The NBA’s Biggest Bust or Best Story: The Complicated Legacy of Michael Olowokandi
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- Michael Olowakandi at UOP: www.sfgate.com/sports/article...
Olowakandi Profile from SI: vault.si.com/vault/1998/09/14...
Olowakandi Free Agency: a.espncdn.com/nba/columns/how...
Olowakandi UOP Highlights: • Michael Olowokandi Pac...
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Michael Olowokandi should never have been the first pick in the NBA Draft. Not because he would go on to be a bust. But because he wasn’t really a basketball player at all. On his 20th birthday, he decided he was going to play basketball collegiate despite having next to no experience with the game.
By the time he turned 23, David Stern was announcing his name at the NBA Draft. It was a mercurial rise. Yet all you hear when it comes to Michael Olowokandi is what came after that. Never living up to the hype and the “b” word…bust.
Was Michael Olowokandi really a bust though? Or was he simply a product of unrealistic expectations and proof that a dysfunctional NBA team will derail the development of any prospect? A player doomed by factors out of his control.
The story of Michael Olowokandi is equal parts triumph and tragedy. Overcoming adversity and failing to live up to burdensome expectations. An athlete who should both be celebrated and serve as a cautionary tale.
He probably could have been an NBA All-Star or a mechanical engineer in London. We want athletes' legacies to fit in these tidy compartments: bust, hall of famer, GOAT, bum, role player, whatever the case may be.
When you do that to a player like Michael Olowokandi, you end up missing out on the true legacy. An inspirational tale that should also serve as a warning. A player who accomplished so much and yet is remembered for so little.
This is the complicated legacy of Michael Olowakandi…bust, boom, or something else altogether.
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Dude played a game for 3 years and became a millionaire.
That is success
The way I see it when you become a millionaire pro athlete you've made it. Everything after that is just extra
wealth doesn’t equal success
He came in the game with money!
@@keyshawnhewitt7917 what if that was the goal?
Your goals differ from most everybody else
@@keyshawnhewitt7917that’s what I tell myself to cope with my dead end career and the bad decisions I made as a youth
The only thing Olowakandi proved was how horrific of an organisation the Clippers were.
He also proved that a grown man shouldn’t be named the candyman otherwise they are destined for failure
@@thecatwrangler9448 😝😝
Rule 1: Don't get drafted by the Clippers.
Rule 2: Don't join the Timberwolves.
You know, for a guy who started playing basketball at age 20, he played with so much natural fluidity
That's what fooled ppl
No one can EVER attack Michael’s work ethic during his time at UOP where coaches & teammates alike helped towards his improvement!
I appreciate you telling some of his story! As with anything, there are some items not known…BUT I will say someone with 1st hand knowledge of Michael’s 1st day to last day at UOP he is one of most athletic, strongest & naturally gifted humans I’ve been around! In terms of basketball, I will share a 1st hand story that on Michael’s very 1st evening of playing open gym he was running 3pt line to 3pt line in which we told him to post up on the block, he said “but what is the block? I do not know what the block is!”
So he went from that to being considered then drafted as #1 just 3 years later. Dude worked his tail off in basketball from 1995-98…no one can EVER convince me otherwise!
Damn start playing basketball at 20 and 3 years later your a number 1 pick
Yeah man ... haters can't say anything to that
Clippers thought they had another Tim Duncan
Even more impressive than Hakeem Olajuwon, who didn't start playing until he was 16, although we know Hakeem was miles better than Michael.
To want to start playing basketball at 20 and became the number 1 pick in an NBA draft was a smart business decision by him. I don’t think he cares as much as everyone else does cause his millions he has made in a sport that he started late he can cry all the way to the bank.
You know you're bad when even Kareem criticizes your work ethic
Yeah it is bad.
Yeah, Kareem was so lazy he became one of the Top 5 players to ever play the game. What a bum. 🙄
In a draft with Dirk, Paul Pierce and Vince Carter the top three picks were Olowokandi, Mike Bibby and Raef Lafrentz.
Only Mike Bibby seems reasonable,
I mean dude is like Mike Conley
Raef was a nightly 13-7 for 3 yrs but yes those other guys did have better careers in the end.
Front offices in multiple sports still love the ol’ high ceiling gamble it blows my mind
I watched Olowakandi in person vs the Warriors and Eric Dampier. I used to think they both sucked until I saw them in person and their size and athleticism was more impressive than you would think.
Olowokandi definitely had the athleticism. To go from not playing to number 1 pick in three years, guy could run and jump. It sucks he wasn't drafted by a team that could develop his game.
I owned a sporting apparel store from 94-2000. Olowokandi was the only #1 overall picks jersey I never ordered.
To me he's both a bust and not a bust
He's a bust in terms of he didn't live up to the hype, sure, that's not really up for debate but how many first overall picks in the big four sports live up to the hype that is expected?
He's not a bust because he had talent. He was drafted too high by a desperate organization that put impossible, insane expectations on him, and he should ideally have been taken mid-late first or early second round and been given time to develop into a legit NBA level player
It's a remarkable story, but a tragic one as well. For starters, to not play basketball and be the number one draft pick in a three-year span is amazing. But, Olowokandi's fate was sealed when the Clippers had that pick. In all honesty, he should've been a late first-rounder, early second rounder and he should've gone to a team that could him develop, but wasn't in the media market. At best, he would've been an all-star for sure. So I don't fault Michael for the journey he took. It's just the lottery went in a direction that wasn't favorable to him.
It’s not the Clippers fault he had no heart. Dude was big for nothing.
@@famousmortimer7933 well the Clippers should t have drafted him then. That’s how dysfunctional they were.
Man I remember being in high school hearing all about the " Shaquille O'Neal stopper from Pacific named the Kandi man!" They were talking about how he was going to be the next big Los Angeles center. During that time, I lived in southern New Hampshire but we would root for teams like the Kings and the clippers because they were the cool West Coast teams to watch at the time with their fun young players. Well Mike had a decent career just not what they thought he was going to be. Looking back on it, everyone was looking for the big dominant five guy like Shaquille O'Neal. The same way everyone starts looking for a Steph Curry or a Kobe Bryant, the league moves in so many directions every few years there's always someone playing catch up, and it's usually the clippers.
This is great content. looking forward on future uploads
This was a good joint my guy. I learned a lot.
I always thought there wasn't much actual footage of him in college, so the Clippers took a shot based on size/potential. It turns out they had four years' worth of footage. Maybe they thought he would continue to improve at an exponential rate. It's obvious in retrospect, but the level of competition should be a key factor when drafting someone.
uOP doesn’t play in the big market and the town doesn’t like UoP, so not many chances to watch them on tv m
@andu1854 , I can understand locals not watching Pacific games, but the organization about to draft someone from that school with the first overall pick, probably should.
@@andu1854 Stop capping, that's not how scouting work in the NBA, they had plenty of tapes and sent scout to his college games.
I liked Olowakandi, dude was not a bust...
What was he then y'all let kwame brown mess y'all heads up not knowing what a bust/underachiever is
He was a bust, he made millions of money as a bust, don't feel bad for him LOL
Fantastic analysis of a nuanced & complicated player & situation
Well done
Great vid. I had season tickets for Long Beach State (another Big West school) back in those days. I remember looking at Olowokandi wondering "Why isn't that guy playing?!". Biggest dude on the court and looked really athletic. Might have been his first year there but he didn't get off the bench. Clippers were one of those teams where good draft picks or players picked up in trades went to die (careers). I'd go to some of their games as the Lakers games cost too much. I'd hope for the best but kind of felt sorry for players drafted by them. There used to be this annual lottery draft party when they played at the Sports Arena where you would go and watch the draft on a big screen display in this building next to the Arena. The team should change their name and rebrand completely to disassociate themselves with the entire Sterling era.
Great video!
Another thing to recognize is that Hakeem and Dikembe made it so that NBA thought every 7 foot tall African that showed up would immediately be impactful!
I’m a 97 Pacifc grad who got season tickets to watch his senior year. Great work presenting it all. I always thought he got screwed by being drafted to that team, not unlike Lions or Browns picks in the NFL for a long stretch of years.
I was born and raised in Sacramento and I remember thinking just how wild it was for the first overall pick in the NBA Draft to be playing in Stockton. It's a shame UOP basketball wasn't able to capitalize on all the media attention that came with Olowokandi.
I watched him play in college. Long Beach State was in Big West Conference with the University of Pacific.
@@ehrenthompson7891 I do remember that. You probably hated our team then as the 90s and 00s were a good stretch of years for Pacific basketball. After our long time coach retired and we joined the WCC, it’s been pretty much a dumpster fire ever since.
@@thetouchback It was cool to have the top pick, but yeah it was nothing but a one-off and didn’t help recruit anyone else.
@@3D80sKid I do! Pacific gave us ( and everyone) hell 😂! Good times though.
I’d hazard to say that he just wasn’t an “athlete”. Starting late in life doesn’t help his case but being 7 feet doesn’t always lend to aptitude either. All things considered, I think he made the best of his opportunities at every stop along the way and probably outdid even his own expectations, so there was less risks to lose. Had he been drafted to a different team, I’m sure he’d have carved out a longer more productive career
Facts 💯
He basically shoulda been a mid first rounder
He was never a bust... But he was not worth a #1 pick. UOP should be proud though .
I'm not surprised it was the clippers
Exactly!
In all my years following sports, Elgin Baylor mispronouncing Olowokandi's name after they drafted him 1st overall is one of my favorite memories.
Amari dunk on Kandi man was one of the best
When you're tall and they expect more LOLOL
Excellent vid!!+
You cooked that intro 🔥
The biggest issue for Michael is that he came from wealth. Unlike us Americans or people of color who have to “make it out” so our families can survive. Michael lacked that innate hunger to be a great basketball player and truthfully speaking, I’m proud of him. To become a #1 overall pick after literally roaming onto the campus of University of Ocean Pacific. Wow! Amazing story!
Sorry... wrong. Olowokandi was one of the first phony Nigerian big men who blatantly lied about their age. They appear to have great potential but it's based on the false belief they're young and developing. Then they get to the top level then it stops becoming about potential. Since then it's become epidemic and it's a big business in Africa now. They come to the USA claiming to be many years younger so they can dominate in high school, get a college deal, then get drafted early based on supposed potential. Look up Jimmy Sorunke... I knew that fraud. He was 22 (or older) pretending to be 15 and "dating" 15 year olds too. He went to Jacksonville FL first because it was a pipeline - several others before him went through Jacksonville like two big men who played for Kansas. BTW being "proud" of someone who came from wealth and had huge natural advantages but didn't maximize them... just because of skin color is, well, silly.
University of the pacific
A lot of current nba players and prospects or nba sons so take that for what it is for those colored players
@@Opium64 You said "colored players"??? Why can't you acknowledge something factual? In Nigeria and a couple other countries, they send guys 6'10" and taller to the USA in their 20s but claim they are in high school. Proven many times. It isn't racism... it's what has happened. 98% of them wash out. Taking opportunities from deserving players who are the right age.
Not anymore. Vast majority of blk american players come from middle class backgrounds. Or sons of nba players.
This is why foreigners r better than americans. Foreigners r younger
The Kandi Man
He had a great name " the candy man"
I got an all-new respect for him now. For him to get as far as he did so quick means he worked his ass off. Imagine if he would have picked that phone up and called John Thompson at Georgetown. I guarantee you he would have been an All-Star. I watched him play and tbh, he wasn't really that bad and lets not forget that Kareem and Walton had a reputation for being a$$holes!!!!!
Sorry... wrong. Olowokandi was one of the first phony Nigerian big men who blatantly lied about their age. They appear to have great potential but it's based on the false belief they're young and developing. Then they get to the top level then it stops becoming about potential. Since then it's become epidemic and it's a big business in Africa now. They come to the USA claiming to be many years younger so they can dominate in high school, get a college deal, then get drafted early based on supposed potential. Look up Jimmy Sorunke... I knew that fraud. He was 22 (or older) pretending to be 15 and "dating" 15 year olds too. He went to Jacksonville FL first because it was a pipeline - several others before him went through Jacksonville like two big men who played for Kansas.
An all-star? Dude was a scrub. He made Raef Lafrentz look like Hakeem. I feel bad for zoomers who listen to dummies like you. You don’t you know anything about basketball. Never speak again with your low iq takes.
They should’ve ease him in the starting job. He should’ve came off the bench instead. Lorenzo Wright should’ve started.
Olowokandi should have went to the Mavs or Rockets. They could have worked with him to develop his b-ball iq and shooting.
ANYBODY but the Clippers
London to Stockton. Wow.
What do you think about alex sarr summer league stats for the wizards no.2 draft pick this year?
Being drafted by the Donal Sterling owned Clippers is the kiss of death.
I give him props. He made millions in 3 years not even knowing the game. I'd LOVE to be a bust if that's the end result.
I went to UOP at same time as Mike, it was a great story of how he opened up book to college and walked on… didn’t even know how to pass the ball and was shown how to do it in the Frosh residence Hall… he made great improvements for the next three years and I do feel he had NBA level talent, but no way did anyone at UOP feel Mike should have been the first overall pick… more like a team with an aging center drafts him and he would get to learn how to play from a player like Ewing or Hakeem… well he was a bust, I am sure Sterling wasn’t sad not having to pay him a huge contract after rookie deal either…
Sterling was like he's African and tall. As long as he didn't associate with his mistresses or be caught in photo with them out and about or god forbid the games😅
And so was pie pie jones as we’ll ham
1998 NBA Draft included:
- Vince Carter = 5th overall by Golden State Warriors (traded to Toronto Raptors).
- Dirk Nowitzki = 9th overall by Dallas Mavericks.
- Paul Pierce = 10th overall by Boston Celtics.
Wow, just these three HOF players was passed-up by the 3 first selecting teams; Clippers, Grizzlies and Nuggets, and the Top 3 selections had no significant careers in the NBA to mention. Heck the Draft had Antawn Jamison (Toronto Raptors (4th overall by Raptors / traded to Golden State), Rashard Lewis (32nd overall by Seattle SuperSonics),
European HOF Šarūnas Jasikevičius was also there as undrafted = Missed potential of an NBA All-Star player....yeah IMO the NBA 1998 Draft had tallents that was just looked over and also bypassed (!).
Not to mention Mike bibby, Jason Williams, raef lafrentz, rashard Lewis, Stephen Jackson, and antawn Jamison. Most underrated draft in history imo 💯
@@bbryant9455 Most underrated I'm not so sure, but defenetly a Draft class with lost-out tallents.
I remember him he was ham yoooo
When you're a number one overall pick and never come close to an All star game you're a bust.
As a Clippers fan since late 80's we have had some horrible draft picks and he is one of the worst.
Yeah I remember him...
Too many people forgot or never knew how horrible a franchise the Clippers were. Going there was like going to Siberia or the moon. They had some good players and could never do anything. IF Olowokandi had been drafted by any other team (with exceptions) he might have turned out way better.
Honestly I think the Clippers need to move out of Los Angeles and start over....maybe in Seattle.
I remember he balled up Duncan one game😅
Conclusion: The Clippers were a clown organization.
DO YOU LOVE THE GAME OR DO YOU LOVE WHAT THE GAME CAN PROVIDE FOR YOU
He used to live 5 houses down from me when he went uop in stockton ca when I was younger I thought he was Shaq haha
The Candy Man!
Starting at age 20 and being the number 1 pick.
He was not a bust
Candyman- what have you been up to, my friend?
we should all aspire to be 7 foot and athletic.
L.osing
A. ss
C. lippers 😢❤
He wasn't a bust, it was an awful draft class and everyone knew it. Nothing was ever expected from any of those dudes
Simple 3 words L A Clippers
He didn’t want it bad enough. He had all the tools but got complacent.
When will teams stop drafting one year wonders?
Who said the Kandyman was a Bust ??? 😂 he was pretty good 👍🏾
Im a Lakers fan but Elgin Baylor and his legacy at being a bad GM with the Clippers is bad for him RIP Elgin
Never heard of this guy
He failed because he couldn’t take criticism
Bbl Michael
The Clippers were willing to pay him 8 million a year for 7 years and he turned it down delusion is a serious illness
No way in the world will a person who came acquainted with basketball at the age of 20 become a first overall pick in the NBA draft, it shouldn't have became a reality, but it did in the Los Angeles Clippers world.
OLAWCANDY IS ONE OF THE AVERAGE OR BELOW AVERAGE NBA PLAYERS THAT DID NOT END UP BROKE 4TO5 YEARS AFTER HE HAS RETIRED GREAT JOB W/ YOUR MONEY AFTER BASKETBALL BIG FELLA
3:07
209 War Diaz
Kandi Man
Back then if you a big man you in top 10 pick
Why did Hasheem Thabeet failed??
Bust as 1 yes but definitely should have been drafted. If you make it to the nba NO ONE is a bust really.
He had soggy knees, why draft a big man who couldn’t move fluid
can you do marcus fizer?
Fizer problem was Bulls had too many players that was similar to Fizer.
I was such a big Marcus Fizer guy when he was at Iowa State.
@@DatBoyBlue91 plus injuries
@@bornfrompainjb I wish he went to another team in that draft.
GM Elgin Baylor
I don’t think Michael cried when he found out about Bill just saying 🤷
Ben Simmons before Ben Simmons
You guys think this is a failure story?!
Say his name 3 times
SO WHAT IS BRONNY JAMES IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE
These are pieces to make you feel sorry for a player but regardless, he's a massive bust.
is he a bust or did he finesse the clippers a couple million?
God the clippers were such a trash organization
Unlike Kwame Brown, this dude was a legit bust
Don’t see how. He averaged more points rebounds and blocks for his career than Kwame 😂
@@nessdagoat lol dudes just be talking
Olowokandi was also a senior with three years of college basketball experience. Staying in college doesn’t necessarily make you a better player. It’s so many intermittent factors with this topic that people often overlook.
@@nessdagoat
Kwame Brown played 12 NBA seasons compared to Olawakandi's 7
@@pluto545Olowokandi had only been playing basketball for 3 years before he was drafted. Kwame had probably been playing basketball for most of his life before he was drafted.
Whom ever drafted him was at fault
One and done from Pacific University does not make you great. He also followed Tim Duncan from the year before. It further makes you bad.
Kandi Man worst nickname ever 😂😂😂😂
I don't think Olowakandi's mother would defend him this much. Wow. 😂
Still better then bronny 😂😂
I REMEMBER THEY TRIED TO GET KAREEM TO WORK W/ OLAWCANDY & HE WOUND NOT LISTEN TO KAREEM I GUESS IN RETROSPECT KAREEM WAS GETTING SOME OF THAT KARMA COMING BACK TO HIM WHEN HE WAS A PLAYER
Another shawn Bradley
He was playing basketball way before he was 20
This comes across as a Clippers fan making a 14 minutes and 22 seconds of excuses for Michael Olo-Dumpster Fire 🔥
He was already rich before he got to the league. There was no incentive to work hard.
Grant Hill and Bill Laimbeer were rich before the NBA, so it’s not just that.
He just wasn't good
Mike a Bibby did not grow up with his father in his life.
Danny Ferry was soft as hell, a terrible pro and a mediocre executive, he was lucky he got to play for any team. You could argue Kandi he had a better pro career than ferry
Olowokandi is medium to low player but clippers is trash.
Cuz he bum juice 😮
I honestly never heard of him lol so i feel like he wasnt that much of a bust
Lmao, another AA being the smartest guy in the room. Passing up 8 million a year for a one year deal worth 6+million lmao