The Tape
Was Hakeem Olajuwon better than Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-2002, against Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2013-present. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.
Method, stated plainly: scoring is adjusted to a league averaging 114 points per team per game. Rebounds and assists are printed as they were recorded, with the league scoring rate beside them, because a rebound in 1962 came out of a different number of missed shots and we will not pretend one multiplier fixes that. Career lines for active players run through 2024-25.
What the numbers say
Adjusted to a league averaging 114 points a game, their best seasons score the same: Hakeem Olajuwon at 30.7 a game in 1993-94, Giannis Antetokounmpo at 30.1 in 2019-20. The scoring argument is a tie and anyone who claims otherwise is quoting raw numbers from different leagues.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the passer: 5.6 assists a game to 3.6, and that is the difference between running an offense and finishing one.
Hakeem Olajuwon: The only player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP in one season, and the all-time leader in blocks. Giannis Antetokounmpo: Two MVPs and a Defensive Player of the Year, on a first step no defensive scheme has solved.
The numbers are free. The verdict is in the Vault.
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