GOAT Index

Two legends at a time. Thousands of votes. One ranking.

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Hakeem Olajuwon: the case for the GOAT

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    Hakeem Olajuwon: the case for the GOAT

    Center · Rockets · Born 21 January 1963, Lagos, Nigeria · Career 1984–2002

    A graceful center whose 'Dream Shake' footwork and shot-blocking led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles, finishing with one season in Toronto.

    Career highlights

    Why Hakeem Olajuwon could be the GOAT

    In 1994, Hakeem became the first player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in the same season. He beat Ewing, Robinson and Shaq in consecutive playoff runs. His footwork remains the gold standard for big men, and he is the career leader in blocked shots.

    What fans say

    Hakeem Olajuwon is #19 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 4–6 head-to-head record from 157 NBA votes. See the full NBA GOAT ranking

    Hakeem Olajuwon head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

    One vote per matchup per person. If you see a pairing again in another session your new answer replaces the old one, so nobody can stuff the ballot by repeating a matchup.

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    Photo credits

      Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses listed. Each links to its source page.