The Tape

Was Hakeem Olajuwon better than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-2002, against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 2018-present. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.

Hakeem OlajuwonCenter · 1984-2002

Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderGuard · 2018-present

Best season

1993-94

2024-25

Points, as played

27.3

32.7

Points, era-adjusted

30.7

32.9

Rebounds

11.9

Assists

3.6

6.4

League scored

101.5 a game

113.4 a game

MVPs

Titles

Career points

21.8

24.9

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, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the bigger scorer: 32.9 a game in 2024-25 against 30.7 for Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. That is a real gap of 2.2 points, not an era illusion — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's league averaged 113.4 and Hakeem Olajuwon's averaged 101.5.

Hakeem Olajuwon wins the glass by 6.9 rebounds a game (11.9 to 5), which in his era meant standing in traffic rather than waiting for a long one.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the passer: 6.4 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. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: An MVP and a title in the same season, built on the most efficient mid-range diet since the rules changed.

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The next argument

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