When looking at Robert Horry 's career, everyone could see how many top-tier players he became teammates with. However, the player who always stuck out to him was the first superstar he played with, Hakeem Olajuwon .
He has always compared players to the Nigerian great since he played with him on the Houston Rockets. Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard got that treatment since they were both top-tier centers.
"Dwight would have no chance against Olajuwon, Howard is a good player, but his offensive skills are limited," Horry said to HoopsHype in 2013. "Dwight is a great player, but there are things certain players can and can't do, and Hakeem could do a lot."
Dwight had a limited offensive bag
Howard was one of the most gifted players during the 2000s and 2010s. He had the athleticism to keep up with anyone on the defensive end because he could match up with the strongest centers but also keep in step of the quicker big men. Dwight won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, cementing his status as an all-time great defender.
On offense, he primarily relied on his athleticism to get by. He could get putback dunks and was a perfect pick-and-roll partner for Jameer Nelson . The partnership centered on pick-and-roll plays and throwing the ball into a spot only Dwight could reach. It became the bread-and-butter for the Orlando Magic under Coach Stan Van Gundy.
Unfortunately, Dwight needed to become the go-to guy, so he worked on having more of an offensive bag. He had a running hook while turning on his right shoulder and a spin to the baseline using his quickness. It worked out for him most of the time, but he struggled against the centers who knew how to defend against him.
Horry believes that Dwight's offensive bag pales in comparison to Hakeem's. This is a valid point because D-12 had to study under The Dream to improve as an offensive player.
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Hakeem was a bit disappointed with Dwight
Olajuwon was a perfect mentor to a lot of players. The most notable one is Kobe Bryant, who was not a big man but wanted to learn more about post-up play and footwork from Hakeem. The Black Mamba learned from watching game tapes but became The Dream's best student during the one-on-one sessions.
The Dream became a hot commodity when people saw his impact on Kobe's offensive game. Dwight was a player who asked for help from Olajuwon, which was a natural fit since Hakeem was an elite center.
Unfortunately, Hakeem did not mesh well with Dwight because the younger center showed some weaknesses during the sessions .
"When he gets the ball, he seems to be taking his time to decide what move to make… There should not be a delay for Dwight," Hakeem said to Bleacher Report in 2013. "He must be able to make a faster recognition of the situations and react immediately with a go-to move. You must move right away before the defense has a chance to set up."
If Hakeem himself was not impressed with what he saw from Dwight, Horry's point has some credence. He knows Olajuwon was the better player, so a hypothetical matchup belongs to the two-time Finals MVP.
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