Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 440 Hakeem Olajuwon

Three days later, at the Houston Space Dome!

This stadium, built in 1965 at a total cost of $3700 million, was once called the "eighth wonder of the world" by Christian evangelist Billy Graham.

Even after thirty years, the Space Dome remains one of the top stadiums in the United States.

It wasn't until the new century, with the construction and opening of NPG and Toyota Center, that the Space Dome gradually fell into obscurity.

In 2008, the Space Dome Stadium began to be idle.

Despite being just a high school competition, it still attracted a considerable number of spectators.

The huge stadium was 70% full.

Before the two teams could even enter the stadium, two giants, each over two meters tall, suddenly walked in together.

In an instant, countless eyes were focused on these two tall figures, accompanied by gasps of surprise.

The reason is simple: these two are none other than Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, two current NBA superstars.

History did not change. A few months ago, Drexler finally left the Trail Blazers to join his college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon in pursuit of his championship dream.

Last season, Hakeem Olajuwon led the Rockets to a stunning championship victory, widely regarded as a prime example of a "single-star championship," and considered by many to be among the most impressive in NBA history.

It's likely that only when Nowitzki leads the Mavericks to a championship nearly twenty years later can it be compared to this.

This season, Hakeem Olajuwon swept the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards, becoming the only player in NBA history to win all three of these highest honors in a single season.

This demonstrates just how terrifying Dream's dominance is on both offense and defense.

Compared to the Rockets, the Knicks, their opponent in the Finals, boast a truly impressive roster.

At the time, the Knicks assembled a large number of star players, including Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Derek Harper, John Starks, and Charles Smith.

During that season, Ewing, John Starks, and Charles Oakley were all selected for the 1994 NBA All-Star Game thanks to their outstanding performances.

As for Charles Smith, he was the third overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and starting from his third year as a rookie, he averaged 20+10 for four consecutive seasons.

Unfortunately, Charles Smith was not very lucky; he won no major honors.

Even so, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

This Knicks team probably only has one player who's a bit less than Derek Harper, but he's still a near All-Star caliber point guard.

In other words, this is a team composed of five All-Star and near-All-Star level players.

In addition, the Knicks' head coach at the time was Parkley.

Compared to the Knicks, the Rockets' roster is undoubtedly much weaker.

As everyone knows, the Rockets are notoriously stingy in the NBA, a typical example of a team that refuses to pay the luxury tax every year.

Aside from Hakeem Olajuwon, the Rockets only have one All-Star player, Thorpe.

But it was all for naught. Thorpe was already 32 years old and had fallen from his peak, averaging 11.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

However, in the finals, Ewing was completely outmatched by Hakeem Olajuwon.

In the seven Finals games, Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks, holding Patrick Ewing to a 36.3% field goal percentage.

In addition, Hakeem Olajuwon blocked Starks' three-pointer in the crucial Game 6, forcing a Game 7 in the series.

This is the true value of winning a championship!

With nearly half of the 1994-95 season gone, the defending champion Rockets' record was far from ideal.

Therefore, with both parties in a good relationship, the Rockets quickly reached a trade agreement with the Trail Blazers.

The Rockets traded Thorpe, Marcelo Nikola, Maxwell, and their 95 first-round draft pick to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Drexler and Tracy Murray.

Last season, Murray, in his second year as a rookie, ranked first in the league with a 45.9% three-point shooting percentage.

As for Drexler, even though his performance declined due to injury, he still maintained an All-Star level.

The arrival of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler undoubtedly added to the excitement of this elite tournament.

This can be seen from the enthusiastic response of the audience.

For the Rockets, Hakeem Olajuwon is undoubtedly the greatest player in franchise history. It was at this moment that both teams finally entered the arena, and the atmosphere reached its peak.

The lights focused on the field as the players began to warm up.

Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler sat in the VIP section, smiling, ready to watch the upcoming match.

"Clyde, I really don't understand, what's so interesting about high school games?"

Hakeem Olajuwon yawned, showing absolutely no interest in the low-level high school games.

If it weren't for Drexler's enthusiastic invitation, Hakeem Olajuwon would never have wanted to come.

Despite the significant increase in the Rockets' strength with the addition of Drexler and Murray, whether they can make it to the playoffs remains uncertain.

This is also the main reason why Hakeem Olajuwon was unwilling to watch high school games; he wanted to focus his energy on the next game.

Drexler pointed at Kogure, who was warming up on the field, and said, "Hakim, believe me, that guy is definitely a genius!"

"No matter how strong he is, he's still just a high school student at best!"

“Hakeem, I don’t think so. That guy is definitely capable of establishing himself in the NBA, and even has the potential to be a starter.”

Drexler had a high opinion of Kogure because he had met with him privately some time ago.

When the two met in private, their usual one-on-one duel was inevitable.

Kogure's progress far exceeded Drexler's expectations. Caught off guard and nearly suffering a defeat, Drexler ultimately won by a narrow margin.

Hakeem Olajuwon looked surprised and asked hesitantly, "Really?"

“More real than real gold! Hakim, I’m sure he’ll give you a shock.”

"Clyde, I only believe what I see!"

Hakeem Olajuwon didn't completely believe it, because Drexler's words seemed far too exaggerated.

If he can become a starter in the NBA at the age of 17, what will he be like in a few years?

Hakeem Olajuwon thought of Michael Jordan, who didn't even reach this level in high school.

At 15, Jordan wasn't even selected for the school team because he was too skinny.

At 17, Jordan could average over 20 points per game and become the school team's leading scorer, but he still paled in comparison to Kogure.

As for Hakeem Olajuwon, at the age of 15 he was a handball player, and like Duncan, he was a latecomer to basketball.

"Alright, buddy, let's wait and see!"

Drexler shrugged, full of confidence in Kogure.

Soon, the match between Farragut Academy and Laumerion High School finally began.

Facing Farragut's formidable lineup, Kobe showed no signs of nervousness; instead, he displayed a strong desire to win.

After the game started, Garnett easily won the jump ball and passed it to Kogure.

Soon, Kogure dribbled the ball past midfield and immediately passed it to Ronnie Fields.

Kobe was standing in front of him; yes, the two were matched up against each other in this game.

Ronnie Fields launched a quick attack, first moving rapidly to the right, but Kobe reacted swiftly, trying to block his path.

However, Fields accelerated and changed direction, using his balance and speed to cleverly bypass Kobe's defense.

Ronnie Fields' change of direction was so fast that Kobe could only watch helplessly as the opponent swept past him.

It must be said that Kobe's defense is still quite immature now, and he is far from being as strong as he will be in the future.

At this moment, the opposing power forward moved his feet, trying to cover.

Ronnie Fields remained calm and pulled up for a jump shot before the defense could recover.

The basketball traced a perfect parabola in the air and pierced the net with unerring accuracy.

(End of this chapter)