Cross-era · careers 2 years apart

Hakeem Olajuwon vs Dwight Howard

Hakeem Olajuwon 1984-2002 · Center Dwight Howard 2004-2021 · Center-Forward

Hakeem Olajuwon (1984-2002) and Dwight Howard (2004-2021) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 2 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Hakeem Olajuwon was the higher-volume scorer (21.8 points per game to 15.7); adjusted for era they scored at 2.12× and 1.61× their league average respectively; Dwight Howard was the more efficient scorer (60.3% true shooting to 55.3%). Hakeem Olajuwon holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #12 all-time ranking to Dwight Howard's #48.

Career averages

Hakeem OlajuwonStatDwight Howard
21.8 Points / game 15.7
11.1 Rebounds / game 11.8
2.5 Assists / game 1.3
1.7 Steals / game 0.9
3.1 Blocks / game 1.8
50.9% Field goal % 59.3%
10.6% 3-point % 15.8%
70.4% Free throw % 57.0%
55.3% True shooting % 60.3%
1,238 Games played 1,242

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Hakeem OlajuwonStatDwight Howard
2.12× Points vs era avg 1.61×
2.66× Rebounds vs era avg 2.85×
1.05× Assists vs era avg 0.64×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Hakeem Olajuwon.

Hakeem OlajuwonStatDwight Howard
— Offensive rating 107.3
— Defensive rating 106.8
— Net rating 0.5
— Usage % 0.2%
— Assist % 0.1%
— Rebound % 0.2%

Playoff averages

Hakeem OlajuwonStatDwight Howard
25.9 Points / game 15.3
11.2 Rebounds / game 11.8
3.2 Assists / game 1.2
1.7 Steals / game 0.8
3.3 Blocks / game 2.0
53.0% Field goal % 59.3%
15.4% 3-point % 7.2%
72.6% Free throw % 54.8%
145 Playoff games 125

Accolades

Hakeem OlajuwonStatDwight Howard
1 MVP awards 0
2 Finals MVP 0
2 Championships 1
12 All-Star selections 8
6 All-NBA 1st Team 5
#12 All-time GOAT rank #48

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