Kobe Bryant vs Hakeem Olajuwon

TheComebackKid

TheComebackKid

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I keep seeing this argument that Hakeem Olajuwon ranks higher than Kobe Bryant on the all time list. You see alot of Kobe haters or hipster fans put Hakeem in the top 10 just to push Kobe out. It's become the cool thing to do. The rationale for this is basically not giving him the full credit, or any credit, that he deserves for his first 3 titles with Shaq. As flawed as this premise is...let's go with it for moment. Let's see how Kobe's resume stacks up against Hakeem without his 3 rings with Shaq.

Championships:

Kobe: 2(back to back)
Hakeem: 2(back to back)

Conference Championship:

Kobe: 3
Hakeem: 3

Finals MVP:

Kobe: 2
Hakeem: 2

League MVPs

Kobe: 1
Hakeem: 1

All NBA 1st Team:

Kobe: 15(11x 1st team)
Hakeem: 12(6x 1st team)

All Defense Team:

Kobe: 12x(9x 1st team)
Hakeem: 9(5x 1st team)

Defensive Player of the Year:

Kobe: 0
Hakeem: 2

Scoring Titles:

Kobe: 2
Hakeem: 0

Rebound Titles:

Kobe: 0
Hakeem: 2


Best Stat Lines:

Kobe:

35pts / 5rbs / 4asts / 1.8stls / 0.8blks
31pts / 5rbs / 5asts / 1.4stls / 0.4blks
30pts / 7rbs / 6asts / 2.2stls / 0.8blks
28pts / 6rbs / 5asts / 1.7blks / 0.6blks
28pts / 6rbs / 5asts / 1.8blks / 0.5blks

Hakeem:

28pts / 11rbs / 3asts / 1.8stls / 3.4blks
27pts / 12rbs / 3asts / 1.6stls / 3.7blks
27pts / 11rbs / 3asts / 1.6stls / 2.9blks
26pts / 13rbs / 3asts / 1.7stls / 4.2blks
24pts / 14rbs / 3asts / 2.1stls / 4.6blks

As you can see their resumes are pretty much dead even. Hakeem is known as one of the best offensive centers in history and perhaps the greatest single defender, of any position, in history. Kobe is known as one of the best defensive wings in history and perhaps the greatest single scorer, of any position, in history. These guys really are neck in neck...

Well that is of course until you bring in Kobe's additional 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS. That changes everything. Even if you want to reduce the value of those rings(which is absurd) it should still be more than enough to put him over the top considering they are dead even without them.
 
TheComebackKid said:
I keep seeing this argument that Hakeem Olajuwon ranks higher than Kobe Bryant on the all time list. You see alot of Kobe haters or hipster fans put Hakeem in the top 10 just to push Kobe out. It's become the cool thing to do. The rationale for this is basically not giving him the full credit, or any credit, that he deserves for his first 3 titles with Shaq. As flawed as this premise is...let's go with it for moment. Let's see how Kobe's resume stacks up against Hakeem without his 3 rings with Shaq.

Championships:

Kobe: 2(back to back)
Hakeem: 2(back to back)

Conference Championship:

Kobe: 3
Hakeem: 3

Finals MVP:

Kobe: 2
Hakeem: 2

League MVPs

Kobe: 1
Hakeem: 1

All NBA 1st Team:

Kobe: 15(11x 1st team)
Hakeem: 12(6x 1st team)

All Defense Team:

Kobe: 12x(9x 1st team)
Hakeem: 9(5x 1st team)

Defensive Player of the Year:

Kobe: 0
Hakeem: 2

Scoring Titles:

Kobe: 2
Hakeem: 0

Rebound Titles:

Kobe: 0
Hakeem: 2


Best Stat Lines:

Kobe:

35pts / 5rbs / 4asts / 1.8stls / 0.8blks
31pts / 5rbs / 5asts / 1.4stls / 0.4blks
30pts / 7rbs / 6asts / 2.2stls / 0.8blks
28pts / 6rbs / 5asts / 1.7blks / 0.6blks
28pts / 6rbs / 5asts / 1.8blks / 0.5blks

Hakeem:

28pts / 11rbs / 3asts / 1.8stls / 3.4blks
27pts / 12rbs / 3asts / 1.6stls / 3.7blks
27pts / 11rbs / 3asts / 1.6stls / 2.9blks
26pts / 13rbs / 3asts / 1.7stls / 4.2blks
24pts / 14rbs / 3asts / 2.1stls / 4.6blks

As you can see their resumes are pretty much dead even. Hakeem is known as one of the best offensive centers in history and perhaps the greatest single defender, of any position, in history. Kobe is known as one of the best defensive wings in history and perhaps the greatest single scorer, of any position, in history. These guys really are neck in neck...

Well that is of course until you bring in Kobe's additional 3 CHAMPIONSHIPS. That changes everything. Even if you want to reduce the value of those rings(which is absurd) it should still be more than enough to put him over the top considering they are dead even without them.
Click to expand...

Kobe had Shaq. A top 5 player in the history of the nba. Prime Shaq was basically invincible. Who did Hakeem have again?
 
Bay Area said:
Kobe had Shaq. A top 5 player in the history of the nba. Prime Shaq was basically invincible. Who did Hakeem have again?
Click to expand...

Hakeem had the best 2 guard in the league with Clyde Drexler. Kobe won two rings with Pau Gasol who was fringe top 5 at his own position at the time.
 
TheComebackKid said:
Hakeem had the best 2 guard in the league with Clyde Drexler. Kobe won two rings with Pau Gasol who was fringe top 5 at his own position at the time.
Click to expand...

Im referring to Kobes 3 championships. Hakeem never had a top 5 player to play with. And Drexeler was at the twilight of his career when he joined the Rockets. Gasol was in his prime. Then we bring up Kobe's 45% career shooting and yeah....
 
Hakeem.
GOAT center.
There are only a small handful of players I would even consider picking over The Dream, and Kobe's not one of them.
 
Bay Area said:
Kobe had Shaq. A top 5 player in the history of the nba. Prime Shaq was basically invincible. Who did Hakeem have again?
Click to expand...
Shaq's greatness is inflated by the era which he peaked. The league Shaq started out in had names like Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, etc. By the time Shaq looked invincible, those guys were ancient, and the guys who replaced weren't in the same galaxy.
 
TheComebackKid said:
Hakeem had the best 2 guard in the league with Clyde Drexler. Kobe won two rings with Pau Gasol who was fringe top 5 at his own position at the time.
Click to expand...
The first title Hakeem had Horry, rookie Cassel, and Vernon Maxewell. Not a bad supporting cast, but nothing to write home about either. Comparing their a careers, Kobe consistently had more to work with.
 
Bay Area said:
Im referring to Kobes 3 championships. Hakeem never had a top 5 player to play with. And Drexeler was at the twilight of his career when he joined the Rockets. Gasol was in his prime. Then we bring up Kobe's 45% career shooting and yeah....
Click to expand...

Right but Kobe's career outside of the first 3 rings alone matches Hakeem. Add in the 3 titles(and 4 conf titles) and it's a clear victory for Kobe.
 
I’m having a hard time finding a spot for Kobe in the top 15 players of all time while Hakeem is firmly entrenched at number 9.
 
sounds like TS is trying to say Kobe is almost as great as Horry was just because of the championships!
 
Imagine this, Hakeem was only a few years younger when he STARTED playing basketball as Kobe was when he was drafted into the NBA


lol



you cant find a singularly more naturally gifted player in the history of the game than Dream
 
gspieler said:
Shaq's greatness is inflated by the era which he peaked. The league Shaq started out in had names like Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, etc. By the time Shaq looked invincible, those guys were ancient, and the guys who replaced weren't in the same galaxy.
Click to expand...

Shaq was a beast from game 1.

His rookie year he averaged 24 PPG and 14 RPG, lead the league in scoring his 3rd year (1995).

Hakeem sweeped him in the finals but even there Shaq averaged 28 PPG, 12.5 RPG shooting 60%
 
PolishHeadlock said:
Shaq was a beast from game 1.

His rookie year he averaged 24 PPG and 14 RPG, lead the league in scoring his 3rd year (1995).

Hakeem sweeped him in the finals but even there Shaq averaged 28 PPG, 12.5 RPG shooting 60%
Click to expand...
I agree Shaq was a dominant force from day one. It's just in the early years, he had other dominant centers to contend with. If Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing all peaked around the same time as Shaq, Shaq would not have looked unbeatable the way he did.
 
gspieler said:
I agree Shaq was a dominant force from day one. It's just in the early years, he had other dominant centers to contend with. If Hakeem, Robinson, and Ewing all peaked around the same time as Shaq, Shaq would not have looked unbeatable the way he did.
Click to expand...

Disagree on Ewing and Robinson being able to contend with prime Shaq
 
TheComebackKid said:
Right but Kobe's career outside of the first 3 rings alone matches Hakeem. Add in the 3 titles(and 4 conf titles) and it's a clear victory for Kobe.
Click to expand...

The "he has more rings, therefore he's the better player" argument isn't really relevant here IMO. If Hakeem had been with an MVP-caliber player the first half of his career like Kobe was, it's a safe bet he would more than two rings.
 
PolishHeadlock said:
Disagree on Ewing and Robinson being able to contend with prime Shaq
Click to expand...
Contend, as in been perceived as his equal? No.
But do well enough against him that he doesn't look invincible? Yes.

Also, Hakeem would've been perceived as Shaq's equal if they peaked in the same era. The field simply wasn't as stacked during Shaq's hayday. Ftr, I consider Shaq all-time top 10.
 
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