Olajuwon: Let's Wait And See

Hakeem Olajuwon, his season ended prematurely by a blood disorder, said his health would determine whether he returns to the NBA next year.

"My position from the beginning of the season was to play out this year and look at all the options and make a decision," the Houston Rockets center said Thursday. "What's important is how realistic is my health. Can this be corrected? To the doctor, this is nothing new, other people have this symptom and can be corrected."

Olajuwon, in the final year of his contract, also did not rule out returning to the Rockets for a 17th season. He will undergo six months of treatment for what doctors said Thursday was a blood clot in his lower left leg.

"I've been here in the old uniform and the new uniform," Olajuwon said. "The most important thing is I like the chemistry that we had before the injury. Everybody felt comfortable, the coaches, the teammates.

"This is my home, it is the ideal situation."

His physician, Dr. James Muntz, said Olajuwon has been responding well to medication.

"I expect him to do excellent with treatment and expect him to have full recovery and come back," Muntz said. " I'm not sure about this year but for sure he'll be able to play next year and longer if he wants to."

Olajuwon, who grew up playing soccer in his native Nigeria and took up basketball at the University of Houston, redefined the center position in the NBA with his spin moves and athleticism and led the Rockets to a pair of championships in the mid 1990s.

His contract, which pays him $16.5 million this year, expires with the end of the season and it was unlikely the Rockets would offer him, at 38, another similarly lucrative deal to return although his play had improved tremendously in weeks preceding disclosure of his ailment.

The Rockets have said they would not close the door on his return.

Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson said Thursday that Olajuwon remained a viable center in the NBA and refused to concede he had played his last game with the team.

"I don't want to think about that," he said. "I kind of want to get him back."

A week ago, he left a game in Atlanta with what was described as a calf problem. Doctors isolated the blood disorder Monday and prescribed a blood thinner called coumadin. The medication, however, raises the possibility of hemorrhaging if he gets banged around on the court so doctors have refused to clear him to play.

Olajuwon, the overall top pick in the 1984 draft, was the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1994, when he became the only player to ever win honors as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of the NBA Finals.

He is the Rockets' all-time leadr in nearly all categories, including games, points, free throws, rebounds, steals and minutes.

Olajuwon averaged 11.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.55 blocks in 49 games this year. Last week he scored a season-high 27 points at Dallas and in a game last month had 20 rebounds against Washington.

For his career, he has averaged 23 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, his average is almost 27 points and more than 11 rebounds.

"I have to go into the mindset this summer if I'm playing next year," Olajuwon said. "You have to have a goal so you can shoot for it: what kind of condition, how you want to play, do you just want to play or want to play and dominate?"

As for reports that indicated he had played his last game, he replied: "I think they've ben doing that for three years.

"Nobody likes to go out with an injury, but if that's the case, just be grateful for all the good years you've had."

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