Jordan played in the 1995 playoffs, but his Bulls lost in the second round to Shaquille O’Neal and the Magic. Then, in the NBA Finals, the Rockets swept that Orlando team.
In a newly released interview with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Houston’s Smith — now an analyst with TNT’s Inside the NBA — makes his case for why the Rockets were set, either way.
“Yes, we would’ve beat the Chicago Bulls, I feel. I’m glad we didn’t beat them, because it would’ve hurt Michael’s legacy in the debate with LeBron (James),” said a smiling Smith, who played alongside Jordan for one college season at North Carolina.
“The reason I thought we would’ve beat them is they were too small for us,” Smith added. “There was no Horace Grant. Dennis Rodman wasn’t there yet. So who’s going to guard Dream? No. Impossible. No way, no how. We would’ve beaten the Michael Jordan Bulls because they were too little. We would’ve smacked them.”
Among casual NBA fans, the conventional wisdom is that because Jordan didn’t return from his retirement until March 1995, he was still working his way back into shape during the 1995 playoffs.
But a closer look at the numbers reveals Smith could be correct. Jordan actually averaged more points per game (31.5) in the 1995 playoffs than he did in either of Chicago’s next two championship years, and he did it on superior shooting efficiency (48.4%), as well.
The biggest difference with the 1994-95 Bulls was timing. That season came after Chicago had lost Horace Grant to Orlando, but before they had added Rodman (who was in San Antonio at the time).
Now, had Jordan not retired, could they have perhaps kept Grant — or made a marquee frontcourt addition a year earlier? Maybe. But that kind of roster hypothetical exists surrounding every NBA season.
It’s also worth noting that from 1990-91 through 1992-93, prior to Jordan’s retirement, Olajuwon’s Rockets went 5-1 in six regular-season meetings versus Jordan’s Bulls. They only met twice per year, since Houston plays in the Western Conference and Chicago the East.
Ultimately, the 1990s-era Rockets never beat the Bulls in the playoffs, and the 1990s Bulls never beat the Rockets in the playoffs. Each team’s playoff peak came when the other wasn’t at its best. So when it comes to a comparison, each group is left solely with hypotheticals.
Based on the sheer volume of overall titles and Jordan’s status as arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time, the Bulls often win that hypothetical debate among casual fans. But a close look at the evidence suggests that Smith’s argument has merit, too.
Anthony Davis has had a nice start to the NBA Playoffs, especially defensively and on the boards, which has put him alongside three legends.
Although he had a poor offensive outing in Game 2 of the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony Davis has been getting the job done overall.
He registered 22 points, 12 rebounds, seven blocked shots and three steals in Game 1, blocked five shots in Game 2 and had his best game on Saturday with 31 points, 17 boards and three rejections.
In total, Davis has accumulated 66 points, 38 rebounds and 15 blocks over the first three games against the Grizzlies.
In doing so, he has joined Tim Duncan, Hakeem Olajuwon and Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in NBA history to put up at least 65 points, 35 rebounds and 15 blocks in the first three games of a postseason.
Only 4 players since 1973 (when blocks were first recorded) have dropped 65+ PTS, 35+ REB, and 15+ BLK over their first three Playoff games of a postseason.
Davis has some lackluster offensive games from time to time, especially when opponents consistently double-team him, but when he plays the way he did in Game 1 and Game 3, the Lakers are very tough to beat and possibly a legitimate championship contender.
HoopsHype ranks 25 of the NBA’s GOATS in order of best five-year peaks, as judged by Global Rating and a panel of voters.
After LeBron James beat the scoring record, many started calling him the Longevity GOAT, some in a complimentary manner, others as a way to cop out from calling him the actual GOAT. (For what it’s worth, we still have Michael Jordan first in our own GOAT rankings, but it’s certainly not as easy of a decision as it once was.)
So that got us thinking about which of the NBA’s GOATs had the best five-year peak in NBA history, something we are going to take a look at today.
To determine when exactly each player’s peak took place, we used our own Global Rating Metric and went by each player’s best five continuous seasons.
Afterward, we used a panel of our writers and editors to vote on which five-year peaks by NBA legends were the best.
No. 1 might not come as a surprise but there are some very interesting results on the following list.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid fires back at critical comments from NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is one of the top five players in the NBA. There isn’t much he can’t do on the floor. He dominates in so many different ways that teams can’t find a way to stop him.
Embiid had another dominant game in Thursday’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He had 32 points on 12-for-22 shooting, he knocked down a 3, and he was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.
Embiid has had a great deal of success on the offensive end while operating from the nail area on the floor, which is essentially the high post. From that spot, he can either knock down a mid-range jumper, step out for a 3-pointer, or scan the defense to make the correct pass. It’s easier to do the latter from that spot rather than from in the post.
“From the time that he (coach Doc Rivers) got here, the first thing that he told me was I need to figure out where I want the ball,” Embiid told reporters. “Obviously, before it was in the post, but like I mentioned in the past, posting up and posting all game long, it’s easy to double.”
“It’s funny when you’ve got these old guys always talking about posting up, ‘you need to spend time in the paint,’ and all that stuff,” Embiid continued. “You can’t win this way anymore. It’s not the fricking 90s or 80s like it used to be. So, they must not have any basketball IQ.”
Olajuwon made the Hall of Fame by being an elite post scorer, but one has to be more than just a post scorer in today’s NBA. It is a much different game than the one played during Olajuwon’s time. He and the other older NBA big men have to understand the game has evolved.
Embiid then explained he and his trainer, Drew Hanlen, worked on increasing his efficiency from the high post on the offensive end.
“Going back to what I was saying, he told me that I needed to find the area on the floor that I’m most comfortable with,” Embiid finished. “Obviously, me and Drew, we studied a lot. We just started figuring out ‘OK where can I be a better playmaker, and where can I be a better scorer without being easily doubled?’ That was at the nail. So, we started all of our work basically in those areas.”
NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon questions why Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid settles for 3-pointers.
Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid is one of the elite scorers in the game. He can do it all. He can beat defenders off the dribble. He can score in the low block with a large assortment of post moves. He gets to the free-throw line. He also knocks down 3-pointers.
He does all that at 7 feet tall. It’s absolutely ridiculous what he does on a nightly basis.
However, NBA legendary big man Hakeem Olajuwon, the godfather of post moves, is confused by why Embiid settles for 3s with all of the skills he has in the low block.
Take Embiid. Olajuwon likes him and has given him advice, but he has questions. “He’s got all the moves, but leveraging the moves is different. Why would he be shooting 3s?” Olajuwon asks. “He has the advantage every night, and if I have the advantage, I’m going to wear you out.”
But 3s? “That’s settling! When I’m tired, I settle. You don’t settle when you’re trying to win. You don’t start the game settling!”
Olajuwon, of course, is not the first retired big man to question Embiid’s offensive game, but the game in 2023 is not how it was during Olajuwon’s heyday. Embiid is shooting 35.2% from deep, and he’s shooting 43.1% from deep over his last 17 games.
The older generation will agree with Olajuwon’s take, but at the end of the day, a big man has to do everything on the floor and Embiid certainly does.
“That’s the crown,” Hakeem Olajuwon says of the NBA renaming its Defensive Player of the Year Award in his honor. “That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.”
Earlier this month, the NBA said its annual Defensive Player of the Year award would be renamed as The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in honor of the Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets center.
On Saturday, Olajuwon spoke about the decision at the Fertitta Center on the campus of the University of Houston, where “The Dream” watched his former college basketball team improve to 14-1 this season with a win over the University of Central Florida (UCF).
“That’s the crown,” Olajuwon told Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. “That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.”
Olajuwon was a back-to-back winner of the NBAleague’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons, and he was named to the All-Defensive first team five times and second team four times. He is the league’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830) while ranking No. 9 in steals (2,162) and No. 14 in rebounds (13,748).
The University of Houston product was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and had his No. 34 retired in Houston on Nov. 9, 2002.
Hakeem Olajuwon on the NBA naming the Defensive Player of the Year Award after him. It’s now called the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy: “That’s the crown. That sealed my career. It can’t be anything higher than that.” And Hakeem is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. pic.twitter.com/EzcvPFz8vs
“I am honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the league’s best defensive player each year,” #Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon says of the NBA’s announcement.
The NBA announced on Monday that its annual Defensive Player of the Year award has been renamed The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in honor of the Hall of Famer and former Houston Rockets center.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to celebrate the league’s best defensive player each year,” Olajuwon said. “Great basketball teams are defined by their ability to defend, with every great team connected by an elite defensive anchor.”
Olajuwon was a back-to-back winner of the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 1992-93 and 1993-94 and was named to the All-Defensive first team five times and second team four times. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830) while ranking No. 9 in steals (2,162) and No. 14 in rebounding (13,748).
Steals and blocks became official NBA statistics in 1973-74, and Olajuwon is the only player who is in the top 10 of both categories. He has 774 more steals than any other center and 541 more blocks than the second-ranked player, Dikembe Mutombo. He would still be the all-time leader in blocks if he never played his final five seasons.
Only five players in NBA history have recorded more than 3,000 career blocks, and no current player has reached 1,800.
Over his first 12 NBA seasons, Olajuwon averaged 12.2 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.9 steals. He averaged at least 10 rebounds and 2 blocks in each of those 12 seasons, tying Shaquille O’Neal for the most seasons recording those numbers in NBA history.
Olajuwon is also the NBA’s all-time playoff leader in blocks per game (3.26) and is the only player in postseason history with at least 300 blocks and 200 steals.
The University of Houston product was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 and to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He was enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and had his No. 34 retired in Houston on Nov. 9, 2002.
Tari Eason (21 points, 10 rebounds) to @BigSargeSportz after his #Rockets debut: “Plays aren’t really run for me, anyway, so I’m just used to finding open spaces and getting it on my own.”
HOUSTON — Rockets rookie Tari Eason had an intriguing NBA preseason debut in Sunday’s 134-96 win over San Antonio. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-8 forward connected on 9-of-13 shots (69.2%) in only 21 minutes played.
Going back to his LSU career, ending the game with a double-double is a normal stat line for last season’s Southeastern Conference Sixth Man of the Year. In this case, it was fascinating he did it all without one offensive play designed to get him the ball.
“We did not run one play for Tari tonight,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas during his postgame press conference. “But his crashing and his knack for getting to the rim is good.”
Silas knew precisely what the No. 17 selection in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft brought to his team when he sat courtside in Las Vegas and watched Eason earn All-NBA Summer League first-team honors, averaging 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
“I am always working on my game,” Eason said over the summer. “I love to hoop, so anywhere a hoop is, I love to go play.”
Eason, 21, admitted it is common for an offensive set not to have any designed plays involving him, and he is OK with that.
“Plays aren’t really run for me, anyway, so I am just used to finding open spaces and getting it on my own,” Eason said after Houston’s 38-point victory over the Spurs. “Whether that is getting it off the glass or a steal. Anything I can do to try and get myself going.”
“Plays aren’t really run for me anyway, so I am just used to finding open spaces and getting it on my own,” said Rockets rookie Tari Eason when responding to Rockets HC Stephen Silas’s praise about his play despite not having offensive sets called for him. #Sargepic.twitter.com/PwmL2wOeKa
That mentality takes many Rockets fans back to 30 years ago when Houston selected another All-SEC small forward in the first round of the 1992 NBA draft: Robert Horry. Like Eason, Horry had to find his way in a system focused on more offensive-minded players such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Vernon Maxwell.
The majority of his four years with the Rockets consisted of Horry being in the right place at the right time and doing all the dirty work.
When he was called to produce offensively, he had a knack for finding ways to create points, especially in the clutch, which was needed during the Rockets’ back-to-back NBA championships.
“Big Shot Bob” then went on to win five more NBA titles during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.
Early indications are Eason has similar levels of determination and grit, which the team hopes will lead him down a familiar path.
For the NBA’s 76th season in 2022-23, @HoopsHype has a fresh update of the top 76 players of all-time. Here’s where former Rockets came in, starting with Hakeem Olajuwon.
Edition one of the HoopsHype 75 went well enough that many people liked it better than the official NBA one, so our sister publication is doing another round. The catch is that they’re adding another player to make it a 76-deep list, since this is the league’s 76th season.
The main difference between this list and the official NBA75 one is that HoopsHype is giving modern-era players their flowers, to a larger extent. Egregious omissions from the official list, such as Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, easily made it onto this ranking.
As was the case last year, HoopsHype held a team vote with the opinions of eight staff members, removed the highest and lowest rank for each, and awarded points from 76-1 for the rest.
Scroll on to see where former Houston Rockets were ranked, along with voting details, player accolades, and analysis from HoopsHype. You should check out the full HoopsHype list for all 76 updates.
