Quick Trivia?

Would be an easy one to look up but here goes.

Since the steal stat began (73-74 season) who is the only CENTER listed in the top 10 in career steals?

beat

First name that popped in my head is Olajuwan. Seems like it would be an athletic guy with great timing who had a long career, and he fills the bill.

Assuming I'm wrong, as usual, my next guess is David Robinson, but I still think it should be Olajuwan because Robinson lost some time serving in the Navy after he graduated from the academy. They released him early to play in the NBA, but if I remember correctly, he served some time in the Navy after graduating.

Another guy who came to mind is Cowens. His career was too short, and some of it was prior to '73-'74 when steals weren't kept, but he seems like the kind of guy that would be good at steals.

Outside you are is correct. In checking the all time list you have to go quite some ways to find the second center on it. (if you consider Jerome Kersey a center then he's listed at 38 Robinson is listed at 42.

Jabbar at 77 would have been a bit higher but missed out on 4 years of stats. And was getting an average of 100 a year in his first 5 years that the stat was kept. So he "may" have ammased about 1560. Which still only would ahve put him in the mid 20 range all time.

The dream is number 8 with 2162.


beat

Olajuwan and Russell were the best athletes at the center position that I can think of. Dwight Howard is an impressive physical specimen, but he's not the athlete that Hakeem and Russell were. There was an interesting bit I saw somewhere in the offseason (maybe on the NBA channel?) that showed Hakeem working with Dwight on offensive moves. The part I remember is Hakeem setting up on the right side of the key and making a simple spin to the baseline for a little bank shot. Howard set up in the same spot, seemed to make the same move, but wound up too far toward the baseline and didn't have the angle to bank it. It's a small thing, and I imagine Howard could get it right through repetition, but to me it was an example of the superior skill and athleticism that was central to Olajuwan's game. He played under control, with balance, quickness, and precision, while Howard is more like a bull in a china shop.

Wherever you put him, Olajuwan was one of the all-time greats and a pleasure to watch. When I consider centers, I tend to group Russell, Wilt, and Jabbar as group 1, with Olajuwan in group 1A, with Shaq, Nate Thurmond (a personal favorite), and Cowens (another personal favorite). I float Walton between the two groups, since at his best, he played the position as well as the best (which puts him in group 1), but he didn't have the longevity due to injuries (which drops him down).

People tend to put Olajuwan above Shaq since he basically schooled Shaq in the 1995 finals, but I don't think that's fair. Olajuwan was an 11-year veteran at the height of his game, and Shaq was in only his third season and still years away from becoming the dominant player he became.

Anyway, I had no idea Olajuwan was that high up the steals list. Thanks for another interesting and educational trivia quiz.

Outside,

Houston did sweep Orlando in the 1995 Finals but Shaq played very well against Olajuwon. Shaq's teams also won 14 out of 20 regular season games against Olajuwon's in their careers. Shaq outscored and outrebounded Olajuwon in their head to head matchups.

I loved Olajuwon's game but if Jordan didn't take 2 years off in 1994 and 1995 I doubt people would view Olajuwon as highly as they do now.