NBA Greatest Duels: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs Hakeem Olajuwon (1986 WCF Game 3)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- 39-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar against 23-year-old Hakeem Olajuwon in Game 3 of 1986 Western Conference Finals series.
Hakeem Olajuwon: 40 points, 12 rebounds, 14/28 FG.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 33 points, 6 assists, 5 blocks, 14/26 FG.
Rockets won this game 117:109 and took a 3-1 series lead (Houston eventually won this series 4-1, but lost in the finals against Boston Celtics).
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Did anyone notice Hakeem stealing the ball from Magic? He was pure powerhouse, blocking, rebounding, scoring, assisting, anything.
Hakeem was like Wilt. He could run the floor, even better than the guards, had that hustle thing going for him. People forget that he was a passer, rim protector, not just a scorer and rebounder. Wilt was the same way, led the league in assist one year.
@@powerboatguy2308 exactly thank you couldn’t explain it better myself
Hakeem Olajuwon
1984-85 1.2 spg 2.7 bpg es igual a 3.9 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 20.6 ppg and 11.9 rpg
1985-86 2.0 spg 3.4 bpg es igual a 5.4 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 23.5 ppg and 11.5 rpg
1986-87 1.9 spg 3.4 bpg es igual a 5.3 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 23.4 ppg and 11.4 rpg
1987-88 2.1 spg 2.7 bpg es igual a 4.8 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 22.8 ppg and 12.1 rpg
1988-89 2.6 spg 3.4 bpg es igual a 6.0 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 24.8 ppg and 13.5 rpg
(84-85 thru 88-89) 36.2 mpg, .518 shooting %, .672 ft %, 4.5 orpg, 7.6 drpg, 12.1 trpg, 1.9 spg, 3.1 bpg, 5.0 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 23.0 ppg
1989-90 2.1 spg 4.6 bpg es igual a 6.7 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 24.3 ppg and 14.0 rpg
1990-91 2.2 spg 3.9 bpg es igual a 6.1 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 21.2 ppg and 13.8 rpg
1991-92 1.8 spg 4.3 bpg es igual a 6.1 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 21.6 ppg and 12.1 rpg
1992-93 1.8 spg 4.2 bpg es igual a 6.0 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 26.1 ppg and 13.0 rpg
1993-94 1.6 spg 3.7 bpg es igual a 5.3 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 27.3 ppg and 11.9 rpg
(89-90 thru 93-94) 38.8 mpg, .515 shooting %, .746 ft %, 3.4 orpg, 9.5 drpg, 12.9 trpg, 1.9 spg, 4.2 bpg, 6.1 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 24.4 ppg
1994-95 1.8 spg 3.4 bpg es igual a 5.2 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 27.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg
1995-96 1.6 spg 2.9 bpg es igual a 4.5 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 26.9 ppg and 10.9 rpg
(94-95 thru 95-96) 39.2 mpg, .515 shooting %, .740 ft %, 2.4 orpg, 8.4 drpg, 10.8 trpg, 1.7 spg, 3.1 bpg, 4.8 defensive stops 🛑 per game with 27.4 ppg
@@powerboatguy2308the only thing Wilt did better than Hakeem was pass I believe. It took Hakeem years before he was a sorta assist factory from Center... Wilt also had seasons of not much passing and he had to learn more in that area as well but when he did pass he became a more aggressive Point Center than Hakeem ever was. I believe... Context is everything and Jerry West and Goodrich may have been better options than Hakeem ever had while a sorta point Center... Even though Drexler should have been enough to match West and co. In Hakeem's twilight like Wilt's twilight.
Hakeem stole the ball from Magic. Then in the next series (the finals) Bird completes a bounce pass that goes between Hakeems legs 🤣
But this is my all time starting 5
PG Magic
SG MJ
SF Bird
PF Olajuwon
C Wilt
Post play was so beautiful back then. Now you see a bunch of pull ups from the 3
Fuck u
You are right about that!!!
That was unnecessary. Lokeijkak is right anyway!
post plays are boring......
Angelo Casalan Threes are boring posts plays are what basketball is all about!
I thought I have seen everything from Hakeem, but man 80s Hakeem is like 80s MJ, so fast, so explosive
Youth
His explosiveness reminds me of a young bill Russell...maybe not as fast from baseline to baseline and not as good a leader..BUT EXPLOSIVE NONE THE LESS
He whipped on Jordan too....
Remember this series well. Broke my heart 💔 when Sampson hit the Miracle shot in game 6 to beat my Laker's. But Kareem was 39 , and Sampson and Hakeem in their 20's and they ain't even close to stopping him. You'll NEVER see that again in this league. And man I always wondered what would ve happened if the Rockets Twin Towers could have stayed together.
More like if Ralph Sampson didnt have the worst injury of all time. Sampson was the reason the Rockets didn't have Hakeem, MJ, and Drexler on the same team because of how good Sampson was
What? Hakeem averaged 31ppg 11 rpg and 4 blocks that series and they won in 5 games...While Kareem averaged 27 and 6.8 rebounds...
They would have won multiple championships. Plus I don’t think MJ wins 6 rings. The Bulls wouldn’t have been to handle Hakeem and Sampson.
Them Rockets gave the Lakers fits. Lakers were due 2 fall. 82, 83, 84, 85, 4 straight yrs n the finals....they needed 2 catch their breath n '86.
The most remarkable thing about watch Kareem deal is that he was already 39 years old and still dominating.
the dude No doubt Hakeem was better, but he was in his prime while Kareem was 10 years past his prime at an age most player retire at.
Magic won the title his rookie year, Bird won the title his 2nd year, Jabbar won the title his 3rd year. I's say Hakeem was in his prime even if not at his peek.
+Sandy Combs thanks you for proving my point. kareem had Oscar "The Big O" Robertson the year he won. Larry Bird had Nate Archibald, Kevin McHale, & Robert Parish his second year. magic had... well take a wild guess who helped him win his rookie year. all of their careers has been down hill compared to Hakeem Olajuwon
the dude No doubt Hakeem was amazing and in my opinion the greatest center ever.
+Sandy Combs I take it back. you don't like stephen, lebron heats or the 2002 lakers. your one of the good ones.
WOW this was Hakeems SECOND YEAR. I mean he didn't even start playing basketball until he was 15. To already play at a top level against Abdul Jabbar, Magic, and Showtime Lakers and BEATING them is amazing for his age and short experience. A true DREAM
Kareem's performance at his age against 2 beastly big men is amazing
Hakeem olajuwon was giving jabber private lessons in the low post 📫 moves towards the basket
An old kareem did better against young Hakeem...than a MVP Kareem did against an old injured wilt chamberlain 😂😂
@@JohnnyRodgers3 Sampson was guarding Kareem the whole game 🤣🤣🤣
@@JohnnyRodgers3 Kareem gave Wilt that work. Head to head Kareem had him 31ppg vs 16ppg. But Wilt was still a beast and got his at times.
@@loydkline feb 1986 kareem torches olajuwon and sampson for 46 points ( on 20 shots) hakeem SECOND best center ever. jAbbar #1,ask hakeem; he says so. lloyd gets second place again
sky hook unstoppable, no wonder kareem is the all time leading scorer!
Practical Driver, it’s longevity, not the skyhook alone.
@@theephraimite don't matter either way
@@reginaldpeters5142 it does since his ppg isn’t as high as Jordan’s. So it’s longevity that is the main factor.
@@theephraimite NOT
Can LeBron pass kareem.
I thought Hakeem was Kareem's little brother lol anyway, Both are underrated player and this is a great clip.
JVR DeFranco is it because Hakeem was once Akeem Abdul Olajuwon
@@peterjudahisrael Kareem is not an underrated player, but Hakeem is straight underrated
@@epicexperiment7713 underrated by whom???? hes second best NBA center Ive ever seen; and Ive been watching since 1971
That sky hook was crazy unstoppable. Nothing flashy about it, but no one could figure out how to guard it. It’s amazing no other big man picked it up because it was super affective.
Hakeem blocked it a couple of times (not in this game)
Wilt and Thurmond too
Man this video showed me how good Ralph Sampson was as well! What a player! That combo in Hakeem and Sampson could have been absolutely incredible if Sampson didn’t get injured.
Weak defense. He couldn't keep Kareem away from the basket
Sampsons knees to tall and skinny fragile like Walton
@@nastypiglosi1788who could?
Ralph Sampson absolutely destroyed Kareem on that poster wow haha
1:50
I liked watching kareem eat up sampson all game long
The Lakers got beat 4 games to 1 and it does not matter what Jabbar did this series. They Lakers got CRUSHED!!!!!
Kareem rose to the occasion when he played against the twin towers, usually Sampson (7-4) guarded Kareem (7-2).
akeem is like 6-10
@@nicojosepharpon7906 hakeem listed at 7'0,,,,you are really good at math; arent UUUUU?
Kareem showing what the old man's got!
kareem abum jabbar= overrated but gets attention because he was a laker
hakeem olajuwon=underrated and never got the attention he deserved back in the day
the dude thanks for proving my point, kareem went against 6 hall of fame centers while half of hakeem's opponents were power forwards, 6'4 charles barkley, really?? lol get a life!
+Cameron Mo what does height have you do with anything. hakeem was beating people taller than himself. and if you call out charles when Robert Parish is worst them him. Oh and did I mention he beat shaq, David and Ewing. all good enough to be second best player behind wilts on kareems list
the dude seriously bro, you really think Hakeem was better than Kareem? Seriously? It's not even in the conversation, i dont understand why you wanna argue that?
+Cameron Mo I am stating facts your the one arguing...
This is such a great video, seeing these all-time greats battling. They were at different point in their careers, but both were fantastic. This is a true gem.
It's kind of crazy that An old kareem did better against young Hakeem...than a MVP Kareem did against an old injured wilt chamberlain
Kareem added 25 lbs of pure muscle because of this series. And won back to back the next 2 seasons. G.O.A.T.!!!
Dude, stop with the lies Kareem was riding coattails at this point and was allowed to pad his points simply to get that scoring title
@@mandodelossantos2 Kareem was better than Bird, Magic, and that scrawny shooting guard from Chicago who wore #23. Quit hating on Abdul-Jabbar.
@@JAWrightonline 🤣😂🤣😂
@breadandcircuses8127 If Kareem's not, then Wilt is. The scrawny media creation at shooting guard outta Chicago isn't the guy. He couldn't MOVE playoff-wise without Scottie Pippen.
That’s cute 🥰
Amazing Ralph is 7'4" with a 36" vertical and couldn't get the skyhook but Wilt was 7'1" with a 40+ vertical and would contest/block Kareem's skyhook
Sampson is one of the few people in NBA history to block the skyhook while guarding Kareem. I saw him block it this series.
But wilt blocked the skyhook 3..4times he did it two within some seconds...n wikt was old enough at dat time ....after 71..72..season if it was wilt of 61..62season he wud have couple of dozen times...within 10years...no one matches...no matter u talk abt kareem 6championship.....same goes to olajuwan after wilt he is d most skillful centre we have ever seen...hew better dan kareem shaq n many more....skillwise...im shocked dat olajuwan was not der in dreamteam....dat db davud robinson was der in dat team
@@shoaibshaikh1777 Wilt did block the skyhook more than anyone else but Kareem also put a 40pt game on him.
Wilt could not vert 40''. That is a myth.
@@kevinthomes1046 You're either a troll or totally clueless about Wilt. What amazes me is Babe Ruth is arguably the best baseball player that ever lived with numerous records and feats and that was in the 1920s and 30s and people believe that. Most if not all the people who saw Babe play are dead or decrepit. But yet there are people living today of sound mind who actually witnessed the feats Wilt did from vertical to strength etc, etc and people don't believe it. smh
I've watched hundreds and hundreds of NBA playoff games and use to record them, amassing a huge video library. I'm here to say that Game #3 of the 1986 Western Conference Finals was one of the greatest playoff games EVER! It had everything: numerous lead changes and ties, fastbreak dunks, lobs, beautiful half court sets, 3pt shooting and the fans were rockin' the whole game! TH-cam use to have the full game, but no more!
TH-cam removed so many games from the 1980s, it' a shame. I'd love to watch them,but can't.
@David Schmidt David, there are some more obscure YT channels that still retain some full, or large abridged versions of playoff games from the 80's and 90's that I have written down! These are games that, if you go to Google and do a direct search- you will NOT find them! They are shadow-banned!
I've come across these games(I have 100+ games written down)through hours of tedious searches or by accident! Some of these games are located on channels that have been inactive for years. Most all of the games I have written down are one's that are shadow-banned, but some are of better video quality, they are a bit longer, or they are edited better, so I wrote them down.
Some new people post games again that have long been deleted! Example: Back in March, I believe, I accidentally came across someone who posted the complete game of the Lakers at Detroit regular season game from the 89/90 season. When I came across it, I think it was only up for 2 or 3 days! So, there are always games being re-posted, or taken down, on occasion, so it's always fluid! I use to think that Odyssey, Rumble, or Bitchute would have NBA games available- hell no! Those sites are a wasteland when it comes to games!
@@davidschmidt227
This is a real upset that put the league on notice in a heavyweight matchup.
Not that Bulls vs softie 89 Cavs you were propping up. elsewhere.
I'm a Rockets fan but this series win means as much to me as any series Houston won in 94 & 95 during their title runs....even the Finals that sealed the title.
A part of me feels bad for aging Kareem though. He tried his best this series. No HOFer in NBA history past their prime had such a daunting test vs 2 HOFers 13 - 15 years younger than them.
Even though this was a 4-1 series....one of the most exciting series in NBA history.
Los Angeles lost 4-1...but imho didn't even play bad this series! 😂
@FuShengAlex Yes Alex! Don't feel bad for Kareem though- he did his job in this series averaging 27pts a game! Byron Scott was terrible, Worthy had 3 subpar games, and Maurice Lucas was useless and washed! That being said, it was a great series, even though it was only 5 games. Games #3, #5, and #4 were great battles! Olajuwan was the key factor that the Lakers had no answer for, but to me, Robert Reid and Lewis Lloyd would consistently knock down those outside shots that allowed the towers to go to work.
Game #3 was a playoff game for the ages though! It's no longer available as a "full game" on YT, but the 117-109 final is completely misleading! A couple of garbage buckets and free throws in the last minute plus created that margin. The game, from the beginning tip till the final couple of minutes of the 4th quarter were relentless, nonstop, back-and-forth basketball! I forget the exact number, but by the end of the game, there were like 18 lead changes and 15 ties when it was over. No team could gain an advantage till the Rockets in the end. I think 8 was the biggest lead;the Lakers started 8-0 and the final score at 117-109. The 1st quarter was epic with the Lakers leading 38-37! The Rockets led at the half 60-59! The Lakers led after 3 quarters 91-90!
When I was young, I watched that game dozens of times! In '86, the game was not televised live in Salt Lake City where I live, but tape delay at 11pm at night. I still remember staying up till 2am watching!
Great memories Alex! Still remember Coop falling to the floor after Ralph hit the Gm.#5 winner! Houston gave Boston all they could handle in Houston! They easily could have won all 3 games in Houston, but Bird's big 3pt shot towards the end of Gm.#4 was a dagger! Plus, that Celtics team was too good! Even if the Lakers made the finals, Boston still would have won in 5 or 6!
Thanks for responding! Love taking trips down memory lane my friend✌️!
No team was gonna be at the 1986 Boston Celtics. This series was the consolation prize
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's ability to position himself once he has the ball was awesome. Kareem was also extremely quick as to what he was going to do once he had the ball almost always had the defender off balance. He was very quick going into his sweeping Sky-Hook and standing a crazy 7 Foot-3 Inches with that IQ left any and every defender at his mercy(including Chamberlain, Olajuwon, Sampson, hell and Olajuwon and Sampson at the same damn time). But much due to Wilt Chamberlain though because Lew Alcindor learned from the SMARTEST offensive post player(imo) on how to consistently maneuver his body while take ONE dribble and going quickly into a shot.
Mytown Trill Prime Wilt would destroy kareem any time, have you seen how old Wilt blocked repeatedly kareems skyhook?imagine what he could do to kareem if he was in his prime and keep in mind that he could do it without using his monsterous strength like Oneel style but simply with his athletism .
Um..? What?! Did you even eatch that series? Because i did. The lakers did everything they could to pull Hakeem away from Kareem because he had a much harder time scoring on him. And on the other end could not guard him at all.
Olajuwon and Sampson at the same time ?
You do realize that LA lost this series and Kareem got overwhelmed by the TT’s right ?
You’re trying to rewrite history with a YT comment 🤣
Wilt was significantly stronger than Shaq.
👀 look into it
@@JAMESGANG-f5u Yeah, I'm from Houston, I know what happened. Kareem was in his LATE 30's during this series.
Hakeem was the best all around player on the floor.. and was only in his second yr!
Probably true but Kareem was damn near 40
If they were both 23-24 it would’ve been WAR
@@JAMESGANG-f5u Hakeem played his best ball at age 31 and 32.
Hakeem olajuwon was a low post 📫 scientist basketball player
No karreem was better than Akeem
KAREEM is a scoring machine killing those youngins
40 year old Kareem schooled Hakeem imagine a young Kareem Kareem was and is way better than Hakeem
Jabbar past his prime and Hakeem not yet in his. Both still pretty good...
I've always maintained that the key to the Rockets victory was Bill Fitch moving Akeem to power forward. He didn't have to worry about guarding Jabbar and more importantly he could roam in the lane and create havoc. Olajawon was able make James Worthy uncomfortable inside.
Olajawon was the best player in this series but Abdul-Jabbar gave an amazing account of himself for a 39 year old man.
Great clip thanks
That's Ralph Samson vs Kareem in most of those clips
crazy good how both kareem and hakeem played.they could beat any centers 1 on 1 past or present.
Kareem was 39 here and still being capable of going right at Hakeem and Sampson
Anyone who watches this and says kareem is better than hakeem is either racist, biased or blinded by accolades. This man Olajuwon is the best center ever
lol Kareem at 38 had 33 points. Hakeem was either washed or out of the league at the same age. No one thinks Hakeem was a better player.
@@rokutime2627 hakeem played until almost 40, get your facts straight. Also hakeem had quadruple double in more difficult era, had kareem played 15 years later he wouldnt be able to dominate like he did against small players with hardly any physicality. He was head and shoulders above everyone. The era of hakeem was way more difficult + he wasnt surrounded by starpower like kareem was, give hakeem the same teammates and he demolish everyone. Hakeem defo goat center pure ability wise
@@albertgrigorjan9517 What did Hakeem average at 40?
@@albertgrigorjan9517 "hardly any physicality" LOLOlolol! wilt? unseld? cowens? reed???? dawkins? moses malone? Gilmore? hayes?? sam lacey?? Tell me of those guys *LACK* of being physical!! Jabbar also dominated (until age 40 ) ewing and olajuwon and parish and walton . ALL HOFers PS- tell me all the stars kareem had in milwaukee and early laker years,,,I will wait!
20 ish Olajuwon young Sampson
Vs past his prime Kareem great watch
Houston still doubled and triple teamed
Abdul Jabbar that tells you all you need
to know and Hakeem is my all time fav
Jabbar mvp of finals 14 years apart
Thanks mic drop
Imagine how Kareem would dominate in today’s game. No defender will stop the sky hook shot and notice how it takes two or more defenders to defend the sky hook when he is backing down the post, put him with great outside shooters and that team will completely dominate the game today. The floor spacing will be crazy that you would either have to cover 4 guys out in the three that can shoot well and leave Kareem in the post for one to guard which he will dominate ofc. If you try and double Kareem just one kick out pass to the open guy on the three point line and game will basically be a wrap.
Kareem played in todays NBA the coach would have him standing around at the 3pt line watching one guy dribble all over. Like every other position does.
But yea if Kareem played his style that he’s known for then you’re right. Dominance.
That dunk(1:13) by Olajuwon on Kareem though!
Kareem late on the help.
Mytown Trill that was massive ! probably two best centers ever
@@ShaunPhillipsAV sounds like excuses to me lol he needed all the help he could get guarding Olajuwon lol
I think it's unfair to say one way or another, but regardless of the decision I'd love to see these two play in their prime.
That was a crazy battle!!!! LOL!!!!
2 legends going at it. Nice video.
Kareem was working extra hard vs Houston two 7 ft hall of fame players. Kareem put up big numbers vs them until he turned 40. If you look h2h, he was eating each of them alive. Nobody remember as a rookie Kareem avg over 35 points and 16.8 rebounds in the playoff and shot like 56.7%. That is insane. Imagine if Zion come into the NBA and put up those numbers. He be making $50M really soon. Also Kareem was guarded by about 25 HOF players and only one outscored him, moses malone by about a point
Dude Magic avg like 16 assists a game this series so without him Kareem would've barely avg 18p
@@psychedelicpsychosis6954 yeah Magic’s great but like all u gotta do is throw the ball to Kareem and it’s an easy assist.
@@UbyTuesday yeah Kareem had more value. He was a superior scorer.
@@UbyTuesday Me and all the basketball experts are taking Kareem over Hakeem. Just because hakeem had more fancy moves doesn’t make him better. Kareem is a career 24 ppg scorer and hakeem is a 21 ppg career scorer. Hakeem made the playoffs 15 times in his career and Kareem made them 18 times. Kareem didn’t need Michael Jordan to retire like Hakeem(the bulls would’ve smashed the rockets in the finals).
@@UbyTuesday nah smart people look at Kareems 6 rings and the fact that hakeems only 2 rings came when Jordan retired. Everyone has Kareem over hakeem. I even have Shaq and Duncan ahead of the dream all time.
Watching these giants dominance is pure art
3:10
NASTY SLAM by Sampson
The athleticism in this game would be impressive in ANY era before or since.
That skyhook was and is a thing of beauty! I use it in my street ball. Works very well for me.
The Twin Towers was the most unstoppable weapon in the NBA (would so remain for 10+ years had Sampson not got injured.)
Yet, Kareem at 39 refused to give way and fought 1 vs 2. Massive respect!
I have an easy answer Kareem. When facing Hakeem on Kareem's downside of his career, on several occasions, Kareem scored 30 and sometimes 40 points against Hakeem. If Hakeem was such a defensive stalwart, you don't get torched by a 38 or 39 year old man.
Lester Brown
interesting logic
if you truly believe every word you just said then what happened in 72?
@the dude - Hakeem is no Wilt Chamberlain. Also Wilt was 35 in 1972, not 39 like Kareem was when he was torching Hakeem dropping 46 on him in early 1986.
ShaunPhillipsAV
and do you know what makes it even funnier Houston didn't even have it full starting lineup when second year Hakeem beat Kareem The Show Time Lakers that had three allstars in James Worrhy Kareem Abdul Jabber and Magic Johnson yet Kareem still loss in 1986
ShaunPhillipsAV
1981 kareem AND magic defending champs lakers loss to mose malone when moses Rockets had a 40-42 record
or what about
of the 16 Kareem vs Nate playoff game. kareem top 30pts only twice both in 71
Kareem was the scoring Champ in 71&72
72 West comes back and (nba scoring champ) kareem loses to old wilt when it isn't 2 against 1 anymore.
reg season-.574fg%
playoff- .437fg% vs wilt & Thurmond
73 lose to nate Thurmond who dropped kareems scoring by eight points and shooting by 12% in the series
and what about this
71 kareem got showed up in the first Rd by Nate Thurmond but got rescued by Oscar Robertson and Bob Dandridge plus keep in mind that kareem was the scoring champ. Kareem AND Oscar beat solo old wilt (after knee surgery) in the second rd when wilt was missing his all star point guard in Jerry West who was hurt. and beat a 42-40 Baltimore team in the nba finals for his first champ...impressive. he would have to wait another 9 years for his next champ that he sat at home for while Lakers and it's 4 HOFer beat Phili with solo HOFer in Dr.J
(Kareems second champ)
80 4 HOFer Lakers wins champ vs 1 HOFer 76ers (Dr J)...with kareem sitting at home
you're killing me smalls
I would give him a pass if he was carrying a team on his own but most of these lost he had an elite team
and when he does win
he can't do it without an elite team
ShaunPhillipsAV
I love it when people say
"old Kareem beat Hakeem"
and then when I prove them wrong
"well Kareem on the Bucks would own Hakeem in his prime"
sorry I don't use emojis
HAHAHAHAHA!
he couldn't even own a old Wilt with bad knees, Nate Thurmond, Mose Malone or Hakeem Olajuwon regardless of age or era
why haven't you notice the only time the show time Lakers of the 80s didn't make the finals was when Kareem was matched up against Hakeem or Hakeems mentor Mose Malone And then losing to Mose Malone again in the Finals
I agree that this is a great clip showing early Olajuwon and how he came to develop his trademark turnaround fadeaway jumper from the dream shake as well as splitting the double team and hook-counter action in the post. It is also great to show why the Showtime Lakers were THAT team in the 80's as they were doing backdoor cuts and had a great post passer in Kareem when he was double-teamed (on a side note, this is something that Shaq stole from Kareem in the triangle whilst with the Lakers, the only knock on Shaq, however was that he was not as imposing of a passer as Kareem had been and by that time the game was stretched to the 3-pt line for Mitch Richmond and Kobe to hit them threes).
I just wanted to address the issue of how people say Steph Curry and them boys would not be as successful in that era. All I have to say is WHAT?
As evident, no one even defends the perimeter in the clip and the speed of Curry and his ability to straight trash people 1-on-1 (which is why he is double-teamed on THE PERIMETER nowadays) would have given him so much space to launch his 3 balls. And we all know what would happen after that.
Thanks and great clip!
When people say those things they usually use the legacy of a team as evidence. They don't really get into specifics and what you pointed out is a very obvious thing that a lot of people fail to acknowledge. Yes the 80s was much more physical in the paint but how are you going to protect it when your defense becomes so spaced out? There's also many offensive sets that the 80s players wouldn't know how to defend like the many options you have with the horns play.
Why would you guard the perimeter of no one us gonna tAke a three? Lol question answered
@@ericxu1242 Nobody?
Jabber was a old man he Stood his ground with them young bucks that how great he was
A passing of the torch in this game.
Sweet Vid. Never seen this gem before. Probably the 2 best centers ever. Too bad couldn't have seen them both in their prime - doubt Kareem would've been postered if that was the case.
I find it hard to believe that Kareem was being doubleteamed at the age of 39.
This is 40 year old player having a great game against Hakeem and Ralph Sampson. It is a shame people are on social media debating Jordan and Lebron for the GOAT, not bringing in Wilt or Kareem into the conversation or Russell.
I actually think this is also equally impressive for Hakeem. Kareem Is known for his Incredible longevity. Scoring 23.4PPG (typical to his 1980s years and was still best center in the League at that point) while and old Kareem, a productive one. And Hakeem outplayed Him in only his second year in the NBA.
Very Similar Matchup to Young Kareem Defeating older Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem = 🐐 at any position. 🙌 down!
Kareem didn't look that old, but that Twin Towers from Rockets was something.
Kareem is a legend
But hakeem was something else
list of players Kareem played with and against
Wilt
Hakeem
Dr. J
Elvin Hayes
Larry Bird
Bob Lanier
Bill Walton
Wes Unseld
Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Tiny Archibald
Walt Frazier
Dave Cowens
Clyde Drexler
Dominique Wilkins
Nate Thurmond
Robert Parish
James Worthy
Ralph Sampson
Bob McaDoo
Moses Malone
And Artis Gilmore
That’s only a quarter of them
Rick Barry, George gervin, Bernard king, Dave bing, David Thompson, Dennis Johnson, Kevin porter, world b free, truck Robinson, dick can arsdale, Dan Issel, Phil Smith Adrian Dantley, Alex English, Jamaal Wilkes, randy smith, Calvin Murphy, Maurice lucas, Paul Silas, Connie Hawkins, Sidney wicks, Rudy Tomjanovich (before his face got knocked off), Gail Goodrich, bob love , jo jo white, Chet Walker, Lou Hudson, George McGinnis, bob dandridge, Paul Westphal, Willis reed, Patrick Ewing, Mark Eaton, Barkley, Karl Malone,And Spencer Haywood,
It's kind of crazy that An old kareem did better against young Hakeem...than a MVP Kareem did against an old injured wilt chamberlain
willis reed; spencer haywood and walt bellamy also HOFers
Hakeem is the best center of all time look at this shit
hes one of TWO guys to win a title ( at center) with no HOFers around him 1993-94. ( bill walton the other)
40 yrs old and scored over 30 on Hakeem and Sampson
If James Wiseman spends one month training with Hakeem Olajuwon and one month with Kevin Garrett, he would be unstoppable.
I would have put Sampson on Jabbar from the front, with Hakeem behind him. But man Hakeem was awesome in this game. I think this is the series about which Pat RIley said, "We tried everything on him. He is just a great player."
Came here to watch Kareem vs. Hakeem, and . . . now I remember how good Ralph Sampson was.
Other than a few times in Cleveland, LeBron hasn't seen the double team much (of course the credit goes to his passing aswell as shooting teammates). But think about how many possessions in this one game Kareem got double teamed. Puts his lethality in perspective.
If you’ve seen all five games of the ‘86 WCF then you’ll know that the twin towers of Sampson & Olajuwon dominated. An aging Kareem could hold his own from time to time, but Rambis and Lucas were simply overmatched. This was just a taste of the kind of potential the twin towers had before the injuries to Sampson.
hakeem was beasting
And remember, It was only eight years earlier when Dream first start playing the sport.
Dam Kareem had to deal with with Akeem and Big Ralph
Rare to see five #1 overall picks in one game( Kareem, Magic, Worthy,Sampson,Olajuwon)
Only series in history like this!
Who should I pick for my all time center?
You know a guy is good when he is the best defender of all time and defending is'nt even his best attribute
Imagine having to guard Hakeem + Sampson...shiiit!
This guy was up against 2 young talented seven footers & was still schooling them....GOAT indeed
Kareem was not the reason the Lakers lost the series. Worthy and Magic having no shooting range was the reason. The two bigs really neutered Worthy and Magics inside game.
This Houston team to my knowledge were the only team from the Western conference in the 80's to defeat a fully healthy and loaded Laker team with every player in their prime other than kareem. Very impressive. Then losing to Boston who imo were not nearly as good as this lakers team.
Not only did they beat this laker team, they beat them 4-1!!!!!
How did they lose 4-1 when they won 85 87 88? Was anyone injured this series ?
Who was a better Twin Towers? Samson and Olajuwon or Duncan and Robinson?
If you are talking careers Duncan and Robinson. At the time they played together healthy Olajuwon and Sampson.
1:27 and 1:50
Nice job by the CBS camera crew missing great steals by Houston because they cut to the back of Worthys head.
Kareem is the GOAT. Dominant @ 39
It is not how many point asst or good you look is who you do it against. Watching this you are witnessing how great Kareem was giving these 2 monsters sampson and Hakeem in their primes all he could handle Got to agree with Magic that he thinks they would have Beaten the Bulls dynasty as Kareem would have been they X factor with No one to stop him
Looking at this we can all agree
Dude. Another easy reply, I would take Wilt Chamberlain over both Hakeem and Kareem.
Wilt could not move like them. Certainly not Hakeem. He would not have a good day against Hakeem or Shaq. He could not match movement with Hakeem or physical play with Shaq. Physical play was not his game. Kareem muscled him when young. Imagine what Shaq would do to him. There is know question in my mind that the 3 greatest centers to play were Kareem, Hakeem and Shaq. Wilt was not at that level. Just watch game footage not highlights and you will realize he is not at that level.
@@kevinthomes1046but 39 year old Kareem could drop 40 on hakeem 3 different times as a 38 year old🤔
It's kind of crazy that An old kareem did better against young Hakeem...than a MVP Kareem did against an old injured wilt chamberlain
enjoy your wilty going 2-6 in finals. Oh; and wilt played alongside 12 HOF NBA players,,, so dont try the " he never had anyone"
@@JohnnyRodgers3 kareem dropped FIFTY on wilt,,,no one else ever scored forty. Kareem averaged 33 per game vs wilt
Everyone looks like they have the same height.
Time when post move & team works matters
Sampson was very good when is was playing in Houston. I disagree with the Hall of Fame committee by selecting him though. IJS
He was selected because he's one of the 10 best college players ever #Wahoowa
Olajuwon got the best of Kareem, Shaq, Robinson, Ewing and every other center he faced but when the word goat comes up, he's often ignored.
Olajuwon almost NEVER got the best of Kareem. Even at 39, Kareem consistently dominated Hakeem. It was so bad, they quit trying to have Hakeem guard Kareem because when they did try, Kareem would go off for 40+ points with ease.
He's not ignored. He has 6 rings and 5 mvp's and several all-time number 1 stats. He's just so far beyond their level it's a disgrace to mention them in the same sentence.
Dynamic Duo - You are talking about Michael Jordan. He is talking abo.ut Hakeem Olajuwon
@@ShaunPhillipsAV That is the truth.
Regardless of what anybody says Kareem was very much past his prime playing against these two twin towers and he's basically playing one on two because he didn't have a power forward to help him out, Hakeem couldn't handle Kareem in his prime, at 22 or 23 yrs. old, the 90's was not the greatest era of centers the 70's was, wilt,kareem,thurmond,lanier,reed,unseld,hayes,cowens,mcadoo,lacy,smith, they would've been to physical for those 90's centers except for shaq and ewing, the era was more physical,and they played more team basketball,
Truth
ROBERT L. THOMPSON JR. 90s over 70s.
Hakeen will still dominate in 60s or 70s because he is an agile big man, has array of moves. and the best of footwork among the big men in NBA history.(Dream shake)
ROBERT L. THOMPSON JR. 70s overrated and bill Walton when healthy was actually the cream of the crop and kareem and the Lakers we're quadruple teaming Hakeem and he still manhandled the Lakers
ROBERT L. THOMPSON JR. Where the hell u bin, the 90's was one of the greatest eras of centers....Shaq, Mourning, Ewing, Robinson, Mutombo, Sabonis, Divac, Smits, Parrish, hakeem, and thats just off the top of the head...the 90's is the best era of centers
Even neither of the TWIN TOWERS could get to the sky hook.
But when Kareem tried a lefty sky hook Sampson sent that $&@$ into the 5th row
I remember this. Folks thought the Rockets were going to be the next great dynasty. Then Sampson went down.
7:01 Announcer "And there's Kareem trying to take a page of Olajuwon's...." .
If Hakeem played with Magic Johnson he would've won way more titles.
Kareem is no joke
Y'ALL PLEASE Notice that Houston drafted Ralf Sampson to help Hakeem and Houston to contend with Kareem. Boston also did the same thing in acquiring Bill Walton to join with Robert Parish to battle "The Captain"
Kareem-Abdul-Jabra in the 85-86 season.
(Correction - 06/28/2021)
Houston drafted Hakeem to partner with Sampson to contend with Kareem
I got them crossed up in my original comment, sorry for a mistake 😅
Ralph was drafted before Hakeem!🤣
Ralph was drafted before Hakeem. You might want to research before commenting.
@@kevinthomes1046
Ok......I got it backwards about which one of the twin towers was drafted first, big deal! My point was that Houston and Boston needed twin towers to contend with Kareem ok 👌🏿
It been almost 40 years ago and I was going off of memory. My point is valid about the Captain even if I crossed up who got drafted first lol
@@hookemdagawd5607
Ok......I got it backwards 😆 about which one of the twin towers was drafted first, big deal! My point was that Houston and Boston needed twin towers to contend with Kareem ok 👌🏿
It been almost 40 years ago and I was going off of memory. My point is valid about the Captain even if I crossed up who got drafted first lol
@@lefonzopollock4345 It is a big point. Hakeem never needed help. Which is why they got rid of Sampson. Houston would not have felt that way. They just beat Kareem a few years before with Moses Malone. Then Philly dominated LA with Moses Malone. So tell me again how good Kareem was? How did Kareem do after losing Oscar and before Magic? Kareem was not a concern for Boston when they got McHale and Parrish. Their concern was Philly with Dawkins and Jones. Kareem had already proven he could not carry a team by himself. Kareem never won a championship without Oscar or Magic. When he won his second championship he did not even play in the final game. Magic played for him and scored 42 with 16 boards. In his prime years in the NBA he had ONE championship. Then road Magic's coattails for 5 more. Remember in the 86 playoffs Hakeem was only in his 5th season of real organized basketball. So forgive him for not knowing nuances of position post defense yet. He played on instinct and athleticism then and became the greatest defensive player in NBA history.
I thought that Houston was going usurp the Lakers as
the team to beat in the west. Hakeem was a one man wrecking crew. He and Sampson were shot blocking dynamos. Never
seen so many blocks on Kareem as there was that series. The Celtics ultimately reigned
supreme that year, but I thought the Rockets were gonna be in the mix for the for seeable
future. Sampson never recovered from a bad injury, and the twin towers were over before
we could see what the two could do over the long haul.
that might explain kareem shooting 50% from field and 27PPG in the series at age 39.......... yeah: houston held him down! LOLOLolololOLOL!!!
Kareem Abdul-Jabar
He didnt do the dream shake in the 80s ?
Are almost none of the clips them scoring on each other because they were locking each other up, or they weren’t matched up on each other? I saw Kareem score on Hakeem 2 times this whole video and i think 3 for hakeem 😭 Sampson and Kurt were getting bullied
That Sampson dunk on Kareem holy shit hide the women and children
Thats a old Kareem shut up bro
😂 Kream Puff ended up in multiple posters that day
yeah; that 33 points by kareem at age THIRTY NINE really exposed his weaknesses,,,eh???
Kareem and Hakeem Allahu Ackbar
Hakeem and the Rockets beat Kareem magic and Lakers who were the defending Western conference champions
wow- U said something correct. How about kareem FIRST TEAM all NBA at age 39??? Hmmm? lloyd???
So satisfying to see Jabbar get DUNKED on by both Hakeem and Sampson
It's kind of crazy that An old kareem did better against young Hakeem...than a MVP Kareem did against an old injured wilt chamberlain
@aaronbridges5602 Kareem killed Wilt. At least he did an admirable job vs Olajuwon this series
@@FuShengAlex prime MVP played well against an old injured wilt chamberlain...wow congrats, he still shot 14% under his usual fg% and wilt won more games against him than he did against wilt
@@FuShengAlex and a 38 yro old Kareem dropped 3 40-47 point games on a athletically prime Hakeem😂😂...Kareem shot 64% from the feild across those 3 games...and also won all three games smh...if kareem went uo against young wilt, he wouldnt of even dropped 30
@@JohnnyRodgers3
Lol it was 12% not 14%...Wilts FG% dropped by a staggering 20% vs Kareem in 72 and his scoring decreased by 3ppg.
In 1 game Kareem put 33 on Wilt while he scored only 10. The game after that Kareem dumped 40 on him to his meagre 11.
Old Wilt only had 1 good gane against Kareem in game 6. He couldn't do anything offensively vs Kareem 1 on 1 that series. He got spoonfed easy dunks or crashing the offensive boards for his scoring. Oscar playing hurt was the biggest problem for the Bucks, he was awful. Imagine being outscored by 23ppg in a series h2h and bragging that you won more games. 🤣🤣
Kareem had 1 move and that was it. Hakeem had about 40 different ways to score. Hard to believe he scored that many points with just 1 way to score.
If you think Kareem only had one move,you haven't watched enough Kareem games..He had arrays of moves in his arsenal, but skyhook was his main move that's all...
watch lew alcindor(kareem) with milwaukee,,and kareem with lakers until MAYBE age 35. He scored only about twelve different ways
This was when Hakeem just got in the league Kareem was in the middle of his prime and the dream still put on a game against the greatest center of all time
if you mean Kareem was at least 7 years past his prime, you got something there, lol, Kareem wouldve lapped Hakeem in his prime, Hakeem won back to back championships in the weakest era of the nba especially without Jordan
this dude cameron mo is a straight clown the 90's was the best era in the NBA history better then this garbage 80's where it was basicaly the Lakers and Boston smh
@@outer967 guess u don't have the knowledge that Dream and the Rockets are the only team to have a winning record vs Jordan 🤣 Nor do u realize Jordan was back for the Rockets 2nd title!!🤫
@@hookemdagawd5607 As if regular season winning record means anything lol. Rockets were great in mid 80s and dat was when Jordan was still young and on a bad team so makes sense to have a winning record against him. That is something different then taking on the mid 90s Bulls in da finals lol. MJ came back as #45 late in 95 season and was not the same til following year, but you believe what you want, lol.
@@outer967 rockets also had a winning record vs them during they 6 title seasons.🤣 u must be a casual. They didn't match up well. Never had a center.👌
4-1 dethroning. Torch passed.
152 LOL u show lew whats up ralf!!
255 why block way into stand just tap it and control ball russel style