Kevin Garnett is known as one of the NBA’s best trash-talkers of his generation. Because he could dish it out, he knew the others who could do the same. From the horse’s mouth, Hakeem Olajuwon was one of them.
However, according to Garnett, Olajuwon’s trash talk was a little unique to say the least. Garnett came into the NBA just as Olajuwon was about to leave it, but it’s clear that what Olajuwon said to his fellow basketball legend left an impression.
How Did Hakeem Olajuwon Trash Talk Kevin Garnett?
While talking with his former Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets teammate Paul Pierce on “KG: Certified,” Garnett revealed the rather different form of trask talk he used to get from Olajuwon, who was also nicknamed “Hakeem the Dream.”
“Man, Dream used to talk s***, but his talking s*** was so sophisticated,” Garnett said. “I couldn’t even… Man, Dream used to hit you ass like, ‘I’m a man!’ Like how does he know how to answer? ‘Hey, hey, don’t do that! I am a man!’ You’re like, ‘All right, Dream, my bad.’ ‘Are you hitting him with lateral movement?’ That is forever. ‘I am hitting him with lateral movement.’ Listen, to this day, I don’t even have a response. I am hitting him with lateral movement. How do you answer that, P?”
Garnett elaborated further on what Olajuwon would say and why that resonated with him.
“‘Imma test your lateral. I’m finna test yo’ lateral!’ You come out, ‘Hey! Fight down! I’m gonna test his lateral.’ Throw his mouthpiece in.’ Test yo’ lateral? I don’t even know. ‘Listen, I am finna test his lateral! I am finna test his lateral movement!’ I’m like, ‘Damn!’ It start making me like, I need some more sophisticated s***. My s*** ain’t hitting like this!
‘I am freezing him! He cannot do anything! I am freezing him!’ I’m like, man, ask Sam. Sam Cassell got all the stories, boy. That was some of the supreme s*** talking out. That one is like classy s*** talk.”
Garnett’s career started in 1995, while Olajuwon’s ended in 2002. They met up once in the playoffs in 1997 when the Houston Rockets faced off against the Minnesota Timberwolves in what was the latter’s first playoff appearance.
Both Olajuwon and Garnett are considered among the greatest players to ever suit up in the NBA. Perhaps the reason why Garnett remembers Olajuwon’s trash talk is not just because it didn’t exactly feature curse words like Garnett’s certainly did, but because they were in the same rare stratosphere.
