Olajuwon praises Dwight Howard and Jeremy Lin combo.

Hakeem Olajuwon raved about Dwight Howard and Jeremy Lin, claiming that the Houston Rockets duo is "very deadly."

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AP Photo/Mark J. TerrillDwight Howard and Jeremy Lin will be "very deadly" as teammates in Houston, Hakeem Olajuwon said.



Olajuwon, a Hall of Fame center who works as a special instructor with the Rockets, praised Howard and Lin after working with them last week in Colorado, according to Fox 26 in Houston.

"Just the little offense I saw, that combination is very deadly," Olajuwon told Fox 26. "You can see that both of them are very excited, seeing that, 'Wow, we bring the right ingredients together.'

"When you see players that are dedicated to succeed, it gives you that window to see what kind of season that we're looking for."

Olajuwon, a two-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star with the Rockets, was impressed with the newly acquired Howard.

"Dwight can clearly dominate this league comfortably," Olajuwon told Fox 26. "He has everything that he needs, and he has desire and work ethic to do it."

Olajuwon also stressed the importance of Lin, who will be counted on to lead a team that features Howard, All-Star guard James Harden and emerging forwardChandler Parsons.

"To be on the right team, which he is right now, he can really help and play his role very well and be effective," Olajuwon said of Lin. "There's no pressure on him now. It's on Dwight and James. His position is crucial for the team's success, and he can play that role very well."


Olajuwon had worked with Howard in the past. He also was at Howard's news conference this summer when he was introduced by the Rockets after signing a four-year contract worth about $88 million.

Olajuwon, who was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, is the Rockets' all-time leader in several categories, including points (26,511), rebounds (13,382), blocks (3,740) and steals (2,088). He was the NBA's MVP in 1993-94 and was named Finals MVP in back-to-back seasons (1994, '95).