When old-school NBA players discuss how they prepared for opponents based on scouting reports, the stories often revolve around limiting Michael Jordan’s relentless scoring or containing Magic Johnson’s elite playmaking.
But, according to Isiah Thomas, one scouting report stunned the entire Detroit Pistons team – the one on Hakeem Olajuwon.
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What stood out to “Zeke” and his teammates was that Olajuwon wasn’t described as a one type of threat. Instead, the scouting report portrayed him as two players in one: capable of beating the perimeter defenders as a guard while simultaneously overpowering big men in the paint.
Thomas on how the Pistons viewed Olajuwon
Fortunately, the Pistons were relieved to know that since they and the Houston Rockets were in different conferences, they wouldn’t have to contend with Hakeem for more than two games in the regular season.
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Obviously, that limited Isiah’s exposure. However, even with that limited frequency, Olajuwon torched the Pistons at will. For instance, he registered a 33-point, 11-rebound and eight-block performance against them during the 1984-85 season.
A couple of seasons later, Olajuwon returned with another masterclass, this time, dropping 35 points, 13 rebounds, along with eight blocks, reaffirming to the Pistons players that no matter how carefully they schemed or how aggressively they double-teamed him, Hakeem’s blend of skills and strength allowed him to dominate them at will.
Unsurprisingly, Thomas laughed in an episode of the iconic “NBA Open Court” show at how the Pistons players raced to Detroit’s scouting report on the Dream. They knew that not only would the two-time Finals MVP give issues to the perimeter defenders by using his guard-like footwork to get past them, but he would also constantly challenge the centers at the rim.
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“Let me give you our scouting report for Hakeem Olajuwon,” Thomas revealed while bursting out of laughter. “Earl Cureton said, ‘He’s two people. We got Hakeem who will give you the shake, and then I’ve got to guard Olajuwon on the block.'”
Hakeem was way ahead of his time
Interestingly, what separated Olajuwon from his peers, even in that era, was his unparalleled versatility. He was a center who could lead the league in blocks, as he did with 4.6 per game, yet in other years, he dominated the rebounding charts with averages as high as 14 per game.
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More impressively, even offensively, he was equally deadly, capable of scoring at a superstar level with averages reaching 27.8 points per contest (during the 94-95 season). Few big men in history have ever combined elite scoring, rim protection and rebounding into one package, and Olajuwon did it seamlessly.
Perhaps it is safe to say that this combination of dominance was one of the main reasons why, when Michael Jordan temporarily retired from the NBA in 1993, there was no debate over who the league’s top superstar became. He evidently led the Rockets to their lone two titles in franchise history while having such a dominant campaign that he won the DPOY, MVP, and Finals MVP award all in one.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.