"He would laugh when he slammed into you" - Hakeem Olajuwon on the NBA legend who taught him how to use finesse instead of strength

Houston Rockets icon Hakeem Olajuwon didn't become one of the greatest players overnight. The Nigerian-American center maximized his God-given abilities through sheer hard work and dedication.

Olajuwon also encountered one of the sport's legends, which helped propel him to superstar status. The legendary Moses Malone played with Hakeem during the Dream's early years in the NBA, an experience that sharpened his skill and hardened his mettle.

Power slam in your face!

"I would never have accomplished what I did if I did not play against Moses at Fonde," Olajuwon said , referring to the legendary basketball gym in Houston graced by various NBA legends.

The two-time NBA Champion claimed that while he knew the rules and fundamentals of the sport, Malone was the one who taught him how to excel at it.

"With Moses, there were no rests, no breaks," he continued . "He was working every time down the court — scoring, rebounding, or just making you feel his body. He would laugh when he slammed into you. If you tried to take a breath, he went by you or over you. There was no stop."

During their duels, Olajuwon would try to bully Malone but to no avail. The Chairman of the Boards was just too strong, and that negated Hakeem's height advantage. It was then that The Dream realized he had to use finesse to beat Moses.

"I usually couldn't go through Moses because he was just so strong," Olajuwon said. "So I had to learn to use speed and agility to go around him. That's how I built my game."

Related: Former Sixers GM Billy King describes Allen Iverson's competitiveness: “When he was injured and we knew he couldn’t play, we used to hide his jersey”

Moses' underrated skill

While Hakeem claimed that Malone's strength set him apart from everyone else, Bill Walton noted that the 1983 NBA Champion also possessed a cat-like ability .

"He was the guy who would be willing to throw up the worst shot ever, knowing he could land and pounce. He was very much like a cat," Walton said. "He came in with such passion; he came in with a level of pride that few players were only able to match."

As the modern saying goes, real recognizes real. Olajuwon credited Moses with elevating his game, while Walton beefed up Malone's stature with his observation. Perhaps this is why the NBA continues to thrive after all these years. Great players are willing to share their tricks and lessons with the young ones.

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