8 Stars the Portland Trail Blazers missed drafting by a single pick
By Reese Kunz
3. Hakeem Olajuwon - 1984
Trail Blazers pick: Sam Bowie, No. 2
Other pick: Hakeem Olajuwon, No. 1 (Houston Rockets)
Ah yes, 1984 - the worst draft of them all. If you were a team picking in the top five, there was a 60 percent chance you ended up with a Hall of Fame prospect between Hakeem Olajuwon, some random guy no one has ever heard of at No. 3, and Charles Barkley at No. 5.
The Blazers obtained this first-round pick in a previous trade with the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers finished with the same record as the Rockets but lost the coin toss tiebreaker for the No. 1 overall pick.
May 23, 1984: Houston wins a coin flip over Portland, and will draft first in the upcoming NBA Draft.
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) May 23, 2024
Rockets head coach Bill Fitch says they will use the #1 pick to select Akeem Olajuwon. Blazers owner Larry Weinberg said his team is "very interested" in taking Sam Bowie at #2. pic.twitter.com/r0vFd65H8T
Still coveting a center after missing out on Olajuwon, the Blazers went with Sam Bowie, and the rest is history. Hakeem "the Dream" had a legendary Hall of Fame career. In 18 impressive seasons, Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.1 blocks, and 1.7 steals.
The Athletic ranked him at No. 11 all-time. The accolades speak for themself: two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star, and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. You could make a legitimate case for him being the greatest center ever, especially when factoring in longevity - Olajuwon played until he was 39.