In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, former NBA point guard Sam Cassell shares his memories of joining the Houston Rockets as a rookie and playing alongside Hall‑of‑Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. Cassell describes the odd preseason where Olajuwon appeared out of shape, the team's 0‑8 preseason losing streak, and the dramatic turnaround that began with a dominant opening‑night performance against the Golden State Warriors, where Olajuwon posted a near‑triple‑double with blocks, steals, and rebounds. He recounts specific in‑game moments—Olajuwon’s protective presence, a block on John Stockton, and a surprise move against David Robinson in the Western Conference Finals. Cassell also compares Olajuwon to modern centers such as Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, arguing that Olajuwon’s all‑around skill set would outmatch them. When asked to rank all‑time centers, Cassell places Olajuwon just behind Kareem Abdul‑Jabbar and ahead of Shaquille O'Neal, noting Olajuwon’s dominance over Shaq in the 1995 Finals. Throughout, the conversation is peppered with humor, nostalgic admiration, and occasional banter with host Draymond Green and commentator Colin Cowherd.
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Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. But take me to the beginning of the journey as an NBA player. You get drafted to a team with Hakeem Olajuwon. What was that experience like going on as a, by the way, as a point guard, then going to play with the Dream. What was that experience like coming right outta college and then going and play with the Houston Rockets?
It was so, You know, it was so ironic, man, that you watched him for so many years. Now you his teammate. And I remember the first day of training camp. So I didn't see Draymond all summer. You know, back in the '90s, you know, guys used training camp to get in shape. Training camp was a whole month. So you had a whole time to get in shape. So I'd never seen Hakeem Olajuwon the whole summer. So when training camp, the first day of training camp, He was outta shape. He was outta shape. And when preseason came, man, I was like, wow, like, man, he ain't that good. You know what I'm saying? Like, he ain't that good. Not knowing that the veterans use training camp to get their body going and get their mind together. So our first couple preseason games, we was terrible. No, we was terrible. I mean, he had like 5 points, like 5 rebounds. And I'm like, man, like this team won 54 games last year. You know, I know we ain't this bad. Now I understand it's preseason basketball, but I really don't understand it's preseason basketball because in college we had exhibition games, you go hard.
Absolutely.
You go hard.
You know what I'm saying? If you didn't go hard, the head coach had something for you later on.
Absolutely.
You know, so, and I never understood like, man, I asked him one day, I said, Draymond, like what's going on, man? After the 4th game, we like 0-4, getting blown out by 20 points every preseason game. Blown out. I was like, "What's going on?" And it was so simple. It wasn't even a thought process to him. He said, "Son, they don't send these stat sheets to New York." And I was like, "What are you talking about New York for? Like what?" Obviously the stat sheet— Not knowing the league office is in New York. You know, not having a clue. Like, what are you talking about New York for? Didn't understand. So I asked Kenny Smith that. I said, "That's a gift." What are you talking about, man? He said, "Sam, the popcorn ain't popping yet. Stat sheet's not real yet." So fast forward, open the night. Now we 0-8 in preseason. We had 8 preseason games back in the day. 8 pre— we 0-8. Our average loss was by like 16, 17 points.
Jesus Christ.
Man, when them lights came on, opening night, I could not believe what I was witnessing. We played the Golden State Warriors. I'll never forget this, man. This man had like 38, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks, 7 assists, 3 steals. He was in every category, man, that he leading every category, blocks, steals, everything. And I asked him after the game, I said, "Draymond, where was that in preseason?" Mm-hmm. And he took his mouthpiece out, he said, took his mouthpiece out, he said, It doesn't count. This counts. The popcorn sellers right now is ready. It's time to go. And ironically, we went 18 and 0. No, we went 22, 21 and 0 to start the season off. 0 and 8 in preseason, went 21 and 0 to start the season. It's crazy.
So that right there for you as a rookie, you see that, that fuck your mind up.
Oh, I'm done. I'm just like, This the baddest dude in the game of basketball. 'Cause you understand Michael Jordan has retired now. Yeah.
He's gone. Yep.
I said, this the baddest dude in basketball offensively and defensively.
Mm-hmm.
'Cause he was that rim protector. One day I was guarding someone, I think John Stockton, but he beat me off the dribble and I reached in and fouled him. And he lost his mind. "Sam, what are you doing?" "Look up, look up there." And I look up in the stands, up in the ceiling, it was the all-time shot block leader.
Can't even lie, man.
He said, "I'll block it. Don't foul him. Trust me, I'll be there." And man, it was a pleasure just to be his teammate. 'Cause I know that if I got beat off the dribble, he's coming. He may not block it, but he gonna make you miss.
Absolutely.
80% of the time.
Absolutely. So I've been doing, I've had the honor of working with Jet. Yeah. Chuck, Shaq on TNT.
Great guys.
Amazing guys. And we had these conversations and Jet in particular. And Jet say, I'm telling you, Draymond, Nikola Jokic has absolutely nothing on Hakeem Olajuwon. And I got a problem with that. I got a problem with that. Is I have a hard time believing that. And I know Dream was great, I get it and all of that. But to say Joker not even in the same category with Dream is crazy to me. How do you feel about that one?
I think Joker is, see Dream is a beast both ways on the court.
Yeah.
You know, Dream, like I said, Dream was in the top 10 in every category in NBA, steals, rebounds, you know, scoring. So, Jokic, I think he will score on Dream, but Dream will wear him down because the constant pressure. You know, he's not backing Dream down under the basket. You know what I'm saying? That's not happening. That's not happening. And on the other end of the court, Jokic don't have a chance.
Facts.
He don't have a chance. You know, he think that Joel Embiid gave him problems, you know what I'm saying, offensively. He wouldn't have a chance. 'Cause how could you stop him? He had a, Draymond Green had a counter to everything you did defensively. He had a counter. And the crazy part about it, he used to practice these things and sometimes he used to bring something out that the move he'd go baseline and that we never saw that all year. He brung that out against David Robinson in the Western Conference Finals. We never saw him, he never did that the whole season. He brung that thing out in the Western Conference Finals against David Robinson. We was like, and it blew everybody's mind. Like, what the fuck was that? And David Robinson was the MVP.
Yeah.
It was the MVP. That man was 40 points, like 14 rebounds, like 8, he had like 6, 7 blocked shots a game.
That's crazy.
He was killing, he was killing. Like we used to have 3-on-1 breaks. And they didn't like our numbers. And we just bring it back out and wave 'em down. Come on, come on, get 'em, get 'em. Throw it to the big fella. He always say, keep it simple, Kiss. Keep it simple. Keep it simple, stupid. Keep it simple, Sam. Sam, keep it simple, Sam. Come on. And that's how it was with Man Kenny. You know what I'm saying? He was always, Draymond Green was always our outlet in the game of basketball. Now he was very demanding. He was very demanding now. Mm-hmm. He wasn't easy to play with, but he was good. He was real good.
So when you look at the all-time list of centers, where does he fit on that list?
You got— Guys that I have seen?
Yeah.
He's right after, he's right after Kareem. I haven't seen Wilt and Bill Russell.
Yes.
But I've seen, I've seen Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I've seen the captain play. I think he's right behind him. And I think Shaq was right behind Draymond.
That hurts my feelings 'cause Shaq is my all-time favorite player in history. So I can't roll with you on that, but I respect it. I respect it.
Well, he beat Shaq in the finals. He beat Shaq in the finals.
He did. Shaq was young, man. Shaq, you know, Shaq got more rings though. Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah. You know.
Yeah. Shaq does have that. Oh, Shaq the beast now.
Don't get it twisted. The Diesel.
The Diesel's the beast now.
Absolutely.
Trust me. Shaq, all of it.
Absolutely.
Shaq is everything you expect him to be. We trapped Shaq and that young Shaq was a bad Shaq too now. You know, when Shaq was running that court, you know, get that thing off the boards and push that thing full court. You had to get out his way. You not taking no charge against Shaq.
He run you over. It's gonna literally— Me and your Shaq just so you don't do it again.
So you just let him, you know, dunk the ball and break the back. Shaq had made a purpose of breaking every backboard back in the day. It was just amazing to see how big and— agile. See, y'all remember Shaq when he was like with the Lakers and he was big and just going across the lane. And you know, I remember Shaq when he's running the court, you know, leading the break, throwing no-look passes, you know, having fun, laughing out there. But when Shaq got serious, he was a, he was a beast.
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