(CRAFT)[LOOK AT HAKEEM’S LEFT HAND.]

He was pulling me down, just like Dikembe, with that hand. It gave him the ability to get to the ball. Pulling and shoving—that’s how he blocked shots.

At the time I was thinking: I’m going up against Hakeem, this is pretty cool … but I’m not going to let it impact me. I also wanted to send him a message that I’m not your typical young guard who is going to complain to the refs or capitulate. I’m going to go right through your arm, your body, whatever you throw my way, because I’m a freight train.

In general, Hakeem Olajuwon was an extremely intelligent defender. He knew where guys liked to attack from, how they positioned the ball, what their patterns were. Due to that intelligence and scouting, Hakeem knew where you were going to go and how you were going to try to finish. That allowed him to pile up steals and blocks.

As an offensive player, you combat that type of mental edge by negating it. You have to know him as well or even better than he knows you. You have to know where he likes to come from, how he likes to block shots, how quickly he can recover. With that knowledge, you can be mindful of how and where to attack from.