Cross-era · careers 9 years apart

Hakeem Olajuwon vs Kawhi Leonard

Hakeem Olajuwon 1984-2002 · Center Kawhi Leonard 2011-2025 · Forward · active

Hakeem Olajuwon (1984-2002) and Kawhi Leonard (2011-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 9 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 20.7); adjusted for era they scored at 2.12× and 2.03× their league average respectively; Kawhi Leonard was the more efficient scorer (67.2% 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 Kawhi Leonard's #27.

Career averages

Hakeem OlajuwonStatKawhi Leonard
21.8 Points / game 20.7
11.1 Rebounds / game 6.4
2.5 Assists / game 3.1
1.7 Steals / game 1.7
3.1 Blocks / game 0.6
50.9% Field goal % 49.9%
10.6% 3-point % 38.9%
70.4% Free throw % 85.0%
55.3% True shooting % 67.2%
1,238 Games played 798

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Hakeem OlajuwonStatKawhi Leonard
2.12× Points vs era avg 2.03×
2.66× Rebounds vs era avg 1.55×
1.05× Assists vs era avg 1.36×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats aren't available for Hakeem Olajuwon.

Hakeem OlajuwonStatKawhi Leonard
— Offensive rating 115.0
— Defensive rating 105.0
— Net rating 10.0
— Usage % 33.5%
— Assist % 21.0%
— Rebound % 11.5%

Playoff averages

Hakeem OlajuwonStatKawhi Leonard
25.9 Points / game 21.5
11.2 Rebounds / game 7.8
3.2 Assists / game 3.0
1.7 Steals / game 1.8
3.3 Blocks / game 0.7
53.0% Field goal % 51.3%
15.4% 3-point % 40.2%
72.6% Free throw % 80.2%
145 Playoff games 146

Accolades

Hakeem OlajuwonStatKawhi Leonard
1 MVP awards 0
2 Finals MVP 2
2 Championships 2
12 All-Star selections 7
6 All-NBA 1st Team 3
#12 All-time GOAT rank #27

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