Hakeem Olajuwon who charged LeBron James $50,000/week for post-up lessons, never wanted to be a Center

Hakeem Olajuwon dreamed of being a point guard because he had no preconceived notion about positioning in the game of basketball.

The NBA has never seen one, and may never see the likes of Hakeem Olajuwon. The 7’0 center would never have played basketball or been a goalkeeper perhaps for the Nigerian national team or a European club if things went well.

But thanks to a coach in his hometown who showed him how to dunk a basketball while standing on a chair and made him realize what he was really meant to do.

“Basketball is such a unique thing. That I immediately pick up the game and, you know, I realize that this is the life for me. All other sports become obsolete.” Hakeem said after reaching basketball’s biggest stages.

Also read: Bulls GM Rod Thorne thought Hakeem Olajuwon on Michael Jordan was a no-brainer in 1984

Though he picked up the game like it was made for him and cracked the top 4 in the NCAA in three of his four years in college immediately after arriving in the United States, Olajuwon surprisingly never wanted to be a center.

Hakeem Olajuwon was inspired by the guards because he was naive to watch the game.

‘The Dream’ to dribble a basketball from one end of a basketball court to the other, to look for a post play, or a jump shot, or to guard any player on the court in any position from one to five, was simply a pleasure to watch. His footwork was better than most guards.

Arguably the GOAT hub of all time could do it all. The man who won two NBA championships, one MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 2x DPOY, 12x All-Star and 9x All-Defensive team selections along with 2 rebounding titles and 3 blocks playing center, I never wanted to play that position.

Ironically, his dominance in the post made him one of the most dominant players of all time, prompting players of the 2000s to ask the Rockets legend for lessons in the skill that made him a big man. unstoppable.

Hakeem coached the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and several other stars around the league and improved their post games like never before. He too was paid a reported sum of around $50,000 a week for the same. That’s more money than most weeks he’s made in the NBA.

Also read: “$100,000 to train with Hakeem Olajuwon for two weeks?” : Amare Stoudemire was ready to shell out a ton of money for just two weeks of tutoring

Too strong for a skill he didn’t want to limit himself to, huh?