NBA Draft: Ranking the 10 Greatest No. 1 Picks of All-Time

#5 Hakeem Olajuwon

Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwon, 1994 NBA Finals

Olajuwon was recognized as the best center in the league during the most stacked era in terms of big men. None of David Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (an aging one), Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo or Arvydas Sabonis were able to do a damn thing when The Dream defended them or decided to score on them from the low post. For a big man, Olajuwon had extraordinary footwork and is one of the most graceful and skilled players to ever play the game.

Like the rest of the players on this countdown, Hakeem has every which accolade that one could possibly win. In the 1993-94 season, he became the only player to win MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. In total, he had 12 All-Star game appearances, 12 All-NBA selections, 2 DPOYs, 9 All-Defensive Team selections while having led the league in rebounding twice and blocks thrice.

His title run in 1993-94 is the biggest case in NBA history of one player powering a championship run with no All-Star supporting cast while dominating on both ends of the floor. The Dream was in the league for a solid 18 seasons, and his jersey #34 has been raised to the Rockets' rafters at the Toyota Center.