The Rockets wanted to send Hakeem Olajuwon off in style. They wanted a final victory lap around the NBA and a chance to thank him publicly for all he had meant to the franchise. Yet even as they honored their greatest player, they were also moving in another direction, with a team built around young guards instead of the Dream.
Graceful exits are difficult to negotiate in sports.
Joe Montana was forced to change teams at the end of his Hall of Fame career. So were Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and a long list of others. The Rockets began training camp believing they would avoid a similar awkward dance with Olajuwon. Then, five days before the start of his 17th season, he surprised coach Rudy Tomjanovich with the news he might not retire after all. He talked to me and said he wants to leave his options open.