If you’ve spent any time staring at the New York Times crossword grid lately, you might have run into a five-letter or seven-letter gap for an "NBA great." Usually, it's Hakeem. Or Olajuwon, if the constructor is feeling particularly mean with the vowels. But while the nba great hakeem nyt clue is a staple for puzzle fans, the man behind the answer was anything but a standard athlete. He was a glitch in the basketball matrix.
Honestly, calling him a "center" feels like a lie.
Hakeem Olajuwon didn't just play basketball; he choreographed it. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he didn't even pick up a basketball until he was 15. Think about that. Most NBA stars are groomed from the time they can walk. Hakeem was playing soccer and team handball. He was busy learning how to move his feet and guard a net before he ever cared about a hoop. Those soccer feet are exactly what made him the most terrifying defensive and offensive force of the 90s.
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The Dream Shake: More Than a Move
You've heard of the Dream Shake. It's the move every kid tries in the driveway and ends up tripping over their own sneakers. It wasn't just a pivot. It was a psychological war.
Basically, Hakeem would catch the ball on the block, back his man down, and then start a series of fakes that looked like a DVD skipping. A shoulder shimmy here. A ball fake there. A spin that shouldn't be physically possible for a 7-footer. By the time the defender jumped, Hakeem was already on the other side of the rim, laying it in.
It was pure art.
David Robinson, a Hall of Famer and one of the best defenders ever, famously got "shaken" so badly in the 1995 Western Conference Finals that he looked like he was searching for his car keys in the middle of the court. Olajuwon was just that fast. He combined the grace of a point guard with the size of a mountain.
The 1994 Triple Crown
Most people forget how insane 1994 was for him. It's the only time in NBA history a player won the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same season.
Total dominance.
He led the Houston Rockets to their first title by out-dueling Patrick Ewing in a seven-game grind. Then, he did it again in 1995, sweeping a young Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. Shaq has since admitted that Hakeem was the only guy he couldn't figure out. You could be bigger than Hakeem, or stronger, but you weren't going to be smarter.
Why He’s the King of the 5x5
If you want to talk about "all-around" players, look at the stats. Hakeem is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots with 3,830. That’s a record that probably won't be broken because the game has moved so far away from the rim.
But check this out: he’s also in the top ten for career steals.
He is the undisputed king of the "5x5" game—recording at least five points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks in a single outing. He did it six times. No one else is even close. He could guard a lightning-fast guard on the perimeter and then sprint back to swat a layup into the third row.
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He was a defensive system unto himself.
The International Legacy
Before Giannis, before Embiid, and before Jokic, there was Hakeem. He was the blueprint for the international superstar. He proved that the American game could be mastered and then evolved by someone from outside the system.
He also changed how big men trained. Even after he retired, superstars like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard traveled to his ranch in Texas to learn footwork. They wanted a piece of that "Dream" magic.
The Crossword Connection
So, why does the nba great hakeem nyt clue pop up so often? Aside from his legendary status, his name is a goldmine for crossword constructors. "Hakeem" provides a rare H and two E’s, while "Olajuwon" is a vowel-heavy dream that helps bridge difficult sections of a grid.
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Whether you’re a sports nut or just a Sunday morning puzzle solver, the name carries weight. It represents a period in the 90s where, even with Michael Jordan taking a break to play baseball, the league was in the hands of a genius.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Watch the 1995 WCF Highlights: Specifically Game 2 and Game 6 against the Spurs. It’s a masterclass in post scoring that remains the gold standard for footwork.
- Study the Blocked Shots Record: Look into the gap between Hakeem (3,830) and the closest active players. It puts his defensive longevity into perspective.
- Practice the Footwork: If you play, don't just "post up." Work on the "drop step" and the "counter-pivot." The key to the Dream Shake isn't the speed—it's the balance and the ability to keep your pivot foot planted while the defender flies by.