Michael Jordan Once Snubbed Shaquille O?Neal, Wilt Chamberlain and Patrick Ewing for $300 Million NBA Legend on His All-Time Starting 5

Whenever someone is asked to name their NBA all-time starting five, one name almost always appears on that dream roster. Such was the domination of Michael Jordan during the 90s, winning six championships in eight years with the Chicago Bulls. ‘His Airness’?held everyone spellbound as he glided through the air and annihilated his opponents with his otherworldly talents.

While Jordan is a constant fixture in the plurality of these lineups, it begs the question, who will the ‘Jumpman’ have in his dream five? To everyone’s delight, he once named the NBA legends who he believes are cut to make the ‘Dream Team of Michael Jordan’.

Jordan was asked to name his all-time starting five during an interview. The interviewer asked Jordan to take the shooting guard position and name players for the other positions. Jordan argued that there have been so many legends before him that naming a dream starting five is tough. However, he stated that he wished to assemble a versatile team capable of doing many different things.

Michael Jordan showed no hesitation in picking Hakeem Olajuwon for the center spot. However, he mentioned that this now excludes several great centers like Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and Patrick Ewing. The Bulls legend went on to explain that Olajuwon had so many facets to his game that he had no choice but to pick him.

Then, he went on to select Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, James Worthy, and Magic Johnson as the remainder of his starting five. This lineup is noteworthy for its length, as Jordan himself labeled it the “all-time tallest team.”

Michael Jordan is accurate in his assessment of Hakeem Olajuwon’s versatility

Michael Jordan claimed that by selecting Hakeem Olajuwon, he snubbed several outstanding centers. However, the big man’s versatility makes him a no-brainer for anybody wanting a center who can do it all.

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Olajuwon’s 18 years in the league saw him win countless accolades. When it came to his major strengths, he excelled at pretty much everything he tried his hand at. His offensive game was lethal. He used a mixture of shimmies and shoulder fakes in the post to get clean looks. Olajuwon used it so often that it became known as the “Dream Shake.”

While executing his unstoppable move, there were apparent glimpses of Olajuwon’s outstanding footwork. His maneuvers perplexed his opponents while mesmerizing everyone watching.

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In addition to the cut-throat offensive arsenal, Olajuwon was a menace on the defensive end as well. He was a lethal shot-blocker and rebounder of the ball. His defensive resume speaks for itself. Olajuwon was named to nine All-Defensive teams and earned three block titles during his career. He also took home back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1993 and 1994.

Olajuwon was also a champion, as he won back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995.

Interestingly, Michael Jordan took a break from the NBA during those years to play baseball. This speaks volumes about Jordan as well as?Olajuwon’s greatness.