Hakeem Olajuwon is best known among basketball fans as one of the great centers in the NBA and someone who spent most of his years with the Houston Rockets, a team whose future looked promising right when they drafted him.
Hence, it was only natural for the Rocket to offer the top pick of the 1984 Draft to a contract extension in 1986. This was despite Olajuwon only being in the third year of his original six-year contract.
The Rockets signed Akeem to an eight-year contract extension to secure him long-term. Figures were not disclosed, although it is believed that Olajuwon would earn more than a million annually. The new contract meant "The Dream" would be tied to the franchise until the 1997-98 season. Based on the reaction of the Nigerian Americans, he was happy with the new pact.
"This contract is unbeatable," Olajuwon said at the time via UPI . "This is where I want to play. I signed it for three main reasons. First, the security it provides. Second, I'm very happy and I want to stay in Houston. Third, I'm happy with the organization."
The deal came just after the Rockets won the 1986 Western Conference crown. That season, they reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics in six games. With that performance, Rockets management knew they were on the right track. By securing Hakeem's services, the team hoped to agree to terms with other key players, such as Ralph Sampson and Rodney McCray.
Houston, we have a problem
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Sampson's career declined due to chronic knee issues. Major changes were made, and Houston failed to replicate that 1986 postseason run. Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1987. Then, head coach Bill Fitch was given the boot and dismissed in 1988.
It took years for Houston to assemble a formidable team that could go deep into the playoffs again. The best the Rockets could do in the next five seasons was reach the Western Conference semifinals. However, that would all change in 1994.
With Olajuwon having an MVP season, the Rockets would reach the finals again. But it was sweeter this time around, with Houston winning its first NBA title at the expense of the New York Knicks in franchise history. Akeem would win the regular season and finals MVP plum, to cap a brilliant 1993-94 run.
Although he was a pillar in that run, Olajuwon would not take all the credit. He shared the secret behind that successful NBA title run in a documentary.
"We have a unique team. Guys who love one another. We were friends. The individual commitment, it's not his team, it's our team," the All-Star center stated .
The Rockets were determined to sustain their winning run. However, they needed to tweak their roster after struggling early in the 1994-95 season. They traded Otis Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers for Clyde Drexler, Hakeem's former college teammate.
Entering the postseason as the sixth seed, the Rockets brought down the top three seeds of the Western Conference that year—the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and San Antonio Spurs. In the 1995 NBA Finals, the Rockets would face the rising Orlando Magic. Houston cruised to the title, sweeping the Shaquille O'Neal-led franchise. It took a while, but the Rockets' faith and investment in Olajuwon would reap dividends.
Related: "He would laugh when he slammed into you" - Hakeem Olajuwon on the NBA legend who taught him how to use finesse instead of strength
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