When analyzing Team USA’s dominance during the 1996 Olympics, most eyes tend to gravitate toward the usual stars who shone statistically. Thus, at first glance, Hakeem Olajuwon does not stand out as he averaged five points, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.3 blocks over the seven games he featured in the tournament. Yet, for young Grant Hill, that Olympic experience wasn’t about gold medals or highlight plays; rather, it was about the lessons he could learn from the very best in the league.
Moreover, his constant one-on-one games against Hakeem during the practice sessions made Hill truly understand why the ‘Dream’ was the most unstoppable and unique center of that era, who combined the craft of a guard with the strength of a traditional big man.
Advertisement
Grant Hill was heavily impressed by Hakeem Olajuwon
Hill saw the very best of Hakeem in his rookie campaign in the NBA. In the lone face-off he had against the two-time DPOY, Hill saw Hakeem register 36 points on 66.7 percent shooting from the field and 13 rebounds to lead the Houston Rockets to a win over the Detroit Pistons.
While that experience gave Hill a sense of how unstoppable Hakeem was, it wasn’t until their time together on the 1996 Team USA that Hill truly grasped what separated Hakeem from every other big man of that era.
Advertisement
On an episode of NBA Open Court, Hill opened up about how Olajuwon combined his guard-like footwork with his scoring arsenal in the post to become impossible to contain even during the twilight years of his career.
“In ’96, I was on the Olympic Team and we had Lenny Wilkens, and we didn’t practice. So, every day, Hakeem and I would play one-on-one. His footwork was crazy, but he would tell me that he would take the footwork and the discipline of a guard and take that into the block,” Hill said on an episode of NBA Open Court. “You see the athleticism, you see the shimmy and all that, but it’s all fundamentals. He would take the guard-footwork and say, ‘I just do what you do, but I do it on the block.’ He was one of the best to ever do it.”
So, while the majority of the NBA fans marveled at how Hakeem was capable of registering a spot in the All-NBA First team and All-defensive Second Team by averaging 23.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game during the 1996-97 season, Hill has already realized that Hakeem’s greatness was almost guaranteed every year due to his versatility which made him one of the most complete center.
Advertisement
Hakeem was more than a traditional big man
Put simply, to help modern fans grasp his impact, Olajuwon was a player who wasn’t necessarily as skilled in pure playmaking as Nikola Jokic, but every bit as unstoppable. Much like The Joker today, Hakeem’s incredible skill set made him a nightmare matchup for any defender. He had the mobility and lateral quickness to move like a wing, the length to alter shots, the athleticism to finish through contact, and the speed and aggression to evade double-teams before overpowering centers at the rim.
This is why even Hill, who was an elite scorer during those years, was stunned by Hakeem’s IQ, style of play, and willingness to improve himself.
Advertisement
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.