Hakeem Olajuwon stood 7-0 and weighed 255 pounds, but his signature “Dream Shake” showed off an agility and quickness that no other center in NBA history has ever matched. This dude was truly one of a kind.
The Dream’s Unique Skillset
We’re talking rarified air here. Olajuwon, alongside legends like Patrick Ewing, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal, and David Robinson, is on that short list of all-time great big men. We saw Olajuwon contest the ball at tip-off against O’Neal during Game 4 of the 1995 NBA Finals. But Olajuwon? He was different. Watch a compilation of his Dream Shake, and you’ll see it. No center, seriously, very few players period, had that combo of quickness and agility he brought to the court. It was absolutely unreal for a guy his size.
Shaq’s Unbelievable Transformation
The only other big man who even came close to that level of agility was a young Shaquille O’Neal. But then Shaq hit the NBA, packed on so much weight, and that quickness just disappeared. By his third championship with the Lakers, even though he was listed at 325 pounds, O’Neal later admitted he played at a staggering 415 pounds. Think about that for a second. That’s a huge difference from Olajuwon’s lean 255. It just shows how unique Olajuwon’s playing style and physique were, setting him apart from literally everyone else.
We’re still talking about his game today, decades later, because Hakeem Olajuwon was that special. Some talents just transcend time, and his combination of power and grace certainly did.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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