Rockets' Center Explains Similarities Between Soccer and Basketball

Houston Rockets legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the league's greatest two-way players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers. Not just that, Olajuwon is also viewed by many as a top ten player altogether. 

There's certainly an argument to be made. Even if you think his two championships with the Rockets in the '90s were purely a result of Michael Jordan's abrupt retirement, which would be a foolish take. 

Jordan's retirement caused him to miss only the 1993-94 season in totality, which only accounts for the Rockets' first championship. He came back during the 1994-95 season and was a part of the Bulls' entire postseason run.

He even averaged 31.5 points during the Bulls' 1995 title chase. The Bulls simply weren't able to get past the young Orlando Magic, who were headlined by 22 year old Shaquille O'Neal and 23 year old Anfernee Hardaway. 

Olajuwon and the Rockets swept that very Magic team. O'Neal would later admit that he was outgunned and outmatched by Olajuwon, albeit many years later.

Olajuwon's footwork made it impossible for centers to keep up with him. And he was far too physically imposing for guards. 

Olajuwon's soccer background was a significant reason for his uncanny footwork. He'd played soccer all throughout his childhood, as a goalkeeper. 

Rockets center Clint Capela was recently speaking about the FIFA World Cup coming to the city of Houston in June and shared some commonalities between soccer and basketball. 

"Something that basketball will translate? Just the speed and the footwork, you know? Obviously that togetherness, playing as a team and stuff like that for sure."

To be clear, Capela wasn't speaking about Olajuwon, but more so about soccer and the similarities to basketball as a sport. Even with his relatively generic assessment, his quote encapsulates Olajuwon, as he had speed, lateral mobility, footwork and agility that made him a nightmare. 

And he had tremendous conditioning, which is also common among soccer players. On the soccer front, the city of Houston is bracing for the World Cup this month, which will be a main attraction.

In total, there will be seven matches hosted in NRG Stadium (soon to be renamed Reliant Stadium), where the Houston Texans play. The games will span from June 14th through July 4th.

The city will see a bit of an uptick in traffic, as travelers from across the world will be coming to Houston to attend the matches. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Rockets players in attendance, especially Capela, himself.