The Tape
Was Jerry West better than Hakeem Olajuwon?
Jerry West, 1960-1974, against Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-2002. 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: Jerry West at 30.9 a game in 1965-66, Hakeem Olajuwon at 30.7 in 1993-94. The scoring argument is a tie and anyone who claims otherwise is quoting raw numbers from different leagues.
Hakeem Olajuwon wins the glass by 4.8 rebounds a game (11.9 to 7.1), which in his era meant standing in traffic rather than waiting for a long one.
Jerry West is the passer: 6.1 assists a game to 3.6, and that is the difference between running an offense and finishing one.
Jerry West: Lost 8 Finals and won 1, and is the only Finals MVP ever chosen from a losing team. 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.
The numbers are free. The verdict is in the Vault.
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