Hakeem Olajuwon to train the New York Knicks front court next week – NBA News
The New York Knicks front court unit is about to join a small group of elite players who have been trained by Hakeem Olajuwon.
Olajuwon, who is considered one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, is expected to fly in from his ranch in Texas to New York, and spend a few days this coming week training the New York Knicks forwards Carmelo Anthony,
Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler.
The NBA great played with Knicks coach Mike Woodson for three seasons in Houston, and Woodson is the one who came up with the idea of having him over for a few training sessions.
Olajuwon worked with Amar’e Stoudemire for two and a half weeks earlier in the summer, when Stoudemire flew to his ranch in Texas. Olajuwon has said that both Stoudemire and Anthony need to work together and complement each other
on the court if the Knicks want to become a winning team.
"They both have to realize that the most important thing is not how great you are individually. You're remembered for how many games you win. So to get to play with another great offensive player should help you. It should make
your job easier. You have to work well together. You can't be competitors with one another,” said Olajuwon.
Olajuwon is also of the opinion that both Anthony and Stoudemire have a good range and depth when it comes to basketball and hence, should not be limited in their roles on the offence. He feels that Stoudemire can play out of the
post as well as in the paint, where as Anthony is as good a player inside the paint as he is on the perimeter. He feels that the two need to develop chemistry and utilize the presence of each other on the offence to become more dominating and successful as
a unit.
Chandler also earned a few praises from Olajuwon, as he feels that Chandler can become a good scoring option for the Knicks besides being their centre piece on the defence.
"You can see that he has great timing by the way he rebounds, blocks shots and catches lobs. I haven't seen him use any moves of his own, though. So I want to teach him some moves so he can use all of that talent,” said Olajuwon
about Chandler.
Chandler was scheduled to work out with Olajuwon over the summer, but had to cancel his plans after he made it to the U.S national team that travelled to London to participate in the Olympic Games. He will get his opportunity now,
as will the other two stars of the Knicks front court, to learn from the greatest, and utilize their own skills in a better way on the court next season.
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