Hakeem Olajuwon: No one utilized my post lessons better than Kobe Bryant
Hakeem Olajuwon says Kobe Bryant expertly applied his teachings to the court.
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1 min read
Training in the summer with former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon has become an annual rite of passage for young players wanting to improve their post game. When he played, Olajuwon was a true master in the post, dream shaking opponents with subtle, quick fakes and then knocking down turnaround jumpers. Players like Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire and even JaVale McGee have worked with Olajuwon, hoping to learn some of his spin moves from the post and improve their footwork.
But out of all of those stellar players, for Olajuwon, the one player that has best utilized his teachings is Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant.
From The Sporting News' Adi Joseph's interview with Olajuwon:
“I’ve worked with a lot of players, but the one who really capitalized on it the most is Kobe Bryant,” the Basketball Hall of Famer said of the 6-6 retiring Lakers legend. “When I watch him play, he’ll go down in the post comfortably, naturally, and he’ll execute it perfectly.”
Here's a clip of Olajuwon working out with Bryant:
Bryant is such a versatile scorer but you can see some similarities between his post ups and Olajuwon's. Of course, Bryant is not anywhere near Olajuwon's level from the low post, but posting up and hitting fadeways is a big part of his game. And for that he has Olajuwon to thank, who sounds like a very proud teacher.
