Kenny Smith breaks down Hakeem Olajuwon's defense, his ability to guard positions 1 through 5, and his underrated mid-range and three-point shooting. He also reveals Hakeem's business side: he founded Elijah Juan Corporation in college and owns a large portion of Houston through real estate.
Chapters
What's something that people don't know about Hakeem that made him special? Like obviously we all know the footwork was incredible.
Mm-hmm.
But what was something that he did on the basketball court that was more of an underrated thing that people don't quite give credit for that was actually one of the things that really made him great?
Before I go to basketball, I've been blessed to play with great people and be around great mentors. That's why I wrote the book, honestly. He's the most honorable man I've ever met in my life. Most honorable, Dre. Like, if a king— like right now, if I was stuck on a highway and they gave me a cell phone, they said, you got 3 people to call to come get you, I'm calling Akeem. He's going to be one of the 3. He's always going to do exactly what he's going to— what he says what he's going to do. He never variants from that. Wow. From what he says. He's so honorable in what his word is. Like we all, we had a saying in New York, word is bond, word is bond, your word is bond.
Yeah.
Like, no, his word is bond. It will, it is 100% of what it is. He means it all the time. Always the most honorable dude I've ever been around. So on a basketball court, you're gonna trust it. Yo, Kenny, I'm gonna be there. I'm coming, don't worry. If he, he's gonna be there. He said it, he's gonna be there. He's gonna be there. So the most underrated thing was his word. The second most underrated as a physical standpoint was he would be unbelievable in today's game because he could switch 1 to 5. And so he could, guy come off the pick and you got the 1, oh, he's moving his feet. And if you throw the lob, he's going back to still try to contest the lob. I had, I've never seen a player that could double in the pick and roll and get back to his man on the roll and still block the shot. He was the most unique athlete in terms of instinct. Like, he just knew when to leave, he knew when to stay, he knew when to come. I, I know you're a great defensive player, and that's why I kind of watch certain things that you do on the pick and roll, and it's very— okay, imagine if you were 6'10" and your athleticism was Blake Griffin. That was Hakeem. Now how many people would score on you?
How many? That's him. Jesus.
He's you on the defensive end at 6'10" with Blake Griffin's young athleticism.
That's impressive.
That's who he is.
That's impressive. You know, I heard something about Hakeem, that I think is even more impressive than anything he's done about. I heard Hakeem owns like half of Houston. I heard he's a real estate guru. And I don't know if that's true or not, but if that is true and he's a real estate guru like that, the fact that he is that, you don't hear anything from him. You don't see anything. Like, and so the fact I've heard that and then you heard about—
Elijah Juan Corporation is real. And the crazy thing is he started it in college.
Really?
He was living in a townhome in college. He gets drafted by Houston.
Yes.
And his first purchase, he bought the condo that he was in. And then it just so on and so on. Then he moved, got out, kept, and it just, but he is the most underrated wealthy man in the NBA. Underrated his wealth of— not only that, but just his business savvy. And, you know, to have that kind of mindset he's always had, I've never walked in a room or to his house or to anything and said, "Man, what is this dude doing around the King?" Never that. His company that he keeps, you like, "Man, can I know you? Can I get to know who you are? Can I figure out how to be next to you?" His company was impeccable. Like I said, the most honorable person I ever met. Mm-hmm.
That's impressive. And speaking of Hakeem, obviously dominated with his back to the basket. Do you think that style will ever come back into the NBA with the way the NBA has transitioned to more like, 80% of centers in the NBA, maybe even more, can't play with their back to the basket today.
Yeah, he would kill this era only because, Draymond, he was actually the king of the mid-range shot too.
Yeah.
So like, his whole thing was, "I'm gonna face you." And like, do inside pivots and do guard moves as a big. So he and I, Vernon Maxwell and all of them, we sometimes we shoot after practice and he would just do all guard moves. He's like, "Oh Kenny, it's the same moves on the box. Up and unders and step-throughs out front. You know, crossover, head fake, it's the same stuff. I'm gonna do all your moves. Let's go, let's go." And he done. But then what was underrated, he never would take 'em. But you know, I shot a lot of threes. So he would always get in a three shooting contest and he'd make 5 outta 8 threes from each spot, like easily. But in the game he's like, I said, "Draymond, why don't you shoot threes?" 'Cause you know, he's like, "Why am I going to shoot threes? I only have to play 3 times a year. Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and, well, and Shaq. That's it. Everyone else I kill." What's up? He's like, so he's like, "No one else can guard me here. The rest of them, that's it." That's it. I move out. He said, the only time I move off the block is against those 3 guys 'cause no one else could guard me. But he could shoot the 3. He led the league in steals one year. So defensively he was incredible. Defensive player of the year, MVP. His mid-range game was crazy. His pick and roll lob to the rim would've been Blake Griffin-like. And he would've shot the 3.
Mm-hmm.
He would've been like, I'm trying to think of, he would've been able to finish like Clint Capella on the lobs, 'cause he read the, he knows when to leave. He would've been defensively 6'10" you, and he would've probably been, who takes that mid-range jumper now at the 5?
Who takes the mid-range J? Shit, Joel.
He's an athletic Joel Embiid. Me and Sam Cassell, 'cause Sam, you know, that's my guy. He always puts me on the phone when he's on the bus with all his '76ers. And they have this argument about how Draymond Green couldn't guard Joel. Come on, Kenny, come on now, tell him, Kenny. He's an athletic Joel Embiid. Like Joel is athletic, but he's more brute strength.
Yeah.
But they play a lot alike. A lot of like that mid-range shot. He kind of backs you in, but I just think he's a much better defender than Joel. That's it. He's just a much better defender.
And strong enough. He had to be strong enough, right? He guards Shaq.
Yeah, yeah. Shaq, I've never seen anyone not be outpowered by Shaq but him. And I don't know if it was because it's his footwork, his strength, or just his tenacity. Draymond Green, like, you'd like him. He's got a lot of that in you. Like, before he went to the devout Muslim, like, it was like teams were fearful not only of him as a defender, but they were a little bit scared of his physicality, you know, and how he would treat you if you showed any type of weakness. So I had dog, I had him, Vernon Maxwell. I was talking so much, man. I was so happy that I had them dogs around me, man. Those two dudes, oh my God. Oh my God, unbelievable, unbelievable. My favorite teammate of all time is probably Chucky Brown, just because we from New York, we have a— But Vernon Maxwell and Sam Cassell and Mario Elliott, we used to just sit on the bus and do this all day, Draymond Green. Just what we're doing. So when I'm on TV, when I first got on, they used to be like, "Man, you should pay us. You just saying stuff we said in the back of the bus all them years, all them years." So those are my guys, man. What's up everybody?
I'm Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward.
