"Put some respect on Dream's name": Paul Pierce calls out Gilbert Arenas for slandering Hakeem Olajuwon’s apparently overprized sessions

Apart from being an NBA champion and a 10-time All-Star, former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce is also known for some of his NBA takes.

Recently, Gilbert Arenas called out Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon for apparently charging NBA players $50,000 for private training sessions ("Gil's Arena" podcast). Arenas was vocal in his stance on the matter as he criticized the amount the former NBA player was charging today's stars.

“Nobody wants the Hakeem Olajuwon sky hook,” Arenas said on his Gil’s Arena podcast earlier this week. “Nobody wants none of that s–t. …You should be ashamed of yourself, charging these young whippersnappers $50,000. When you came in the league in 1984, you wasn’t even making $50,000 a game. You’re trying to make your month back through the youth! Do not charge these boys 50 f-----g grand for that bull----. He ain’t been good since the ’90s. That means all the moves from the 2000s, he don’t know. 2010s, he don’t know. 2020s, he don’t know. Who the f— you gonna do the moves on? Wembanyama?” said Arenas in his podcast.

Pierce, on the other hand, was not too fond of the comments made by Arenas, as per Houston Chronicle's Matt Young.

"You crazy," Pierce said, "Put some respect on Dream's name first of all. That move Dream made on the baseline with the one-arm fake layup, they still doing today. Stop it," said Pierce.

At the height of his career, Olajuwon was famous for utilizing the "Dream Shake" move in basketball. This patent move of his became widely used throughout the league and remains one of the most polished offensive moves today. The "Dream Shake" involves precise footwork and tricking defenders with certain stances or motions.

Pierce believes that the famous basketball move is so timeless that NBA players are still trying to mimic it to this day. Pierce came into the defense of Olajuwon as an NBA center who is capable of adapting to today's league.

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Looking back on Paul Pierce's comments toward Hakeem Olajuwon when he was not included in ESPN's 2020 Top 10 list

When ESPN released its 2020 ranking of the NBA's top 74 players of all time, Olajuwon had been ranked 12th overall. Pierce was not a fan of this and commented on it, as per Rockets Wire's Ben DuBose.

"He doesn't get enough credit," Pierce said, "He's the only player in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP in the same year. Hakeem Olajuwon is the one player that stands out to me that is not in the top 10. You look at all these players who accomplished so much. No one has ever accomplished that feat."

In the 18 seasons that Olajuwon played in the league, he averaged 21.8 points per game (51.2% shooting, including 20.2% from 3-point range) and 11.1 rebounds. He also had two NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards to his name.

Additionally, Olajuwon also became league MVP in 1994 while also earning Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994.