Hakeem Olajuwon rarely comments on NBA trades, but he expressed excitement after learning that the Houston Rockets traded Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook in 2019. As it turns out, Olajuwon has been a long-time admirer of Westbrook’s game.
From Dream’s perspective, Brodie possessed the skills that the Rockets needed at the time. As the last player who led the Rockets to an NBA title, Olajuwon was hoping the addition of an MVP-caliber player like Westbrook to the team would take Houston back to that route.
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“I love Chris Paul, don’t get me wrong, but when I heard the news about Westbrook, I’m one of the biggest fans of Westbrook,” Olajuwon told Sky Sports. “I like him a lot. I like his explosiveness, aggressiveness, mid-range shots.”
Hakeem liked the Westbrook-Harden tandem
It’s totally understandable that Olajuwon was confident about what Westbrook could do for the Rockets. Two years before he was dealt to Houston, Russ won the MVP award after averaging a remarkable tally of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
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The following year, Rockets superstar James Harden secured the MVP award as well. For Hakeem, Westbrook and Harden would make an unstoppable backcourt duo.
Apparently, the legendary big man wasn’t only referring to Westbrook and Harden’s skills. He was also aware of the two MVPs’ connection off the court. At the time, Olajuwon didn’t see anything that could go wrong for the Rockets with Brodie and The Beard leading the charge.
“I was very happy,” Dream added. “I know they have a good relationship with James Harden, I think it’ll be a wonderful combination.”
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Russ and Harden couldn’t do it
The Rockets finished fourth in the West under Westbrook and Harden’s leadership. They won a total of 44 games and logged a .611 winning percentage. It’s quite impressive, but the Rockets didn’t really strike everybody as a championship team.
Westbrook and Harden managed to lead the Rockets to the Western Conference semis. They even blew the Los Angeles Lakers out in Game 1 with a 112-97 victory. However, the Lakers won the next four consecutive games to close the series out and eliminate the Rockets.
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After getting knocked out, Harden realized that having Westbrook wasn’t enough. He believed that the Rockets needed to add one more key player to help him and Russ next season.
The Rockets took a different direction
Even though Harden felt like they could do it, the Rockets took a different direction. Shortly after their playoff loss to the Lakers, Houston traded Westbrook away for John Wall and a lottery-protected first-round pick.
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At that point, it’s safe to say that the Rockets have already moved on from Westbrook. Unfortunately for Olajuwon, his prediction did not play out the way he expected it.
From that point on, Westbrook’s career gradually dwindled. He struggled to find a team where he could fit in well. As it stands, Russ remains a free agent after declining the $3.5 million player option to return to the Denver Nuggets as their spark off the bench.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.