HOUSTON -- Hakeem Olajuwon, bidding farewell to Houston,
said Friday his move to play basketball in Toronto was a way to
express himself as an "international citizen of the world" and an
opportunity to have an impact on a team like the Raptors.
| |  | |
| Olajuwon |
"This is a most difficult decision, to stretch out of your
comfort zone ... go to a place to stay and a new environment," he
said at a news conference. "At the same time, you just have to
make that adjustment."
The Houston Rockets completed a sign-and-trade agreement
Thursday night that sent one of the city's greatest sports heroes
to the Raptors for first- and second-round draft picks.
Olajuwon came to Texas at age 17 from his native Nigeria and
spent the next 20 seasons leading the Houston Cougars to three NCAA
Final Four appearances and taking the Houston Rockets to NBA
championships in 1994 and 1995.
He said he viewed his move to Toronto "like exploring ... at
this stage in my career."
"Every end is a new beginning," Olajuwon said, insisting there
was no bitterness after his divorce from the Rockets, for whom he
has played since 1984, but acknowledged the Rockets "never were in
the game" in the courtship to keep him.
"Both parties believed that in a peaceful way, we could agree
to disagree," he said of the outcome. "The Rockets organization
has always been like a family, but in the end we both want to do
what is best to do, what is comfortable."
Olajuwon turned down the team's final offer of $13 million for
three years. Toronto reportedly offered him $17 million for three
years.
"Toronto did a great job by constantly trying to comfort me,
really wanted me to feel comfortable," he said. "They showed
their commitment. They believe they have the right team, that I can
really help them... They put the facts on the table that I can
really help them.
"It is much more interesting for my career right now to explore,
have fun, compete."
Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson, who was invited by
Olajuwon to attend the news conference, had difficulty holding back
tears.
"We were really close," he said. "I'm going to miss
everything he does. I'm going to miss him."
Olajuwon called his experiences in Houston "memorable" and
said he hoped to keep his home in the city, but said he was looking
forward to going to someplace new, with a "new coach, new system,
everything is different. That is challenging for me, to make that
adjustment.
"Change is good," he added.
Olajuwon led the University of Houston to three straight trips
to the Final Four. The Cougars were 88-16 in Olajuwon's three
seasons before the Rockets drafted him in the first round in 1984.
In his 17 seasons with the Rockets, Olajuwon averaged 22.5
points and 11.4 rebounds. He is the NBA's career leader in blocked
shots and is a 14-time All-Star.
He was named as one of the NBA's 50 greatest players and was on
the 1996 gold medal-winning Olympic basketball team.
Olajuwon played in 58 games for the Rockets last season,
averaging 11.9 points and 7.4 rebounds and making 49.8 percent of
his shots.
The addition of Olajuwon and the signings of Antonio Davis,
Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Vince Carter have made Toronto
one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
The Raptors advanced to the seventh game of the second round in
the playoffs last season before being eliminated by Philadelphia.
In exchange for Olajuwon, the Raptors gave up their own
lottery-protected No. 1 draft pick in 2002 and a second-round pick
in 2002 acquired earlier this summer from Detroit.
|
|
|
