Nikola Jokic silenced all his naysayers when he almost single-handedly led Serbia to an Olympic bronze medal in Paris, showcasing how he’s undoubtedly the most impactful in the modern-day NBA.
Moreover, after witnessing The Joker have such an inspirational impact even while playing alongside new teammates in a short format, many have started to believe that the Denver Nuggets center would easily hold his own against the legendary old-school centers. But Sam Cassell recently shut that notion down, arguing that Hakeem Olajuwon would easily dominate the Nuggets center big man.
Cassell says Olajuwon would dominate Jokic
Speaking on the Draymond Green Show, Cassell emphasized how versatile ‘The Dream’ was on both ends of the floor after playing 248 games alongside him. Furthermore, discussing a hypothetical matchup between his former teammate and Jokic, Cassell gushed over the 12-time All-Star’s supremacy in every aspect, suggesting how if Joel Embiid could give Jokic troubles, fans can’t even fathom how viciously the 7-foot center would dominate the Serbian star.
"Dream is a beast both ways on the court. Dream is in Top 10 in every category, in the NBA - steals, rebounds, scoring. Joker, I think will score on Dream but Dream will weigh him down because (of) the constant pressure. He’s not backing down Dream under the basket, that’s not happening. On the other end of the court, Joker don’t have a chance," Cassell said . "You know Joel Embiid gave him problems offensively, he (Jokic) would stand a chance (against Hakeem). Dream had a counter for everything you did defensively."
To add more to his point, Cassell even highlighted how The Dream never ran out of ideas on how to outfox his opponents. He mentioned how the two-time DPOY stood his ground against new-age centers like David Robinson by pulling off new moves, which his own teammates had no idea about.
Related: "You could just feel it, the lack of respect" - Alonzo Mourning on the tense environment in the gold medal game against France in the 2000 Olympics
Cassell says Hakeem is the No. 2 center of all time
Although the 6’3” point guard acknowledged that playing alongside Hakeem was indeed demanding and challenging, the Rockets players were always reassured by Little Moses’ presence on the floor. Ultimately, Cassell ranked Hakeem as the second-greatest big man in NBA history, only behind six-time MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
It is safe to say that while the Joker might be making a compelling case for being the most dominant big man if he continues to perform at his current level, ‘Sam I Am’ will never choose him over the Rockets legend.
Related: "Ask David Robinson about Dream" - Sam Cassell on debating with Paul Pierce over Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Tim Duncan
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