[Basketball News]

HOUSTON -- Yao Ming wants to become the most dominating center in the NBA.

Who better to learn from than Hakeem Olajuwon?

The Rockets' current marquee big man received his first individual tutorial from the greatest player in franchise history Tuesday afternoon during a private workout on the main court at Toyota Center.

Speaking after a 1-1/2 hour workout of studying Olajuwon's footwork and practice regimen, Yao gushed over the lessons he learned from one of the most dominating big men in the game's history.

The most important advice from Olajuwon? Develop a dominating attitude.

"I'm learning the mentality from him," said Yao, who had been unable to workout with Olajuwon in the past because of other offseason obligations. "I don't know how many times I heard him talk about being dominant. That's why he can be 'The Dream.' The mentality is the biggest difference between him and me right now. I hope not far in the future that I can do things like him."

Yao gets first tutorial with Olajuwon during private workout

[Lefty Noob]

Good. Yao's played too soft his entire NBA career. That "dominating attitude" Hakeem speaks of is the x-factor missing from Yao's game.

[azrael492]

To be dominant, I think he needs to get a little bigger. He gets pushed arouned too much. I never saw Olajuwan get shoved from the box.