Hakeem Olajuwon.
The patron saint of Houston Rockets basketball. A man whose legacy is being drafted number one ahead of Michael Jordan, and actually, it wasn’t even that bad of a decision.
Olajuwon in a Toronto Raptors jersey. Ew. It happened, though. Olajuwon played 17 seasons for the good guys and took his talents north of the border for his swan song.
Kevin Durant. The patron saint of mercenariness. You can picture Durant in any NBA jersey, and there’s no visceral reaction. It would make sense.
He could play anywhere.
Baba Oladotun. The 17-year-old NBA prospect who has a connection to both of them.
Baba Oladotun could be destined for the Rockets
Oladotun’s dad, Ibrahim, is Nigerian. He played for the Nigerian national basketball team. Olajuwon was his boyhood hero, and he taught Baba the Dream Shake (not to be mistaken with The Dream Shake, which either Oladuton may or may not read).
That’s cool, but the Durant connection is a bit more tangible.
Maryland’s Oladotun plays for Team Durant in EYBL. Durant is his mentor. That’s at least partly because he’s 6’11” with fluid shooting mechanics and ball-handling chops.
How can this kid not be a future Rocket?
Oladuton needs to improve his game
Well, the fact that he’s kind of not very good yet could be problematic.
Yes, the shooting mechanics look fluid. You watch Oladotun shoot, and it’s hard not to think of Durant. You watch more closely, observe that just 26.7% of his shots are going in the basket in EYBL, and suddenly you’re seeing shades of Michael Beasley.
Or Brandon Ingram, or Bruno Caboclo. The Durant archetype is the siren’s song (I thought Nolan’s Odyssey was quite good; let me know how you felt in the comments), and it often leaves teams crashing into the jagged rocks of a draft mistake.
Although none of those guys had the opportunity to be directly mentored by Durant during his rookie season.
Rockets have a myriad of options
Listen – nobody knows how it’s all going to work out. The Odyssey motif could be continued here…let’s move on.
The Rockets may trade Durant before the 2027 draft. Oladotun could explode, and the Rockets’ best pick could be too low to grab him. He could implode, and the Rockets will have better options.
It’s fun to think about, OK? Confession: It is August 2, and there is absolutely nothing Houston Rockets-related to talk about.
As a matter of fact: Tell me what to write. Help me! I’ll write the two best ideas presented in the comments. This is not a joke.
But sometimes, it feels like destiny has the wheel. The machinations of the stars may reveal themselves to those who are looking in the right place. Keep an eye on Oladotun as the draft cycle continues cyling:
Just don’t expect a Hakeem Olajuwon-level prospect.
