https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Kv_-RJj7g
On this day, 25 years ago, basketball history was made. On March 29, 1990, Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon had a tremendous game, finishing with 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks and 10 assists. It was the NBA’s third ever quadruple-double at the time, and only one more has happened since then (Though it’s probably only a matter of time before Anthony Davis nabs one).
That box score is insane. Hakeem was responsible for basically 30% of the Rockets rebounds, assists and points (If you combine what he scored with those ten assists), and obviously provided almost all of their blocks.
What’s even crazier is that earlier in the month, Hakeem nearly got a prequel quadruple-double. He finished the game on March 3rd with 29 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks and 9 assists, but immediately after the game, Rockets officials reviewed the tape and determined that Olajuwon wasn’t credited with an assist in the first quarter. An updated box score was released, giving Hakeem the quad-double, but the NBA stepped in and said The Dream barely got six or seven legit assists in the first place and reverted the box score to the original.
Regardless of what happened on March 3rd, Hakeem got a true quadruple double 25 years ago today, and that kind of performance deserves the utmost respect. Congrats to The Dream!
[Video via GD’s Latest Highlights]
