Hakeem Olajuwon vs Jerry West
Hakeem Olajuwon (1984-2002) and Jerry West (1960-1973) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 11 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Jerry West was the higher-volume scorer (27.0 points per game to 21.8); adjusted for era they scored at 2.12× and 2.34× their league average respectively; Jerry West created more for others (6.7 assists per game to 2.5). Hakeem Olajuwon holds the edge on accolades — 1 MVP, 2 championships, 2 Finals MVPs and the #12 all-time ranking to Jerry West's #23.
Career averages
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 21.8 | Points / game | 27.0 |
| 11.1 | Rebounds / game | 5.8 |
| 2.5 | Assists / game | 6.7 |
| 1.7 | Steals / game | 0.1 |
| 3.1 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 50.9% | Field goal % | 47.4% |
| 10.6% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 70.4% | Free throw % | 81.4% |
| 55.3% | True shooting % | 55.0% |
| 1,238 | Games played | 932 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 2.12× | Points vs era avg | 2.34× |
| 2.66× | Rebounds vs era avg | 0.99× |
| 1.05× | Assists vs era avg | 2.97× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Hakeem Olajuwon.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Jerry West's era.
Playoff averages
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 25.9 | Points / game | 29.1 |
| 11.2 | Rebounds / game | 5.6 |
| 3.2 | Assists / game | 6.3 |
| 1.7 | Steals / game | 0.0 |
| 3.3 | Blocks / game | 0.0 |
| 53.0% | Field goal % | 46.6% |
| 15.4% | 3-point % | 0.0% |
| 72.6% | Free throw % | 79.1% |
| 145 | Playoff games | 153 |
Accolades
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Stat | Jerry West |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 0 |
| 2 | Finals MVP | 1 |
| 2 | Championships | 1 |
| 12 | All-Star selections | 12 |
| 6 | All-NBA 1st Team | 10 |
| #12 | All-time GOAT rank | #23 |
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