Giving up on a disappointing
Dream
Matthew E. Caster
How many of you basketball fans out there
can remember a time when Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon was not playing basketball
in the city of Houston?
It's been 20 years since the 7-foot center
began to catch local interest. From his three years at our fine University
to the 17-year career as the marquee player of the Houston
Rockets, Olajuwon epitomizes professional
sports in Houston.
Olajuwon is the NBA's all-time leader in
blocked shots, won a gold medal with the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and was
named most valuable player of the 1994 Houston team that
won the NBA Championship.
And now he's leaving, bound for Canada,
of all places, where he is expected to be the starting center for the Toronto
Raptors.
Much of Houston is mourning the loss of
one of the 50 greatest players in the NBA's history. I, however, am not.
When I heard the news that Olajuwon had chosen to leave the
Rockets for a destination north of the
border, I was mad.
I'm a huge Rockets fan and have been for
as long as I can remember. Since I was born when Olajuwon was just wrapping
up his sophomore year at UH, he's been the most
memorable part of my experience with Houston
sports. My anger is not aimed at the Houston Rockets organization, or Les
Alexander, or any person other than Olajuwon himself.
When he agreed to the $17 million, three-year
contract he's signed with the Raptors, he completely undermined my respect
for him, as a basketball player and human being. What
I'm referring to is loyalty, plain and
simple.
Olajuwon spent 20 years playing basketball
in Houston, and while it's true that his role on the team was slipping
in recent years as a result of injuries, age and the emergence of
young superstars like Steve Francis, the
Rockets were still willing to discuss alternatives to his leaving Houston.
But he refused to admit to himself that
he was getting old and neglected and refused to realize that all professional
sports careers come to an end. He sought his fortunes
elsewhere.
The Rockets realized Olajuwon was still
at least the equal of most of the other big men in the NBA when he was
healthy and offered him a handsome three-year contract. He
refused, saying $13 million is less than
he feels he is worth. This is completely outrageous.
I never believed in all my years that Olajuwon
was capable of something as elementary as greed. I was wrong. Granted,
he is one of the greatest basketball players to ever live; or
at least he was a few years ago. I don't
understand why professional athletes so rarely have a sense of their own
vulnerability, of their own age.
So goodbye, Olajuwon. Thanks for the 20
years of excellence in athleticism in your adopted hometown. Too bad you're
such a money-grubber ... We all would have liked to see
you retire here. I guess sometimes dreams
just aren't meant to come true.
