1984 Draft. Olajuwon and Jordan.

[SomeBunghole]

MJ was seen as the better prospect. The blazers did something idiotic and tried to draft based on their needs, which is ALWAYS WRONG. You talks take the best talent available. If you have to move pieces you move pieces.

It's 1984. The past 20 MVP awards have been won by a center 18 times, and by a forward twice. Once by Dr. J and the most recent one at that point by Larry Bird. Not one was one by a guard.

I mean, I'm sure it must stroke your ego to believe that you would've been smarter than the Blazers, but it's just hindsight talking. The pick was obviously not without controversy, and I'm not pretending that Bowie was a consensus choice, but Portland was widely expected to take Bowie before the draft. And for a reason. The prevailing logic at the time was that you need a quality center to win a title. The number one picks before Olajuwon were Sampson, Worthy, Aguirre, Carroll, Magic, Klay Thompson's old man, and Kent Benson. The Rockets did take a guard in John Lucas first in 1976, but that turned out to be a terrible pick. Take a look at the sheer number of big men taken top 10 in those days. It most certainly was not a "take the best player available" kind of league.

[ThunderBolt]

If you are any other team besides Houston you take Jordan. However Rockets fans should take Olajuwon again simply because he's now the face of the franchise and is a legend. Sure, that's letting the emotion make the decision but that's what being a fan is all about. Also, Olajuwon is about the best case scenario you could ask for if you don't get Jordan.

[dhsilv2]

MJ was seen as the better prospect. The blazers did something idiotic and tried to draft based on their needs, which is ALWAYS WRONG. You talks take the best talent available. If you have to move pieces you move pieces.

It's 1984. The past 20 MVP awards have been won by a center 18 times, and by a forward twice. Once by Dr. J and the most recent one at that point by Larry Bird. Not one was one by a guard.

I mean, I'm sure it must stroke your ego to believe that you would've been smarter than the Blazers, but it's just hindsight talking. The pick was obviously not without controversy, and I'm not pretending that Bowie was a consensus choice, but Portland was widely expected to take Bowie before the draft. And for a reason. The prevailing logic at the time was that you need a quality center to win a title. The number one picks before Olajuwon were Sampson, Worthy, Aguirre, Carroll, Magic, Klay Thompson's old man, and Kent Benson. The Rockets did take a guard in John Lucas first in 1976, but that turned out to be a terrible pick. Take a look at the sheer number of big men taken top 10 in those days. It most certainly was not a "take the best player available" kind of league.

Yes, and that was stupid then just as it is today.

[The_Hater]

Nah, you can't make that claim. I mean you can, but you'd be wrong. Everyone that was alive during the era, and saw what happened, knows that Jordan was better than Olajuwon. Hakeem was a great player, but he was never on the level that Jordan was.

It would be like saying that Durant was as good as Lebron. Someone can make that claim, but they'd be wrong.

You decided to go down this route I see?

It wasn’t close, Jordan is the GOAT, Hakeem is somewhere in the 9-12 range all time. A great player no doubt but you shouldn’t make a terrible argument just to try and prove his greatness. And then there’s my original point, that Hakeem needed MJ to retire in order to squeeze out a couple of rings in watered down league.

I’ve never, ever seen someone try and argue that Hakeem was as good as MJ and here I get two in the same thread.

Jordan/Sampson would have won a ring in 86 that is for sure.

Firstly Jordan/Sampson aren't getting past the Lakers.
No way Jordan/Sampson are stopping Kareem without Olajuwon.
And if you think Sampson Jordan 100% would've beaten the Celtics. You really have no idea.

Secondly Jordan is loved he ruled commercials, he was a brand onto himself. Players like that are always going to be overhyped. Olajuwon with his thick Nigerian accent never had the chance.

Thirdly give Olajuwon Pippen and let's see how it all plays out. Give Jordan Kenny Smith.

While I'm not saying Olajuwon was better than Jordan it's obvious we will never have all the facts to prove one way or the other who was better. It's just people's opinions.

Funny watching you talk in such certainties with your opinions while completely dismissing everyone else for their opinions with statements like ‘you have no idea’ and ‘no way’.

Assuming that you’re people, it’s just people’s opinions....

[antonac]

Jordan may be the GOAT but his draft position is one of the least controversial for such an all time great, both Portland and Houston had legitimate reasons to pass on Jordan.

The difference between players at the top is tight, you can't say Houston got it massively wrong. Also, as good as Jordan was, he is not a 6 time champion without the moves Chicago made. The common misconception is Jordan must have hit his prime in 1991 and dominated for the next 8 years (when he was playing), but the reality is Jordan hit his prime several years before then and didn't deliver championships, in fact his numbers go down as his success goes up suggesting stepping back a little from doing everything and letting his team contribute more was key.

The debate over who was better is non-existant, Jordan gets the spoils because his resume says he does, but it wasn't a 1-on-1 contest and the gap between the overal Bulls organisation and the Rockets was larger than the gap between Jordan and Hakeem.

[SomeBunghole]

Yes, and that was stupid then just as it is today.

Thanks for the brilliant, in-depth analysis and lively discussion.

[Ferulci]

Of course with insight Houston should've drafted him. When you get a chance to draft the GOAT, you draft the GOAT. Now it is as good as a mistake can be.

While I'm not saying Olajuwon was better than Jordan it's obvious we will never have all the facts to prove one way or the other who was better. It's just people's opinions.

We have the facts. MJ was a better player than the Dream. I get that as a Rocket fan, you are free to think otherwise. But that's still a fact.

[lilroddyb]

No. Despite MJ being the better player, ill find Olajuwon's career more impressive for me, carrying his team with no second star to 2 rings.

Drexler was the 2nd star for the 2nd ring.

What also needs to be taken into account here is that Houston won their 2 titles due to the void that MJ left when he took 2 years off. Hakeem could have easily ended up with zero rings without MJ’s mid career retirement.

Anyways, to answer the question, of course you’d rather have MJ than Hakeem, he was the better player.

Hakeem made the finals before Jordan did and then played with bad supporting casts for most of his career. If Jordan played with the guys Hakeem did, no guarantee he would have won more rings.

Jordan had extremely strong supporting cast most of his career while Hakeem didn't. In 1993 - 1994 Jordan didn't play at all with the Bulls and they still won 55 games and took the New York Knicks to seven games in the playoffs and barely lost. New york Knicks barely lost to the Houston Rockets in the finals in seven games. That shows how elite the bulls were even without jordan.

Add Reggie Miller to that team and they likely win it all. Add Hakeem to that team and let him play with that supporting squat and I think he will win a few rings

[Hellcrooner]

if im a rocket fan i woudl wish the blazers had accepted to swap Clyde Drexler for Ralph sampson.

Drexler + Hakeem would have murdered the 90s.

[Mylie10]

No. Despite MJ being the better player, ill find Olajuwon's career more impressive for me, carrying his team with no second star to 2 rings.

Umm Clyde Drexler?

[RakimAbdulJabar]

When 84 draft is mentioned it's usually a question of whether Rockets/Blazers should have taken Jordan

What is often neglected is what happened after those picks
Barkley 5th & Stockton 16th could have really changed the landscape of NBA history as we know it had they been taken earlier

This draft also had one of the strangest picks of all time with the Bulls taking Carl Lewis in the 10th round...yes 10th round

It's also possibly one of the funniest innuendo drafts of all time

Dick Mumma
Leon Wood
Willie Jackson
Dickie Beal
Jeff Tipton
Willie Burton
Lance Ball
Mike Reddick
Gary Springer
Buddy Cox
Joe Dickson

[Hroz]

Nah, you can't make that claim. I mean you can, but you'd be wrong. Everyone that was alive during the era, and saw what happened, knows that Jordan was better than Olajuwon. Hakeem was a great player, but he was never on the level that Jordan was.

It would be like saying that Durant was as good as Lebron. Someone can make that claim, but they'd be wrong.

You decided to go down this route I see?

It wasn’t close, Jordan is the GOAT, Hakeem is somewhere in the 9-12 range all time. A great player no doubt but you shouldn’t make a terrible argument just to try and prove his greatness. And then there’s my original point, that Hakeem needed MJ to retire in order to squeeze out a couple of rings in watered down league.

I’ve never, ever seen someone try and argue that Hakeem was as good as MJ and here I get two in the same thread.

Jordan/Sampson would have won a ring in 86 that is for sure.

Firstly Jordan/Sampson aren't getting past the Lakers.
No way Jordan/Sampson are stopping Kareem without Olajuwon.
And if you think Sampson Jordan 100% would've beaten the Celtics. You really have no idea.

Secondly Jordan is loved he ruled commercials, he was a brand onto himself. Players like that are always going to be overhyped. Olajuwon with his thick Nigerian accent never had the chance.

Thirdly give Olajuwon Pippen and let's see how it all plays out. Give Jordan Kenny Smith.

While I'm not saying Olajuwon was better than Jordan it's obvious we will never have all the facts to prove one way or the other who was better. It's just people's opinions.

Funny watching you talk in such certainties with your opinions while completely dismissing everyone else for their opinions with statements like ‘you have no idea’ and ‘no way’.

Assuming that you’re people, it’s just people’s opinions....

That's fair I change my statement from. No way to I don't believe.

The rest of it stands as is.

[Hroz]

Of course with insight Houston should've drafted him. When you get a chance to draft the GOAT, you draft the GOAT. Now it is as good as a mistake can be.

While I'm not saying Olajuwon was better than Jordan it's obvious we will never have all the facts to prove one way or the other who was better. It's just people's opinions.

We have the facts. MJ was a better player than the Dream. I get that as a Rocket fan, you are free to think otherwise. But that's still a fact.

Goat is an opinion. If the Rockets had a better front office are you sure Olajuwon doesn't get more votes as the goat?

[The_Hater]

Firstly Jordan/Sampson aren't getting past the Lakers.
No way Jordan/Sampson are stopping Kareem without Olajuwon.
And if you think Sampson Jordan 100% would've beaten the Celtics. You really have no idea.

Secondly Jordan is loved he ruled commercials, he was a brand onto himself. Players like that are always going to be overhyped. Olajuwon with his thick Nigerian accent never had the chance.

Thirdly give Olajuwon Pippen and let's see how it all plays out. Give Jordan Kenny Smith.

While I'm not saying Olajuwon was better than Jordan it's obvious we will never have all the facts to prove one way or the other who was better. It's just people's opinions.

Funny watching you talk in such certainties with your opinions while completely dismissing everyone else for their opinions with statements like ‘you have no idea’ and ‘no way’.

Assuming that you’re people, it’s just people’s opinions....

That's fair I change my statement from. No way to I don't believe.

The rest of it stands as is.

So the statements that can’t be proven but you don’t believe are far fetched, but me saying that a team is better than more likely to win a title with Jordan than Hakeem ‘can’t be proven one way or the other’.

Hopefully you recognize the hypocrisy in that.

[The_Hater]

Of course with insight Houston should've drafted him. When you get a chance to draft the GOAT, you draft the GOAT. Now it is as good as a mistake can be.

We have the facts. MJ was a better player than the Dream. I get that as a Rocket fan, you are free to think otherwise. But that's still a fact.

Goat is an opinion. If the Rockets had a better front office are you sure Olajuwon doesn't get more votes as the goat?

No, he doesn’t. Now you’re just look foolish as a biased Rockets fan.

But that’s just my opinion....

[Prokorov]

No. Despite MJ being the better player, ill find Olajuwon's career more impressive for me, carrying his team with no second star to 2 rings.

Cassell horry and role players carried htat team

hakeem is the most overrated player in league history. maube all of sports. emtpy stats

[PhilBlackson]

Can't fault the Rockets for drafting the Dream who's also amongst the top 10 ever imo BUT no you simply can't/don't pass on the GOAT.

Imagine saying "no I would not draft the greatest player of all time because"....there's no logical thing you can say to end that sentence. If the choice is the BEST or anyone else, if it's not the best, it's the wrong answer.

[Optms]

No. Despite MJ being the better player, ill find Olajuwon's career more impressive for me, carrying his team with no second star to 2 rings.

That's not more impressive than 3-peating twice and being the face of an entire sport. Even somewhat to this day.

[shakes0]

Wait, why are we opening up an argument about whether or not someone whom absolutely everyone agrees is a better player--is actually a better player? Hakeem is a great great player while Jordan is a top-3 all-time player at worst. The gap between them is pronounced and we could all find many stats to back it up, in addition to the team success argument.

Context is everything, though. The Rockets organization was not exactly great at surrounding Hakeem with talent. I mean, he had Sampson early on, but he broke down quickly and terribly. They got two horribly overrated players for him, neither of whom contributed anything to team success. Hell, one of them played the same position as Hakeem so that was a waste. They had two players suspended for more than a season for doing cocaine in 1986. When they were re-instated two years later, the Rockets put the two in the starting lineup. I mean, half of Hakeem's starting lineup was literally cokeheads. In '92, Hakeem missed 12 games and the team promptly went 2-10 in those and missed the playoffs.

Sure, MJ is the greatest ever, but the gap is not quite what you make it out to be. Or rather, it might not have been enough for him to drag some pretty terrible teams to any significant playoff glory had he been drafted by the Rockets and surrounded by the kind of riffraff Hakeem was surrounded by. I mean, hell, let's pretend MJ doesn't retire in '93 and swap him and Hakeem. Does Jordan take that Rockets team to the title? How does Hakeem do if you put him next to Pippen, Grant and Kukoč on that 55-27 Bulls team?

Context is everything. Michael Jordan had a special mindset probably never seen in NBA history. I guess one of the differences between him and Hakeem is MJ would never have allowed a bunch of coke heads to be part of HIS team. He would've instructed management to get rid of all the riff raff and bad apples....just like he did in Chicago the first few years of his career. Remember all the losers who were on those early teams, guys like Quentin Daily? Jordan ran bums like that right out of town, even when he was a youngster.

Greatness creates it's own context. Jordan would've made any team he went to a dynasty.

[InTheNBADraft]

You can't argue with the choice at the time, but in hindsight, Jordan is Jordan and he's superior in every way.