Hakeem Olajuwon is now 52 years old, but you wouldn’t know it by watching his moves at the first NBA Africa Game on Saturday.
The native Nigerian unexpectedly checked into game for Team Africa in the second quarter along with Dikembe Mutombo, now 49. They each wore throwback uniforms from their 1990s Rockets and Nuggets days, and most impressively, both of the legendary centers made an impact on the game itself.
Mutombo grabbed four rebounds in just three minutes, while Olajuwon blocked a shot from Utah’s Trey Burke and then scored in the low post after putting a series of moves on Orlando’s Nikola Vučević.
Here’s a shot from the baseline angle, where you can really see Olajuwon’s still-elite footwork.
For his part, Vučević impressed by Hakeem’s moves.
Still got it! Nice move @DR34M! Honored to have been able to play against one of the greatest ever! #NBAAfricaGame pic.twitter.com/9KceX9VXDA
— Nikola Vucevic (@NikolaVucevic) August 1, 2015
Michael Jordan — who, like Olajuwon, is also 52 years old and a member of the NBA’s legendary 1984 draft class — made headlines earlier this summer by declaring he could beat most players on the Charlotte Hornets, the team he owns, in one-on-one games.
Olajuwon hasn’t made any proclamations quite that bold, but he does remain actively involved with the league’s players by offering individual coaching sessions, primarily focused on post footwork. Numerous high-profile big men have taken him up on the offer, led by LeBron James and Dwight Howard, and have credited Olajuwon for helping develop their games.
So could Olajuwon and Jordan, two Hall of Famers, still hold their own at 52? Probably not. Physical conditioning is the primary hurdle, and there’s a reason Olajuwon had to exit Saturday’s game after a mere two minutes. But in those two minutes, Olajuwon held his own against a Vučević, a talented young big man that’s less than half of Hakeem’s age.
Led by Chris Paul, Team World rallied in the game to defeat Team Africa, 101-97. But the real winners were everyone in the NBA community who — at least for a few minutes — got to see two historic icons take the floor in NBA uniforms once more to play against other NBA players.
Yes, Hakeem still has it.
Ben DuBose is a veteran sports reporter who has followed the Houston Rockets and the NBA since Hakeem Olajuwon was Akeem Olajuwon. He writes for both SheridanHoops and ClutchFans, an independent Rockets blog. You can follow him on Twitter.