Former Houston Rockets Guard Says MVP 'Doesn't Have a Chance' Against Hakeem Olajuwon

Sam Cassell, a former Rockets point guard, said in an interview recently that he believes Hakeem Olajuwon would take down Nikola Jokic if both players' careers had overlapped.

February 19, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon during the Slam Dunk Contest during the 2022 NBA All-Star Saturday Night / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off of an NBA title as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics, former Houston Rockets guard Sam Cassell fired off a few opinions about one of the league's premier players recently.

In a story published by the Houston Chronicle, Cassell discussed how he feels his former Rockets teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon, would fare against and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.

"(Olajuwon) is a beast both ways on the court," Cassell said. "(Olajuwon) was in the top 10 in every category in the NBA: steals, rebounds, scoring. So, (Jokic), I think he will score on (Olajuwon), but (Olajuwon) will wear him down because of the constant pressure. He's not backing (Olajuwon) down under the basket, that's not happening. And on the other end of the court, (Jokic) doesn't have a chance. He thinks Joel Embiid gave him problems offensively? He wouldn't have a chance because how could you stop him? (Olajuwon) had a counter to everything you did defensively."

Cassell played in the NBA from 1993-2009, spending the first three years of his career in Houston, helping Olajuwon and the Rockets take home back-to-back NBA titles. Cassell won another championship as a player in Boston before winning his fourth total ring as an assistant coach with the Celtics in 2024.

Olajuwon played from the Rockets from 1984-200, boasting one of the most illustrious careers in NBA history.

A two-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-NBA honoree, nine-time All-Defense selection, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and the 1994 MVP winner, Olajuwon is in the basketball hall of fame and is one of the most recognizable figures in Rockets history.

Despite not having the same resume as Olajuwon, Jokic has compiled an impressive career of his own.

In his first nine seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Jokic has racked up six All-NBA bids, six All-Star nods and a whopping three MVP awards as well as being named to the All-Rookie team in 2016 and winning Finals MVP in 2023.

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