The Nigerian Dream
The lost art of the center position is a global thing, but the Nigerian national team might have the one guy that can teach it.
Team U.S.A. this, Team U.S.A. that. The basketball world is fixated on their star power, and then every once in a whle it mentions teams that have beat the U.S. in the past like Lithuania, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. But what about a longshot like Nigeria? As Lang mentioned in The Links, they’ve got the best possible big man coach working with them. Hakeem the Dream. Check out this story in the NY Times.
When not working with his native Nigerians, Hakeem spent some time playing with Emeka Okafor. An excerpt:
He swiftly blocked one of Okafor’s shots and made a nifty move against another player to free himself for a duck-in layup.
“That’s abuse,” Okafor said.
That’s right young man. Learn your lesson. He did it to Shaq when he was young, he can do it to you when he’s old. The Nigerians are coming with an army of shot swatting big men. The NBA centers they’ve produced in the past include… well let’s not mention that right now, but did I mention Hakeem Olajuwon? Ike Diogu and Andre Iguodala could play on the team if they qualify, giving them back to back SLAM Rookie Diary keepers.
Alright, even if Hakeem is the greatest teacher in history it’s still going to be tough. I think he should come out of retirement and play and be the Zidane figure (minus the headbutters) for Nigeria. It was kind of ridiculous that the one and only Dream Team had Ewing and Robinson but couldn’t have THE DREAM, who was a much better player than either one of them. Come on Dream, you know you’re still in sick shape. You can do this!
6 Responses to “The Nigerian Dream”
Aug.14 at 3:08 pm
Dizzy says:
Is Igoudala really Nigerian?
Aug.14 at 4:42 pm
Chris says:
All I know is the dream looked awful a couple years ago when he suited up for the Raptors, he wasn’t in sick shape back then
Aug.14 at 5:11 pm
Xtapolapocetl says:
Yeah, Hakeem was quite awful in his last years, but his resume between 1993-95 was jaw-dropping: 1. Beating Ewing in the 1994 finals with the worst supporting cast of any championship team in the last 25 years.
2. Owning Robinson in the 1995 Western Conference Finals. This video speaks for itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW4uXlRGAF0 3. Sweeping young Shaq in the 1995 finals. He was the best center in the best era of centers. I think that he was joking when he wrote of Hakeem seriously playing, but he would be a great coach for Nigeria’s big men. Okafor’s offensive game could use some spit shine..
Aug.14 at 5:52 pm
Tommy Jackson says:
Dream didn’t become a naturalized American citizen until AFTER Dream Team I was named and organized. However, he did soon after, and was part of Dream Team II. That being said, he did play for the American Olympic team which would make it quite impossible for him to play for any other country, ever. But, by the by… could the Americans get ANY worse at center? Where have all the big men gone?
Aug.20 at 12:16 pm
Ariaan says:
Nigeria has got the skill and some of the greatest talent has come from there (Hakeem the dream). I am Nigerian myself and i believe we got a really good shot at the title WE got the skill and the physical build and if hakkem is coaching Nigeria them ,well, watch out USA
Jun.12 at 11:32 pm
King Darius says:
this article doesent surprise me Nigeria is the most talented basketball country in Africa trust me i went to a bball court in Lagos and I saw talent I have never seen in before college scouts need to come here and recriut like they did with Hakeem then half the NBA will be Nigerians