Hakeem Olajuwon: Kobe’s Yoda

Dream senses that the force is strong within this one: “Each time he backed down Houston’s Shane Battier in the post and then deftly spun around him for a layup Wednesday night, Kobe Bryant jogged up court staring into the same pocket of fans seated courtside across from the scorer’s table. The man who met his gaze knew exactly the message Bryant was trying to convey. ‘He looked at me to confirm, ‘I’m using what you taught me,” Hakeem Olajuwon said. ‘That was the greatest gift for me. It was wonderful.’”