While Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the greatest centers ever, this doesn’t mean no one gave him a difficult time on offense. During his prime, he played against several legendary big men, including David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, and others.
The Dream’s toughest foes
Interestingly, when the Houston Rockets icon was asked who was the best big man who gave him a tough time on offense, Hakeem mentioned two names that most NBA fans have not heard.
“The really challenging ones were heavy and mechanical. Like . . . Greg Kite… And Frank Brickowski,” Olajuwon said , per Sports Illustrated.
It’s understandable if even the most diehard NBA fan does not know Kite and Brickowski. After all, not only were they backup bigs, but the two centers were NBA journeymen who donned many jerseys.
Kite played for teams including the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, and others. The 21st overall pick of the 1983 NBA Draft played 11 years in the league and averaged 2.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
Even though he remains relatively unknown, Kite has two NBA Championship rings to show for which he won in 1984 and 1986 with the Celtics. The BYU product was also a young Shaquille O’Neal’s backup. It’s not hard to imagine the veteran center giving the rookie Shaq some tips on carrying oneself as a professional.
While Brickowski was the 57th overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft, he didn’t play in the NBA until 1984. Frank wore various jerseys, including those of the Seattle Supersonics, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs.
He was a better player than Kite, at least based on stats. Brick averaged 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Frank was mostly a backup center, but Brickowski failed to snag a title, unlike Kite.
Related: "He has 47 kids in the Philippines, and I'm the oldest one" - When Dennis Rodman broke down during his Hall of Fame speech
Bangers
Despite not-so-impressive numbers, Kite and Brickowski had long tenures because they knew exactly what their roles were. In an interview with John Salley on the Rich Eisen Show , Brick perfectly described what his role was for the teams he played for.
“I played 11 years for three teams, roughly,” Brick said . “The others were pit stops or whatever, but you know, when I first came to the league, all I could do was beat people up, just bang. And I slowly developed a game. By the time I left, I was a legitimate three-point shooter. I shot 40-something percent. I had both hands down low. I could shoot the midrange. I had some skills, but I had to develop that. But when I first came to the league, I was just a banger. That’s all I was.”
Safe to say that the two bigs effectively played their roles as “bangers.” They made a basketball career of it and earned a couple of millions. The best part was they made a mark on Olajuwon’s mind.
Related: “If I had to go alone against him he might have a quintuple-double” – Mychal Thompson explains how tough it was to contain prime Hakeem Olajuwon
Local News
