Apologies In The Mail For Rockets
Apologies went out to the Houston Rockets last week after they made the Western Conference finals despite the lowest level of expectations ever accorded a defending pro basketball champion.
Last week, as the Rockets leaped to their second straight berth in the NBA Finals, it was high time that more amends be made, specifically in the case of Hakeem Olajuwon.
The 7-foot, 245-pound Dream from Nigeria almost single-handedly lifted Houston to a 4-2 series victory over the best team in the league to that point, San Antonio.
Those who overwhelmingly voted San Antonio center David Robinson the league’s MVP at the end of the regular season could easily make excuses, but never enough to justify Olajuwon’s fifth-place finish in that vote.
But to argue small points would be to miss the big one: Olajuwon belongs among the greats in the sport. He may, in fact, be the most graceful big man ever to take a basketball between his palms.
After Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell - listed only in alphabetical order - who else deserves to stand in line ahead of Olajuwon among the best centers ever?
From the past: Wes Unseld, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Bob Lanier, Bill Walton? From the present: Robert Parish, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal, Robinson? They all had limitations to their games that required great supporting players, or their bodies kept them from prolonged, fruitful careers.
About the only other player who could threaten Olajuwon in such a ranking is Moses Malone, the Dream’s original tutor in Houston. It says here, however, that Olajuwon is a better-rounded player, and that if he wins another NBA title, that will be one more than Malone got. In terms of requiring a supporting cast, the 76ers’ 1983 roster of Julius Erving, a Hall of Famer, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones would run circles around Olajuwon’s teammates. That goes both for last year, when Vernon Maxwell, Robert Horry and Otis Thorpe were with Olajuwon, and even this year, when Maxwell and Thorpe have been replaced by potential Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler.
Rumor update
The Timberwolves and Pistons have been denying rumors of a trade that would send Christian Laettner to Detroit, to be rejoined with former Duke teammate Grant Hill, for the Pistons’ first pick, No.8 overall.
Clifford Robinson of Portland is said to be available, and the Milwaukee Bucks are said to be offering their first pick, the 11th overall, and either one of two point guards, Eric Murdock or Lee Mayberry.
The Washington Bullets, desperate for a point guard, are said to be packaging the fourth overall pick and Rex Chapman for Strickland of Portland and the 18th overall pick. The Blazers may have balked.
The Bulls may be reluctant to deal Scottie Pippen after the Warriors reportedly expressed interest in trading their No. 1 pick, first in the draft, and Chris Mullin for Pippen. The talk is the Bulls may try to deal guard B.J. Armstrong to get a power forward.
Around the league
By virtue of reaching the Finals, the Rockets lost their first-round draft pick, No.19 overall, to Portland, according to provisions of the trade that sent Drexler to Houston and Thorpe to the Trail Blazers….
If Chicago Bulls assistant Jim Cleamons gets a head coaching job, look for the Bulls to offer the open assistant’s job to John Paxson or Bill Cartwright, two favorites of general manager Jerry Krause….
Kendall Gill sees no hope for peace between him and Sonics coach George Karl.
“I’m not being a brat, but you can only be slapped in the face so many times and not do something about it,” Gill said Friday in a telephone interview from his hometown of Chicago. “I don’t believe George. I don’t believe anything he says.”