Settling it once and for all: Hakeem < Kareem

[ThaRegul8r]

This stems from a post I made on another message board on the subject, and since I've read various posts made on this topic over the years I've participated on basketball message boards, and seen threads such as "Hakeem is the GOAT," stating that "Hakeem Olajuwon was undisputedly the greatest biggie of all time," and considering there was a thread entitled

[Teddy KGB]

Yeah i dunno why people view Hakeem so highly, i see it as:

1a Wilt
1b Kareem

then Russell, Hakeem and Shaq. Hell, I have 'Keem at the bottom of the top 5 centers...

[Myth_Breaker]

Great idea, the Regular! I've often thought myself that posts like the OP should be refreshed or even stickied in order to minimalize nonsense produced by mental ballboys here (if I read once more that Wilt or Russ played in the era of 6-7 white centers... ). I've read the thread you reminded and sheer amount of nonsense from the part of guys like Harmless or canoner is really mind-boggling. Though at least after confronting with hard facts they changed a tune a bit, did you notice? From claiming that Hakeem is obviously superior to Kareem to stating that players from different eras shouldn't be compared (so why they WERE comparing them before?).

[Myth_Breaker]

Yeah i dunno why people view Hakeem so highly, i see it as:

1a Wilt
1b Kareem

then Russell, Hakeem and Shaq. Hell, I have 'Keem at the bottom of the top 5 centers...

Don't steal my No 1-5 centers ranking! But seriously: now add Moses at 6 and Mikan (for historical importance) at 7 and we would be arguing only last 3 spots from Top 10, don't you think?

[Point forward]

I also have a hard time thinking that Hakeem is on par with Kareem. It is like comparing Romario (Dream) and Pele (Kareem). Romario was great, but no way he is "The King".

[ThaRegul8r]

This stems from a post I made on another message board on the subject, and since I've read various posts made on this topic over the years I've participated on basketball message boards, and seen threads such as "Hakeem is the GOAT," stating that "Hakeem Olajuwon was undisputedly the greatest biggie of all time," and considering there was a thread entitled

[ThaRegul8r]

-= original quote snipped =-



Appreciate the time and effort you put into your post on another board. But I'm not sure it's necessary to pull up a two year old thread to beg a question that was pretty thoroughly covered--and gets answered equally thoroughly every few months when the question pops up again.

I didn't pull up a two-year old thread specifically to respond to that thread per se, but was merely using it to prove my point about having seen this come up over and over again on various boards over the years

[ThaRegul8r]

Great idea, the Regular!

Regul8r. You wouldn't believe how many people continue to make that mistake throughout the years.

[ThaRegul8r]

-= original quote snipped =-



I didn't pull up a two-year old thread specifically to respond to that thread per se, but was merely using it to prove my point about having seen this come up over and over again on various boards over the years

[ThaRegul8r]

Because, by definition, message boards aren

[hermes]

hakeem was good
but not on the level kareem was

[TrueLAfan]

Well, perhaps I misread your earlier post which said

I've taken it upon myself to put him [Kareem] in historical context. The next time I see anyone claiming that Hakeem was better than Kareem, I'll direct him to this thread.

which seems like you pretty much are setting yourself up as some sort of an ultimate arbiter (not to mention that you feel your--or any--post would be one to be "referred back to when needed.") In a tidy, structured sort of world, it's a nice sort of idea. In a messy world of arbitrarily judging basketball players on a website posted on by thousands of people--what happens on this board, in other words--it's a dead end proposition. You'll have to simply cut and paste and keep doing it, or keep posting some form of response, whenever a question you feel strongly about comes up ... and age, past experience, writings on other boards have no bearing on that.

[kandiking]

hakeem had a name that started with O so he's better.

[penbeast0]

Well, Hakeem is the 2nd string center on my all-time starting with O team . . . but then again, the backup PG is Kevin Ollie or Doug Overton.

[Point forward]

hakeem had a name that started with O so he's better.

Ostertag > Olajuwon

(I did not say we talked about basketball)