In his last season with the Houston Rockets , 38-year-old Hakeem Olajuwon showcased that Father Time was catching him. The Nigerian legend averaged 11.9 points while making 49.9% of his two-pointers.
Consequently, when The Dream declined a $13 million offer from the franchise in the summer of 2001, the Toronto Raptors , one of the most promising teams in the East at the time, wasted no time in acquiring the 7-foot center despite his age.
The prevailing expectation was that Olajuwon's championship-winning experience would catalyze the team's growth. However, the reality proved markedly different, with the Raptors regressing to a subpar level. Moreover, the Raptors' GM didn't even shy away from admitting how the franchise had indeed lost on this 'gamble.'
Did Hakeem fail in his lone season in Toronto?
The 2000-01 season saw the Raptors flourish, with Vince Carter averaging 27.6 points per game and Antonio Davis proving to be a formidable threat in the paint - averaging 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Mark Jackson being the ideal playmaker, logged 9.2 assists per game. Additionally, Alvin Williams and Morris Peterson emerged as promising young talent, showing signs of being capable supporting cast members.
The Raptors finished the regular season as the 8th best offensively rated team and only lost in seven games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the playoffs. Such a performance led to a widespread belief that adding a quality veteran was precisely required to help the franchise take the next step.
As a result, Toronto went all in and tarded a pair of future draft picks to acquire the two-time DPOY on August 2nd, 2001. However, the reality was completely different from the lofty expectations.
Not only did the team register five fewer wins than the previous regular season, but it was also among the worst 10 offensively rated teams. The thought of Hakeem exerting minimal effort for maximum impact proved to be a significant miscalculation.
The 12-time All-Star's statistical output also took a nosedive, as he logged career-low averages of 7.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Unsurprisingly, with the Raptors unable to find any harmony, they were eliminated in the first round itself.
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Raptors' GM admitted to the harsh truth
Having signed the two-time NBA Champ with a three-year, $18 million contract, the Raptors' investment was further compromised when he could not fulfill the remaining two years due to a severe back injury. Ultimately, GM Glen Grunwald candidly acknowledged that this acquisition represented a failed gamble for the franchise.
"It was a gamble, and I think we lost on it, " Grunwald said , as per USA Today. "It didn't turn out the way we had hoped."
As difficult as it was for old-school NBA fans to witness the legendary "Dream" in such a diminished capacity — posting career-low averages in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals — Grunwald felt the financial burden most acutely. This scenario also served as a reminder that not all heroic careers concluded with a grand farewell.
Who knows, that lone season with the Raptors might have even hurt Olajuwon's standing on the all-time big men list.
Related: Hakeem Olajuwon was mockingly called "a freak" as a kid: "Why can't I be like anybody else?"
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