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Hakeem Olajuwon

May 10, 2023

Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (/əˈlaɪʒuɒn/;[1] Yoruba: [olaɟuwɔ̃]; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player.[2] From 1984 to 2002, he played center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and, in his last season, the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers, as well as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.[3][4][5]

Hakeem Olajuwon
Olajuwon in 2015
Personal information
Born (1963-01-21) January 21, 1963 (age 60)
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian / American
Listed height7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
Listed weight255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High schoolMuslim Teachers College
(Lagos, Nigeria)
CollegeHouston (1981–1984)
NBA draft1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Houston Rockets
Playing career1984–2002
PositionCenter
Number34
Career history
1984–2001Houston Rockets
2001–2002Toronto Raptors
Career highlights and awards
Career NBA statistics
Points26,946 (21.8 ppg)
Rebounds13,747 (11.1 rpg)
Blocks3,830 (3.1 bpg)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon traveled from his home country to play for the University of Houston under head coach Guy Lewis. His college career for the Cougars included three trips to the Final Four. Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He combined with the 7-foot-4-inch (224 cm) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the "Twin Towers". The two led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. After Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1988, Olajuwon became the Rockets' undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993).

Despite very nearly being traded during a bitter contract dispute before the 1992–93 season, he remained in Houston. He became the first non-American to be an NBA All-Star and start in an NBA All-Star Game, the first non-American to win the NBA MVP, the first non-American to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and in the 1993–94 season became the first player in NBA history to win the NBA's MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season. His Rockets won back-to-back championships. Their first against the New York Knicks, avenging his college championship loss to Patrick Ewing. The following year, after a lackluster regular season, Olajuwon's Rockets swept Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic in 4 games. In 1996, Olajuwon was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning United States national basketball team, and he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. In October 2021, Olajuwon was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all-time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.[6] He ended his career as the league's all-time leader in blocks (3,830) and is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple-double.

Early life

Olajuwon was born to Salim and Abike Olajuwon, working-class Yoruba owners of a cement business in Lagos, Nigeria.[7][8] He was the third of eight children. He credits his parents with instilling virtues of hard work and discipline into him and his siblings: "They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, and believe in ourselves."[7] Olajuwon has expressed displeasure at his childhood in Nigeria being characterized as backward. "Lagos is a very cosmopolitan city ... There are many ethnic groups. I grew up in an environment at schools where there were all different types of people."[9]

During his youth, Olajuwon was a soccer goalkeeper, which helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his size and strength in basketball, and also contributed to his shot-blocking ability.[10] Olajuwon did not play basketball until the age of 15 in high school, when he entered a local tournament while at the Muslim Teachers College in Lagos, Nigeria.[7] It has been said that a coach in Nigeria once asked him to dunk and demonstrated while standing on a chair. Olajuwon then tried to stand on the chair himself. When redirected by staff not to use the chair, Hakeem could initially not dunk the basketball.[11]

Despite early struggles, Olajuwon said: "Basketball is something that is so unique. That immediately I pick up the game and, you know, realize that this is the life for me. All the other sports just become obsolete."[12]

College career

Olajuwon emigrated from Nigeria to play basketball at the University of Houston under Cougars coach Guy Lewis. Olajuwon was not highly recruited and was merely offered a visit to the university to work out for the coaching staff, based on a recommendation from a friend of Lewis who had seen Olajuwon play.[13] He later recalled that when he originally arrived at the airport in 1980 for the visit, no representative of the school was there to greet him. When he called the staff, they told him to take a taxi out to the university.[14]

 
One of only five numbers retired by the University of Houston men's basketball team, Olajuwon's No. 34 hangs in Fertitta Center.

After redshirting his freshman year in 1980–81 because he could not yet get clearance from the NCAA to play,[9] Olajuwon came mostly off the bench and served as the Cougars' sixth man as a redshirt freshman in 1981–82, averaging 8.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, shooting 60% from the field in 18 minutes per game as Houston was eliminated in the Final Four by the eventual NCAA champion, North Carolina.[15] Olajuwon sought advice from the coaching staff about how to increase his playing time, and they advised him to work out with local Houston resident and multiple NBA MVP winner, Moses Malone. Malone, who was then a center on the NBA's Houston Rockets, played games every off-season with several NBA players at the Fonde Recreation Center. Olajuwon joined the workouts and went head to head with Malone in several games throughout the summer. Olajuwon credited this experience with rapidly improving his game: "The way Moses helped me is by being out there playing and allowing me to go against that level of competition. He was the best center in the NBA at the time, so I was trying to improve my game against the best."[9]

Olajuwon returned from that summer a different player. He was nicknamed "the Dream" during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it "looked like a dream."[16] He and his teammates (including Clyde Drexler) formed what was dubbed "Phi Slama Jama", the first slam-dunking "fraternity", so named because of its above-the-rim prowess. In his sophomore and junior years he helped the Cougars advance to consecutive NCAA championship games, where they lost to North Carolina State on a last-second tip-in in 1983 and a Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown team in 1984. He averaged 13.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks in 1982–83 and 16.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 5.6 blocks in 1983–84.[15][17] Olajuwon was voted the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1983,[18] when he was also named the Helms Foundation Player of the Year.[19]

After the 1983–84 season, when he was named a consensus first-team All-American,[17] Olajuwon debated whether to stay in college or declare early for the NBA draft. At that time, before the NBA Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985, the first pick was awarded by coin flip. Olajuwon recalled: "I really believed that Houston was going to win the coin flip and pick the first draft choice, and I really wanted to play in Houston so I had to make that decision (to leave early)."[14] His intuition proved correct, and the toss placed Houston ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. Olajuwon was selected first overall by the Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft.

In his autobiography Living the Dream, Olajuwon mentions an intriguing draft trade offered to the Rockets that would have sent Clyde Drexler and the number two pick in the 1984 NBA draft from Portland in exchange for Ralph Sampson.[20] Had the Rockets made the deal, Olajuwon states the Rockets could have selected Jordan with the number two pick to play alongside Olajuwon and Drexler, who had established chemistry playing together during their Phi Slama Jama days in college. Sportswriter Sam Smith speculates that such a trade "would have changed league history and maybe the entire Michael Jordan legend."[20] From 1991 to 1998, every NBA championship team included either Jordan or Olajuwon; furthermore, at least one of Drexler, Jordan, and Olajuwon was involved in every NBA Finals from 1990 to 1998.[21]

Professional career

Houston Rockets (1984–2001)

Early years (1984–1987)

The Rockets had immediate success during Olajuwon's rookie season, as their win–loss record improved from a 29-53 record in 1983–84 to 48–34 in 1984–85.[22] He teamed with the 1984 Rookie of the Year, 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson to form the original NBA "Twin Towers" duo. Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.68 blocks in his rookie season.[23] He finished as runner-up to Michael Jordan in the 1985 Rookie of the Year voting, and was the only other rookie to receive any votes.

Olajuwon averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game during his second pro season (1985–86).[23] The Rockets finished 51–31,[22] and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they faced the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets won the series fairly easily, four games to one, shocking the sports world and landing Olajuwon on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Olajuwon scored 75 points in victories in games three and four, and after the series Lakers coach Pat Riley remarked "We tried everything. We put four bodies on him. We helped from different angles. He's just a great player."[24] The Rockets advanced to the 1986 NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics, whose 1986 team is often considered one of the best teams in NBA history.[25]

Mid-career years (1987–1993)

 
Olajuwon (right) defending Jawann Oldham on November 25, 1986

During the 1987–88 season, Sampson (who was struggling with knee injuries that would eventually end his career prematurely) was traded to the Golden State Warriors. The 1988–89 season was Olajuwon's first full season as the Rockets' undisputed leader. This change also coincided with the hiring of new coach Don Chaney. The Rockets ended the regular season with a record of 45–37,[22] and Olajuwon finished the season as the league leader in rebounds (13.5 per game) by a full rebound per game over Charles Barkley. This performance was consistent with his averages of 24.8 points and 3.4 blocks.[26] Olajuwon posted exceptional playoff numbers of 37.5 ppg and 16.8 rpg, plus a record for points in a four-game playoff series (150).[27] Nevertheless, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics, 3 games to 1.

The 1989–90 season was a disappointment for the Rockets. They finished the season with a 41–41 record,[22] and though they made the playoffs, were eliminated in four games by Los Angeles. Olajuwon put up one of the most productive defensive seasons by an interior player in the history of the NBA. He won the NBA rebounding crown (14.0 per game) again, this time by an even larger margin; a full two rebounds per game over David Robinson, and led the league in blocks by averaging 4.6 per game.[26] He is the only player since the NBA started recording blocked shots in 1973–74 to average 14+ rebounds and 4.5+ blocked shots per game in the same season. In doing so he joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton as the only players in NBA history (at that point) to lead the league in rebounding and shot-blocking in the same season.[27] Olajuwon also recorded a quadruple-double during the season,[28] becoming only the third player in NBA history to do so.

The Rockets finished the 1990–91 season with a record of 52–30[22] under NBA Coach of the Year Chaney. Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points per game in 1990–91, but due to an injury to his eyesocket caused by an elbow from Bill Cartwright,[7] did not play in enough games (56) to qualify for the rebounding title. Otherwise, he would have won it for a third consecutive year, averaging 13.8 a game (league leader Robinson averaged 13.0 rpg). He also averaged a league-leading 3.95 blocks per game.[29][30] However, the Rockets were swept in the playoffs by the LA Lakers.

The following season was a low point for the Rockets during Olajuwon's tenure. They finished 42–40,[22] and missed the playoffs for the first time in Olajuwon's career. He missed two weeks early in the season due to an accelerated heartbeat.[31] Despite his usual strong numbers, he could not lift his team out of mediocrity. Since making the Finals in 1986, the Rockets had made the playoffs five times, but their record in those playoff series was 1–5 and they were eliminated in the first round four times. Following the season, Olajuwon requested a trade in part because of his bad contract; his salary was considerably low for a top center, and his contract specifically forbade re-negotiation.[32] He also expressed displeasure with the organization's efforts to surround him with quality players. He felt the Rockets had cut corners at every turn, and were more concerned with the bottom line than winning.[33] Management had also infuriated Olajuwon during the season when they accused him of faking a hamstring injury because of his unhappiness over his contract situation.[34] His agent cited his differences with the organization as being "irreconcilable",[35] and Olajuwon publicly insulted owner Charlie Thomas and the team's front office.[32][36] With the 1992–93 season approaching, a reporter for the Houston Chronicle said that Olajuwon being dealt was "as close to a sure thing as there is."[37]

Nonetheless, he was not traded and the Rockets began the season with a new coach, Rudy Tomjanovich. Olajuwon improved his passing in 1992–93,[38] setting a new career-high of 3.5 assists per game.[26] This willingness to pass the ball increased his scoring, making it more difficult for opposing teams to double and triple-team him. Olajuwon set a new career-high with 26.1 points per game.[26] The Rockets set a new franchise record with 55 wins,[22] and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, pushing the Seattle SuperSonics to a seventh game before losing in overtime, 103–100. He finished second in the MVP race to Charles Barkley with 22 votes to Barkley's 59.[39] The team rewarded him with a four-year contract extension toward the end of the regular season.[40]

MVP and championship years (1993–1995)

Olajuwon gained a reputation as a clutch performer and as one of the top centers in history based on his performances in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons.[41] He outplayed centers such as Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dikembe Mutombo, and other defensive stalwarts such as Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone. Many of his battles were with his fellow Texas-based rival David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs.[42] In the 30 head–to–head match-ups during the seven seasons from the 1989 to 1996, when both Olajuwon and Robinson were in their prime, Olajuwon averaged 26.3 points per game, shooting 47.6% from the field, while Robinson averaged 22.1 and 46.8%.

Olajuwon led the Rockets to a championship in the 1994 NBA Finals in a seven-game series against the New York Knicks, the team of one of Olajuwon's perennial rivals since his collegiate days, Patrick Ewing. After being down 2–1, the Knicks took a 3–2 lead into Game 6. The Rockets were defending an 86–84 lead when in the last second, Knicks guard John Starks (who had already scored 27 points) went up for what would have been a Finals-winning three. Olajuwon pulled off a clutch play by blocking the shot as time expired.[43] In Game 7, Olajuwon posted a game–high 25 points and 10 rebounds, which helped defeat the Knicks, bringing the first professional sports championship to Houston since the Houston Oilers won the American Football League championship in 1961. Olajuwon dominated Ewing in their head–to–head match-up, outscoring him in every game of the series and averaging 26.9 points per game on 50% shooting, compared to Ewing's 18.9 and 36.3%.[44] For his efforts Olajuwon was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

Olajuwon was at the pinnacle of his career. In 1994, he became the only player in NBA history to win the MVP, the Championship, the Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season.[45] He was also the first foreign-born player to win the league's MVP award.[46]

On December 1, 1994, Olajuwon recorded a triple-double 37 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 113–109 win over the Golden State Warriors.[47] But despite a slow start by the team, and Olajuwon missing eight games toward the end of the season with anemia,[48] the Rockets repeated as champions in 1995. They were bolstered in part by the acquisition of Clyde Drexler, Olajuwon's former University of Houston "Phi Slama Jama" teammate, in a mid-season trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Olajuwon averaged 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game during the regular season.[29] Olajuwon displayed perhaps the most impressive moments of his career during the playoffs. San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson, recently crowned league MVP, was outplayed by Olajuwon in the Conference Finals: Olajuwon averaged 35.3 points on .560 shooting (Robinson's numbers were 23.8 and .449) and outscored Robinson 81–41 in the final two games.[49] In the series-clinching game, Olajuwon recorded 39 points, 17 rebounds and 5 blocks.[50] When asked later what a team could do to "solve" Olajuwon, Robinson told LIFE magazine: "Hakeem? You don't solve Hakeem."[7] The Rockets won every road game that series. In the NBA Finals, the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic, who were led by a young Shaquille O'Neal. Olajuwon outscored O'Neal in every game,[44] scoring more than 30 points in each and raising his regular-season rate by five while O'Neal's production dropped by one.[51] Olajuwon was again named Finals MVP. He averaged 33.0 points on .531 shooting, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.81 blocks in the 1995 Playoffs.[7] As in 1994, Olajuwon was the only Rockets All-Star.[52]

Post-championship period (1995–2001)

 
Olajuwon signing autographs

The Rockets' two-year championship run ended when they were eliminated in the second round of the 1996 NBA Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference Champion Seattle SuperSonics. Michael Jordan had returned from an 18-month hiatus in March 1995, and his Chicago Bulls dominated the league for the next three years (1996–98). The Bulls and Rockets never met in the NBA Playoffs. The Rockets posted a 57–win season in 1996–97 season when they added Charles Barkley to their roster. They started the season 21–2,[53] but lost the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Utah Jazz. After averaging 26.9 and 23.2 points in 1995–96 and 1996–97 respectively, Olajuwon's point production dipped to 16.4 in 1997–98.[26] After the Rockets lost in the first round in five games to the Jazz in 1998,[54] Drexler retired. In 1998–99 the Rockets acquired veteran All-Star Scottie Pippen and finished 31–19 in the lockout-shortened regular season. Olajuwon's scoring production rose to 18.9 points per game,[26] and he made his twelfth and final All-NBA Team.[27] However, they lost in the first round again, this time to the Lakers.[55] After the season, Pippen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Toronto Raptors (2001–2002)

Houston began to rebuild, bringing in young guards Cuttino Mobley and 2000 NBA co-Rookie of the Year Steve Francis. On August 2, 2001,[56] after refusing a $13 million deal with the Rockets, Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors for draft picks (the highest of which was used by Houston to draft Boštjan Nachbar at #15 in the 2002 NBA draft), with the player having a three-year contract that would give him $18 million. In his first game with the Raptors, he scored 11 points in just 22 minutes of playing time against the Magic.[57] Olajuwon averaged career lows of 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in what would be his final season in the NBA, as he decided to retire in the fall of 2002, due to a back injury.[56][58] Olajuwon retired as the all–time league leader in total blocked shots with 3,830, although shot-blocking did not become an official statistic until the 1973–74 NBA season.

Shortly after his retirement, his No. 34 jersey was retired by the Rockets. For his NBA career, Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points on 51% shooting, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.1 blocks in 1,238 career games.[59]

National team career

In 1980, before arriving in the US, Olajuwon played for a Nigerian junior team in the All-Africa Games. This created some problems when he tried to play for the United States men's national basketball team initially.[60] FIBA rules prohibit players from representing more than one country in international competition, and players must go through a three-year waiting period for any nationality change. Olajuwon was ineligible for selection to the "Dream Team" as he hadn't become a US citizen.[60]

Olajuwon became a naturalized American citizen on April 2, 1993.[60] For the 1996 Olympics, he received a FIBA exemption and was eligible to play for Dream Team III. The team went on to win the gold medal in Atlanta. During the tournament, he shared his minutes with Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson. He played 7 out of the 8 games and started 2. He averaged 5 points and 3.1 rebounds and had 8 assists and 6 steals in seven games.

Player profile

If I had to pick a center [for an all-time best team], I would take Olajuwon. That leaves out Shaq, Patrick Ewing. It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain. It leaves out a lot of people. And the reason I would take Olajuwon is very simple: he is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position. It's not just his scoring, not just his rebounding or not just his blocked shots. People don't realize he was in the top seven [in NBA history] in steals. He always made great decisions on the court. For all facets of the game, I have to give it to him.

—Michael Jordan[61]

Olajuwon was highly skilled as both an offensive and defensive player. On defense, his rare combination of quickness and strength allowed him to guard a wide range of players effectively. He was noted for both his outstanding shot-blocking ability and his unique talent (for a frontcourt player) for stealing the ball. Olajuwon is the only player in NBA history to record more than 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season. He averaged 3.09 blocks and 1.75 steals per game for his career.[56] He is the only center to rank among the top ten all-time in steals.[56] Olajuwon was also an outstanding rebounder, with a career average of 11.1 rebounds per game.[56] He led the NBA in rebounding twice, during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. He was twice named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and was a five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection. In 2022, the NBA renamed its Defensive Player of the Year award as The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.[62]

On offense, Olajuwon was famous for his deft shooting touch around the basket and his nimble footwork in the low post. With the ball, Hakeem displayed a vast array of fakes and spin moves, highlighted in his signature "Dream Shake" (see below). He was a prolific scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game for his career,[7] and an above-average offensive rebounder, averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game.[7] Additionally, Olajuwon became a skilled dribbler with an ability to score in "face-up" situations like a perimeter player.[63] He is one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double in the NBA, which have only been possible since the 1973–74 season, when blocked shots and steals were first kept as statistics in the NBA. In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Olajuwon as the 11th greatest player in NBA history.[64]

Dream Shake

The best footwork I've ever seen from a big man.

— Pete Newell[10]

Olajuwon established himself as an unusually skilled offensive player for a big man, perfecting a set of fakes and spin moves that became known as his trademark Dream Shake. Executed with uncanny speed and power, they are still regarded as the pinnacle of "big man" footwork.[10] Shaquille O'Neal stated: "Hakeem has five moves, then four countermoves – that gives him 20 moves."[7] Olajuwon himself traced the move back to the soccer-playing days of his youth. "The Dream Shake was actually one of my soccer moves which I translated to basketball. It would accomplish one of three things: one, to misdirect the opponent and make him go the opposite way; two, to freeze the opponent and leave him devastated in his tracks; three, to shake off the opponent and giving him no chance to contest the shot."[10] The Dream Shake was very difficult to defend, much like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's sky-hook.[10]

One notable Dream Shake happened in Game 2 of the 1995 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. With David Robinson guarding him, Olajuwon performed a cross-over, drove to the basket and faked a layup. Robinson, an excellent defender, kept up with Olajuwon and remained planted. Olajuwon spun counterclockwise and faked a jump shot. Robinson, who was voted the 1995 NBA MVP, fell for the fake and jumped to block the shot. With Robinson in the air, Olajuwon performed an up-and-under move and made an easy layup.[65]

Olajuwon has referred to basketball as a science, and described his signature move in vivid detail: "When the point guard throws me the ball, I jump to get the ball. But this jump is the set-up for the second move, the baseline move. I call it the 'touch landing.' The defender is waiting for me to come down because I jumped but I'm gone before I land. Defenders say 'Wow, he's quick,' but they don't know that where I'm going is predetermined. He's basing it on quickness, but the jump is to set him up. Before I come down, I make my move. When you jump, you turn as you land. Boom! The defender can't react because he's waiting for you to come down to defend you. Now, the first time when you showed that quickness, he has to react to that quickness, so you can fake baseline and go the other way with your jump hook. All this is part of the Dream Shake. The Dream Shake is you dribble and then you jump; now you don't have a pivot foot. When I dribble I move it so when I come here, I jump. By jumping, I don't have a pivot foot now. I dribble so now I can use either foot. I can go this way or this way. So he's frozen, he doesn't know which way I'm going to go. That is the shake. You put him in the mix and you jump stop and now you have choice of pivot foot. He doesn't know where you're gonna turn and when."[66]

Personal life

Olajuwon married Dalia Asafi on August 8, 1996, in Houston.[67] The couple have four children together.[68] Olajuwon also has an older daughter, Abisola from a previous relationship with Lita Spencer, whom he met in college. Abisola represented the West Girls in the McDonald's All-American Game and played in the WNBA.[69]

In addition to English, Olajuwon is fluent in French, Arabic, and the Nigerian languages of Yoruba and Ekiti.[46] He wrote his autobiography, Living the Dream, with co-author Peter Knobler in 1996. During his 18-year NBA career, Olajuwon earned more than $110 million in salary.[70]

After Olajuwon’s rookie year he signed a 5 year agreement for $2.5 million, to endorse Etonic Shoes with a Signature line, the Dream Shoe. Later in his career signed a shoe endorsement deal with LA Gear, and became the face of Spalding's athletic shoe line and endorsed a sneaker that retailed in various outlets (such as Payless ShoeSource) for $34.99.[71] This made him one of the very few well-known players in any professional sport to endorse a sneaker not from Nike, Reebok, Adidas, or other high-visibility retail brands. As Olajuwon declared: "How can a poor working mother with three boys buy Nikes or Reeboks that cost $120? ... She can't. So kids steal these shoes from stores and from other kids. Sometimes they kill for them."[72]

Higher education

Attending college was also an important priority to Olajuwon. At the University of Houston, Olajuwon was a physical education major.[73]

Muslim faith

In Olajuwon's college career and early years in the NBA, he was often undisciplined, talking back to officials, getting in minor fights with other players and amassing technical fouls. Later, Olajuwon took an active interest in spirituality,[74] becoming a more devout Muslim. On March 9, 1991, he altered his name from Akeem to the more conventional spelling of Hakeem, saying, "I'm not changing the spelling of my name, I'm correcting it".[75] He later recalled, "I studied the Qur'an every day. At home, at the mosque ... I would read it in airplanes, before games and after them. I was soaking up the faith and learning new meanings each time I turned a page. I didn't dabble in the faith, I gave myself over to it."[75] "His religion dominates his life", Drexler said in 1995.[76] Olajuwon was still recognized as one of the league's elite centers despite his strict observance of Ramadan (i.e., abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours for about a month), which occurred during the playing season throughout his career. Olajuwon was noted as sometimes playing better during the month of Ramadan, and in 1995 he was named NBA Player of the Month in February, even though Ramadan began on February 1 of that year.[7][77]

Post-NBA life

Olajuwon played for 20 consecutive seasons in Houston, first collegiately for the University of Houston Cougars and then professionally with the Houston Rockets.[7] He is considered a Houston icon and one of the city's most beloved citizens.[78] Olajuwon has had great success in the Houston real estate market, with his estimated profits exceeding $100 million. He buys in cash-only purchases, as it is against Islamic law to pay interest.[79] Olajuwon splits his time between Jordan, where he moved with his family to pursue Islamic studies,[10] and his ranch near Houston.

In the 2006 NBA offseason, Olajuwon opened his first Big Man Camp, where he teaches young frontcourt players the finer points of playing in the post. While Olajuwon never expressed an interest in coaching a team, he wishes to give back to the game by helping younger players. When asked whether the league was becoming more guard-oriented and big men were being de-emphasized, Olajuwon responded, "For a big man who is just big, maybe. But not if you play with speed, with agility. It will always be a big man's game if the big man plays the right way. On defense, the big man can rebound and block shots. On offense, he draws double-teams and creates opportunities. He can add so much, make it easier for the entire team." He runs the camp for free.[80] Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, including power forward Emeka Okafor,[81] and center Yao Ming.[82][83] In September 2009, he also worked with Kobe Bryant on the post moves and the Dream Shake.[84] In 2010, Olajuwon worked with Dwight Howard, helping him diversify his post moves and encouraging more mental focus.[85] In the 2011 offseason, LeBron James flew to Houston and spent time working with Olajuwon.[86][87] Olajuwon has also worked with Ömer Aşık, Donatas Motiejūnas, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried. In an interview with the Sporting News in April 2016, Olajuwon said that Kobe Bryant was his best low-post student. He stated, "I’ve worked with a lot of players, but the one who really capitalized on it the most is Kobe Bryant. When I watch him play, he’ll go down in the post comfortably, naturally, and he’ll execute it perfectly."[88][89]

Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008. On April 10, 2008, the Rockets unveiled a sculpture in honor of him outside the Toyota Center.

Olajuwon attended the 2013 NBA draft to bid farewell to retiring commissioner David Stern as Stern made his announcement for the final pick of the first round. Olajuwon was the first pick announced by Stern back in 1984.[90]

On August 1, 2015, Olajuwon made a special appearance for Team Africa at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game.[91] He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.[92]

Awards and achievements

Main article: List of career achievements by Hakeem Olajuwon

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship  *  Led the league     NBA record

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1984–85 Houston 82* 82* 35.5 .538 — .613 11.9 1.4 1.2 2.7 20.6
1985–86 Houston 68 68 36.3 .526 — .645 11.5 2.0 2.0 3.4 23.5
1986–87 Houston 75 75 36.8 .508 .200 .702 11.4 2.9 1.9 3.4 23.4
1987–88 Houston 79 79 35.8 .514 .000 .695 12.1 2.1 2.1 2.7 22.8
1988–89 Houston 82* 82* 36.9 .508 .000 .696 13.5* 1.8 2.6 3.4 24.8
1989–90 Houston 82* 82* 38.1 .501 .167 .713 14.0* 2.9 2.1 4.6* 24.3
1990–91 Houston 56 50 36.8 .508 .000 .769 13.8 2.3 2.2 3.9* 21.2
1991–92 Houston 70 69 37.7 .502 .000 .766 12.1 2.2 1.8 4.3 21.6
1992–93 Houston 82 82* 39.5 .529 .000 .779 13.0 3.5 1.8 4.2* 26.1
1993–94  Houston 80 80 41.0 .528 .421 .716 11.9 3.6 1.6 3.7 27.3
1994–95  Houston 72 72 39.6 .517 .188 .756 10.8 3.5 1.8 3.4 27.8
1995–96 Houston 72 72 38.8 .514 .214 .724 10.9 3.6 1.6 2.9 26.9
1996–97 Houston 78 78 36.6 .510 .313 .787 9.2 3.0 1.5 2.2 23.2
1997–98 Houston 47 45 34.7 .483 .000 .755 9.8 3.0 1.8 2.0 16.4
1998–99 Houston 50* 50* 35.7 .514 .308 .717 9.6 1.8 1.6 2.5 18.9
1999–2000 Houston 44 28 23.8 .458 .000 .616 6.2 1.4 .9 1.6 10.3
2000–01 Houston 58 55 26.6 .498 .000 .621 7.4 1.2 1.2 1.5 11.9
2001–02 Toronto 61 37 22.6 .464 .000 .560 6.0 1.1 1.2 1.5 7.1
Career 1,238 1,186 35.7 .512 .202 .712 11.1 2.5 1.7 3.1 21.8
All-Star 12 8 23.2 .409 1.000 .520 7.8 1.4 1.3 1.9 9.8

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1985 Houston 5 5 37.4 .477 — .1000 13.0 1.4 1.4 2.6 21.2
1986 Houston 20 20 38.3 .530 .000 .638 11.8 2.0 2.0 3.5 26.9
1987 Houston 10 10 38.9 .615 .000 .742 11.3 2.5 1.3 4.3 29.2
1988 Houston 4 4 40.5 .571 .000 .884 16.8 1.8 2.3 2.8 37.5
1989 Houston 4 4 40.5 .519 — .680 13.0 3.0 2.5 2.8 25.3
1990 Houston 4 4 40.3 .443 — .706 11.5 2.0 2.5 5.8 18.5
1991 Houston 3 3 43.0 .578 .000 .824 14.7 2.0 1.3 2.7 22.0
1993 Houston 12 12 43.2 .517 .000 .827 14.0 4.8 1.8 4.9 25.7
1994  Houston 23 23 43.0 .519 .500 .795 11.0 4.3 1.7 4.0 28.9
1995  Houston 22 22 42.2 .531 .500 .681 10.3 4.5 1.2 2.8 33.0
1996 Houston 8 8 41.1 .510 .000 .725 9.1 3.9 1.9 2.1 22.4
1997 Houston 16 16 39.3 .590 .000 .731 10.9 3.4 2.1 2.6 23.1
1998 Houston 5 5 38.0 .394 .000 .727 10.8 2.4 1.0 3.2 20.4
1999 Houston 4 4 30.8 .426 — .875 7.3 0.5 1.3 0.8 13.3
2002 Toronto 5 0 17.2 .545 — .667 3.8 0.4 1.4 0.8 5.6
Career 145 140 39.6 .528 .222 .719 11.2 3.2 1.7 3.3  25.9

See also

References

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Sources

External links

May 10, 2023
hakeem, olajuwon, hakeem, abdul, olajuwon, yoruba, olaɟuwɔ, born, january, 1963, nicknamed, dream, nigerian, american, former, professional, basketball, player, from, 1984, 2002, played, center, national, basketball, association, houston, rockets, last, season. Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon e ˈ l aɪ ʒ u ɒ n 1 Yoruba olaɟuwɔ born January 21 1963 nicknamed the Dream is a Nigerian American former professional basketball player 2 From 1984 to 2002 he played center in the National Basketball Association NBA for the Houston Rockets and in his last season the Toronto Raptors He led the Rockets to back to back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016 He is widely considered to be one of the greatest centers as well as one of the greatest basketball players of all time 3 4 5 Hakeem OlajuwonOlajuwon in 2015Personal informationBorn 1963 01 21 January 21 1963 age 60 Lagos NigeriaNationalityNigerian AmericanListed height7 ft 0 in 2 13 m Listed weight255 lb 116 kg Career informationHigh schoolMuslim Teachers College Lagos Nigeria CollegeHouston 1981 1984 NBA draft1984 Round 1 Pick 1st overallSelected by the Houston RocketsPlaying career1984 2002PositionCenterNumber34Career history1984 2001Houston Rockets2001 2002Toronto RaptorsCareer highlights and awards2 NBA champion 1994 1995 2 NBA Finals MVP 1994 1995 NBA Most Valuable Player 1994 12 NBA All Star 1985 1990 1992 1997 6 All NBA First Team 1987 1989 1993 1994 1997 3 All NBA Second Team 1986 1990 1996 3 All NBA Third Team 1991 1995 1999 2 NBA Defensive Player of the Year 1993 1994 5 NBA All Defensive First Team 1987 1988 1990 1993 1994 4 NBA All Defensive Second Team 1985 1991 1996 1997 NBA All Rookie First Team 1985 IBM Award 1993 2 NBA rebounding leader 1989 1990 3 NBA blocks leader 1990 1991 1993 No 34 retired by Houston Rockets NBA anniversary team 50th 75th Consensus first team All American 1984 NCAA rebounding leader 1984 SWC Player of the Year 1984 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player 1983 No 34 retired by Houston CougarsCareer NBA statisticsPoints26 946 21 8 ppg Rebounds13 747 11 1 rpg Blocks3 830 3 1 bpg Stats at NBA comStats at Basketball Reference comBasketball Hall of Fame as playerFIBA Hall of Fame as playerMedals Men s basketballRepresenting the United StatesOlympic Games1996 Atlanta Team competitionBorn in Lagos Nigeria Olajuwon traveled from his home country to play for the University of Houston under head coach Guy Lewis His college career for the Cougars included three trips to the Final Four Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft a draft that included Michael Jordan Charles Barkley and John Stockton He combined with the 7 foot 4 inch 224 cm Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the Twin Towers The two led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics After Sampson was traded to the Golden State Warriors in 1988 Olajuwon became the Rockets undisputed leader He led the league in rebounding twice 1989 1990 and blocks three times 1990 1991 1993 Despite very nearly being traded during a bitter contract dispute before the 1992 93 season he remained in Houston He became the first non American to be an NBA All Star and start in an NBA All Star Game the first non American to win the NBA MVP the first non American to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year and in the 1993 94 season became the first player in NBA history to win the NBA s MVP Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP awards in the same season His Rockets won back to back championships Their first against the New York Knicks avenging his college championship loss to Patrick Ewing The following year after a lackluster regular season Olajuwon s Rockets swept Shaquille O Neal s Orlando Magic in 4 games In 1996 Olajuwon was a member of the Olympic gold medal winning United States national basketball team and he was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History In October 2021 Olajuwon was honored as one of the league s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team 6 He ended his career as the league s all time leader in blocks 3 830 and is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple double Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3 1 Houston Rockets 1984 2001 3 1 1 Early years 1984 1987 3 1 2 Mid career years 1987 1993 3 1 3 MVP and championship years 1993 1995 3 1 4 Post championship period 1995 2001 3 2 Toronto Raptors 2001 2002 4 National team career 5 Player profile 5 1 Dream Shake 6 Personal life 6 1 Higher education 6 2 Muslim faith 7 Post NBA life 8 Awards and achievements 9 Career statistics 9 1 NBA 9 1 1 Regular season 9 1 2 Playoffs 10 See also 11 References 12 Sources 13 External linksEarly life EditOlajuwon was born to Salim and Abike Olajuwon working class Yoruba owners of a cement business in Lagos Nigeria 7 8 He was the third of eight children He credits his parents with instilling virtues of hard work and discipline into him and his siblings They taught us to be honest work hard respect our elders and believe in ourselves 7 Olajuwon has expressed displeasure at his childhood in Nigeria being characterized as backward Lagos is a very cosmopolitan city There are many ethnic groups I grew up in an environment at schools where there were all different types of people 9 During his youth Olajuwon was a soccer goalkeeper which helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his size and strength in basketball and also contributed to his shot blocking ability 10 Olajuwon did not play basketball until the age of 15 in high school when he entered a local tournament while at the Muslim Teachers College in Lagos Nigeria 7 It has been said that a coach in Nigeria once asked him to dunk and demonstrated while standing on a chair Olajuwon then tried to stand on the chair himself When redirected by staff not to use the chair Hakeem could initially not dunk the basketball 11 Despite early struggles Olajuwon said Basketball is something that is so unique That immediately I pick up the game and you know realize that this is the life for me All the other sports just become obsolete 12 College career EditOlajuwon emigrated from Nigeria to play basketball at the University of Houston under Cougars coach Guy Lewis Olajuwon was not highly recruited and was merely offered a visit to the university to work out for the coaching staff based on a recommendation from a friend of Lewis who had seen Olajuwon play 13 He later recalled that when he originally arrived at the airport in 1980 for the visit no representative of the school was there to greet him When he called the staff they told him to take a taxi out to the university 14 One of only five numbers retired by the University of Houston men s basketball team Olajuwon s No 34 hangs in Fertitta Center After redshirting his freshman year in 1980 81 because he could not yet get clearance from the NCAA to play 9 Olajuwon came mostly off the bench and served as the Cougars sixth man as a redshirt freshman in 1981 82 averaging 8 3 points 6 2 rebounds and 2 5 blocks shooting 60 from the field in 18 minutes per game as Houston was eliminated in the Final Four by the eventual NCAA champion North Carolina 15 Olajuwon sought advice from the coaching staff about how to increase his playing time and they advised him to work out with local Houston resident and multiple NBA MVP winner Moses Malone Malone who was then a center on the NBA s Houston Rockets played games every off season with several NBA players at the Fonde Recreation Center Olajuwon joined the workouts and went head to head with Malone in several games throughout the summer Olajuwon credited this experience with rapidly improving his game The way Moses helped me is by being out there playing and allowing me to go against that level of competition He was the best center in the NBA at the time so I was trying to improve my game against the best 9 Olajuwon returned from that summer a different player He was nicknamed the Dream during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it looked like a dream 16 He and his teammates including Clyde Drexler formed what was dubbed Phi Slama Jama the first slam dunking fraternity so named because of its above the rim prowess In his sophomore and junior years he helped the Cougars advance to consecutive NCAA championship games where they lost to North Carolina State on a last second tip in in 1983 and a Patrick Ewing led Georgetown team in 1984 He averaged 13 9 points 11 4 rebounds and 5 1 blocks in 1982 83 and 16 8 points 13 5 rebounds and 5 6 blocks in 1983 84 15 17 Olajuwon was voted the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1983 18 when he was also named the Helms Foundation Player of the Year 19 After the 1983 84 season when he was named a consensus first team All American 17 Olajuwon debated whether to stay in college or declare early for the NBA draft At that time before the NBA Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985 the first pick was awarded by coin flip Olajuwon recalled I really believed that Houston was going to win the coin flip and pick the first draft choice and I really wanted to play in Houston so I had to make that decision to leave early 14 His intuition proved correct and the toss placed Houston ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers Olajuwon was selected first overall by the Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft In his autobiography Living the Dream Olajuwon mentions an intriguing draft trade offered to the Rockets that would have sent Clyde Drexler and the number two pick in the 1984 NBA draft from Portland in exchange for Ralph Sampson 20 Had the Rockets made the deal Olajuwon states the Rockets could have selected Jordan with the number two pick to play alongside Olajuwon and Drexler who had established chemistry playing together during their Phi Slama Jama days in college Sportswriter Sam Smith speculates that such a trade would have changed league history and maybe the entire Michael Jordan legend 20 From 1991 to 1998 every NBA championship team included either Jordan or Olajuwon furthermore at least one of Drexler Jordan and Olajuwon was involved in every NBA Finals from 1990 to 1998 21 Professional career EditHouston Rockets 1984 2001 Edit Early years 1984 1987 Edit The Rockets had immediate success during Olajuwon s rookie season as their win loss record improved from a 29 53 record in 1983 84 to 48 34 in 1984 85 22 He teamed with the 1984 Rookie of the Year 7 ft 4 in 2 24 m Ralph Sampson to form the original NBA Twin Towers duo Olajuwon averaged 20 6 points 11 9 rebounds and 2 68 blocks in his rookie season 23 He finished as runner up to Michael Jordan in the 1985 Rookie of the Year voting and was the only other rookie to receive any votes Olajuwon averaged 23 5 points 11 5 rebounds and 3 4 blocks per game during his second pro season 1985 86 23 The Rockets finished 51 31 22 and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they faced the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers The Rockets won the series fairly easily four games to one shocking the sports world and landing Olajuwon on the cover of Sports Illustrated Olajuwon scored 75 points in victories in games three and four and after the series Lakers coach Pat Riley remarked We tried everything We put four bodies on him We helped from different angles He s just a great player 24 The Rockets advanced to the 1986 NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics whose 1986 team is often considered one of the best teams in NBA history 25 Mid career years 1987 1993 Edit Olajuwon right defending Jawann Oldham on November 25 1986 During the 1987 88 season Sampson who was struggling with knee injuries that would eventually end his career prematurely was traded to the Golden State Warriors The 1988 89 season was Olajuwon s first full season as the Rockets undisputed leader This change also coincided with the hiring of new coach Don Chaney The Rockets ended the regular season with a record of 45 37 22 and Olajuwon finished the season as the league leader in rebounds 13 5 per game by a full rebound per game over Charles Barkley This performance was consistent with his averages of 24 8 points and 3 4 blocks 26 Olajuwon posted exceptional playoff numbers of 37 5 ppg and 16 8 rpg plus a record for points in a four game playoff series 150 27 Nevertheless the Rockets were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics 3 games to 1 The 1989 90 season was a disappointment for the Rockets They finished the season with a 41 41 record 22 and though they made the playoffs were eliminated in four games by Los Angeles Olajuwon put up one of the most productive defensive seasons by an interior player in the history of the NBA He won the NBA rebounding crown 14 0 per game again this time by an even larger margin a full two rebounds per game over David Robinson and led the league in blocks by averaging 4 6 per game 26 He is the only player since the NBA started recording blocked shots in 1973 74 to average 14 rebounds and 4 5 blocked shots per game in the same season In doing so he joined Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Bill Walton as the only players in NBA history at that point to lead the league in rebounding and shot blocking in the same season 27 Olajuwon also recorded a quadruple double during the season 28 becoming only the third player in NBA history to do so The Rockets finished the 1990 91 season with a record of 52 30 22 under NBA Coach of the Year Chaney Olajuwon averaged 21 8 points per game in 1990 91 but due to an injury to his eyesocket caused by an elbow from Bill Cartwright 7 did not play in enough games 56 to qualify for the rebounding title Otherwise he would have won it for a third consecutive year averaging 13 8 a game league leader Robinson averaged 13 0 rpg He also averaged a league leading 3 95 blocks per game 29 30 However the Rockets were swept in the playoffs by the LA Lakers The following season was a low point for the Rockets during Olajuwon s tenure They finished 42 40 22 and missed the playoffs for the first time in Olajuwon s career He missed two weeks early in the season due to an accelerated heartbeat 31 Despite his usual strong numbers he could not lift his team out of mediocrity Since making the Finals in 1986 the Rockets had made the playoffs five times but their record in those playoff series was 1 5 and they were eliminated in the first round four times Following the season Olajuwon requested a trade in part because of his bad contract his salary was considerably low for a top center and his contract specifically forbade re negotiation 32 He also expressed displeasure with the organization s efforts to surround him with quality players He felt the Rockets had cut corners at every turn and were more concerned with the bottom line than winning 33 Management had also infuriated Olajuwon during the season when they accused him of faking a hamstring injury because of his unhappiness over his contract situation 34 His agent cited his differences with the organization as being irreconcilable 35 and Olajuwon publicly insulted owner Charlie Thomas and the team s front office 32 36 With the 1992 93 season approaching a reporter for the Houston Chronicle said that Olajuwon being dealt was as close to a sure thing as there is 37 Nonetheless he was not traded and the Rockets began the season with a new coach Rudy Tomjanovich Olajuwon improved his passing in 1992 93 38 setting a new career high of 3 5 assists per game 26 This willingness to pass the ball increased his scoring making it more difficult for opposing teams to double and triple team him Olajuwon set a new career high with 26 1 points per game 26 The Rockets set a new franchise record with 55 wins 22 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs pushing the Seattle SuperSonics to a seventh game before losing in overtime 103 100 He finished second in the MVP race to Charles Barkley with 22 votes to Barkley s 59 39 The team rewarded him with a four year contract extension toward the end of the regular season 40 MVP and championship years 1993 1995 Edit Olajuwon gained a reputation as a clutch performer and as one of the top centers in history based on his performances in the 1993 94 and 1994 95 seasons 41 He outplayed centers such as Patrick Ewing David Robinson Shaquille O Neal and Dikembe Mutombo and other defensive stalwarts such as Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone Many of his battles were with his fellow Texas based rival David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs 42 In the 30 head to head match ups during the seven seasons from the 1989 to 1996 when both Olajuwon and Robinson were in their prime Olajuwon averaged 26 3 points per game shooting 47 6 from the field while Robinson averaged 22 1 and 46 8 Olajuwon led the Rockets to a championship in the 1994 NBA Finals in a seven game series against the New York Knicks the team of one of Olajuwon s perennial rivals since his collegiate days Patrick Ewing After being down 2 1 the Knicks took a 3 2 lead into Game 6 The Rockets were defending an 86 84 lead when in the last second Knicks guard John Starks who had already scored 27 points went up for what would have been a Finals winning three Olajuwon pulled off a clutch play by blocking the shot as time expired 43 In Game 7 Olajuwon posted a game high 25 points and 10 rebounds which helped defeat the Knicks bringing the first professional sports championship to Houston since the Houston Oilers won the American Football League championship in 1961 Olajuwon dominated Ewing in their head to head match up outscoring him in every game of the series and averaging 26 9 points per game on 50 shooting compared to Ewing s 18 9 and 36 3 44 For his efforts Olajuwon was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Olajuwon was at the pinnacle of his career In 1994 he became the only player in NBA history to win the MVP the Championship the Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season 45 He was also the first foreign born player to win the league s MVP award 46 On December 1 1994 Olajuwon recorded a triple double 37 points 13 rebounds and 12 assists in a 113 109 win over the Golden State Warriors 47 But despite a slow start by the team and Olajuwon missing eight games toward the end of the season with anemia 48 the Rockets repeated as champions in 1995 They were bolstered in part by the acquisition of Clyde Drexler Olajuwon s former University of Houston Phi Slama Jama teammate in a mid season trade from the Portland Trail Blazers Olajuwon averaged 27 8 points 10 8 rebounds and 3 4 blocks per game during the regular season 29 Olajuwon displayed perhaps the most impressive moments of his career during the playoffs San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson recently crowned league MVP was outplayed by Olajuwon in the Conference Finals Olajuwon averaged 35 3 points on 560 shooting Robinson s numbers were 23 8 and 449 and outscored Robinson 81 41 in the final two games 49 In the series clinching game Olajuwon recorded 39 points 17 rebounds and 5 blocks 50 When asked later what a team could do to solve Olajuwon Robinson told LIFE magazine Hakeem You don t solve Hakeem 7 The Rockets won every road game that series In the NBA Finals the Rockets swept the Orlando Magic who were led by a young Shaquille O Neal Olajuwon outscored O Neal in every game 44 scoring more than 30 points in each and raising his regular season rate by five while O Neal s production dropped by one 51 Olajuwon was again named Finals MVP He averaged 33 0 points on 531 shooting 10 3 rebounds and 2 81 blocks in the 1995 Playoffs 7 As in 1994 Olajuwon was the only Rockets All Star 52 Post championship period 1995 2001 Edit Olajuwon signing autographs The Rockets two year championship run ended when they were eliminated in the second round of the 1996 NBA Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference Champion Seattle SuperSonics Michael Jordan had returned from an 18 month hiatus in March 1995 and his Chicago Bulls dominated the league for the next three years 1996 98 The Bulls and Rockets never met in the NBA Playoffs The Rockets posted a 57 win season in 1996 97 season when they added Charles Barkley to their roster They started the season 21 2 53 but lost the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Utah Jazz After averaging 26 9 and 23 2 points in 1995 96 and 1996 97 respectively Olajuwon s point production dipped to 16 4 in 1997 98 26 After the Rockets lost in the first round in five games to the Jazz in 1998 54 Drexler retired In 1998 99 the Rockets acquired veteran All Star Scottie Pippen and finished 31 19 in the lockout shortened regular season Olajuwon s scoring production rose to 18 9 points per game 26 and he made his twelfth and final All NBA Team 27 However they lost in the first round again this time to the Lakers 55 After the season Pippen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers Toronto Raptors 2001 2002 Edit Houston began to rebuild bringing in young guards Cuttino Mobley and 2000 NBA co Rookie of the Year Steve Francis On August 2 2001 56 after refusing a 13 million deal with the Rockets Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors for draft picks the highest of which was used by Houston to draft Bostjan Nachbar at 15 in the 2002 NBA draft with the player having a three year contract that would give him 18 million In his first game with the Raptors he scored 11 points in just 22 minutes of playing time against the Magic 57 Olajuwon averaged career lows of 7 1 points and 6 0 rebounds per game in what would be his final season in the NBA as he decided to retire in the fall of 2002 due to a back injury 56 58 Olajuwon retired as the all time league leader in total blocked shots with 3 830 although shot blocking did not become an official statistic until the 1973 74 NBA season Shortly after his retirement his No 34 jersey was retired by the Rockets For his NBA career Olajuwon averaged 21 8 points on 51 shooting 11 1 rebounds 2 5 assists and 3 1 blocks in 1 238 career games 59 National team career EditIn 1980 before arriving in the US Olajuwon played for a Nigerian junior team in the All Africa Games This created some problems when he tried to play for the United States men s national basketball team initially 60 FIBA rules prohibit players from representing more than one country in international competition and players must go through a three year waiting period for any nationality change Olajuwon was ineligible for selection to the Dream Team as he hadn t become a US citizen 60 Olajuwon became a naturalized American citizen on April 2 1993 60 For the 1996 Olympics he received a FIBA exemption and was eligible to play for Dream Team III The team went on to win the gold medal in Atlanta During the tournament he shared his minutes with Shaquille O Neal and David Robinson He played 7 out of the 8 games and started 2 He averaged 5 points and 3 1 rebounds and had 8 assists and 6 steals in seven games Player profile EditIf I had to pick a center for an all time best team I would take Olajuwon That leaves out Shaq Patrick Ewing It leaves out Wilt Chamberlain It leaves out a lot of people And the reason I would take Olajuwon is very simple he is so versatile because of what he can give you from that position It s not just his scoring not just his rebounding or not just his blocked shots People don t realize he was in the top seven in NBA history in steals He always made great decisions on the court For all facets of the game I have to give it to him Michael Jordan 61 Olajuwon was highly skilled as both an offensive and defensive player On defense his rare combination of quickness and strength allowed him to guard a wide range of players effectively He was noted for both his outstanding shot blocking ability and his unique talent for a frontcourt player for stealing the ball Olajuwon is the only player in NBA history to record more than 200 blocks and 200 steals in the same season He averaged 3 09 blocks and 1 75 steals per game for his career 56 He is the only center to rank among the top ten all time in steals 56 Olajuwon was also an outstanding rebounder with a career average of 11 1 rebounds per game 56 He led the NBA in rebounding twice during the 1989 and 1990 seasons He was twice named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year and was a five time NBA All Defensive First Team selection In 2022 the NBA renamed its Defensive Player of the Year award as The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy 62 On offense Olajuwon was famous for his deft shooting touch around the basket and his nimble footwork in the low post With the ball Hakeem displayed a vast array of fakes and spin moves highlighted in his signature Dream Shake see below He was a prolific scorer averaging 21 8 points per game for his career 7 and an above average offensive rebounder averaging 3 3 offensive rebounds per game 7 Additionally Olajuwon became a skilled dribbler with an ability to score in face up situations like a perimeter player 63 He is one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple double in the NBA which have only been possible since the 1973 74 season when blocked shots and steals were first kept as statistics in the NBA In 2022 to commemorate the NBA s 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time and named Olajuwon as the 11th greatest player in NBA history 64 Dream Shake Edit The best footwork I ve ever seen from a big man Pete Newell 10 Olajuwon established himself as an unusually skilled offensive player for a big man perfecting a set of fakes and spin moves that became known as his trademark Dream Shake Executed with uncanny speed and power they are still regarded as the pinnacle of big man footwork 10 Shaquille O Neal stated Hakeem has five moves then four countermoves that gives him 20 moves 7 Olajuwon himself traced the move back to the soccer playing days of his youth The Dream Shake was actually one of my soccer moves which I translated to basketball It would accomplish one of three things one to misdirect the opponent and make him go the opposite way two to freeze the opponent and leave him devastated in his tracks three to shake off the opponent and giving him no chance to contest the shot 10 The Dream Shake was very difficult to defend much like Kareem Abdul Jabbar s sky hook 10 One notable Dream Shake happened in Game 2 of the 1995 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs With David Robinson guarding him Olajuwon performed a cross over drove to the basket and faked a layup Robinson an excellent defender kept up with Olajuwon and remained planted Olajuwon spun counterclockwise and faked a jump shot Robinson who was voted the 1995 NBA MVP fell for the fake and jumped to block the shot With Robinson in the air Olajuwon performed an up and under move and made an easy layup 65 Olajuwon has referred to basketball as a science and described his signature move in vivid detail When the point guard throws me the ball I jump to get the ball But this jump is the set up for the second move the baseline move I call it the touch landing The defender is waiting for me to come down because I jumped but I m gone before I land Defenders say Wow he s quick but they don t know that where I m going is predetermined He s basing it on quickness but the jump is to set him up Before I come down I make my move When you jump you turn as you land Boom The defender can t react because he s waiting for you to come down to defend you Now the first time when you showed that quickness he has to react to that quickness so you can fake baseline and go the other way with your jump hook All this is part of the Dream Shake The Dream Shake is you dribble and then you jump now you don t have a pivot foot When I dribble I move it so when I come here I jump By jumping I don t have a pivot foot now I dribble so now I can use either foot I can go this way or this way So he s frozen he doesn t know which way I m going to go That is the shake You put him in the mix and you jump stop and now you have choice of pivot foot He doesn t know where you re gonna turn and when 66 Personal life EditOlajuwon married Dalia Asafi on August 8 1996 in Houston 67 The couple have four children together 68 Olajuwon also has an older daughter Abisola from a previous relationship with Lita Spencer whom he met in college Abisola represented the West Girls in the McDonald s All American Game and played in the WNBA 69 In addition to English Olajuwon is fluent in French Arabic and the Nigerian languages of Yoruba and Ekiti 46 He wrote his autobiography Living the Dream with co author Peter Knobler in 1996 During his 18 year NBA career Olajuwon earned more than 110 million in salary 70 After Olajuwon s rookie year he signed a 5 year agreement for 2 5 million to endorse Etonic Shoes with a Signature line the Dream Shoe Later in his career signed a shoe endorsement deal with LA Gear and became the face of Spalding s athletic shoe line and endorsed a sneaker that retailed in various outlets such as Payless ShoeSource for 34 99 71 This made him one of the very few well known players in any professional sport to endorse a sneaker not from Nike Reebok Adidas or other high visibility retail brands As Olajuwon declared How can a poor working mother with three boys buy Nikes or Reeboks that cost 120 She can t So kids steal these shoes from stores and from other kids Sometimes they kill for them 72 Higher education Edit Attending college was also an important priority to Olajuwon At the University of Houston Olajuwon was a physical education major 73 Muslim faith Edit In Olajuwon s college career and early years in the NBA he was often undisciplined talking back to officials getting in minor fights with other players and amassing technical fouls Later Olajuwon took an active interest in spirituality 74 becoming a more devout Muslim On March 9 1991 he altered his name from Akeem to the more conventional spelling of Hakeem saying I m not changing the spelling of my name I m correcting it 75 He later recalled I studied the Qur an every day At home at the mosque I would read it in airplanes before games and after them I was soaking up the faith and learning new meanings each time I turned a page I didn t dabble in the faith I gave myself over to it 75 His religion dominates his life Drexler said in 1995 76 Olajuwon was still recognized as one of the league s elite centers despite his strict observance of Ramadan i e abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours for about a month which occurred during the playing season throughout his career Olajuwon was noted as sometimes playing better during the month of Ramadan and in 1995 he was named NBA Player of the Month in February even though Ramadan began on February 1 of that year 7 77 Post NBA life EditOlajuwon played for 20 consecutive seasons in Houston first collegiately for the University of Houston Cougars and then professionally with the Houston Rockets 7 He is considered a Houston icon and one of the city s most beloved citizens 78 Olajuwon has had great success in the Houston real estate market with his estimated profits exceeding 100 million He buys in cash only purchases as it is against Islamic law to pay interest 79 Olajuwon splits his time between Jordan where he moved with his family to pursue Islamic studies 10 and his ranch near Houston In the 2006 NBA offseason Olajuwon opened his first Big Man Camp where he teaches young frontcourt players the finer points of playing in the post While Olajuwon never expressed an interest in coaching a team he wishes to give back to the game by helping younger players When asked whether the league was becoming more guard oriented and big men were being de emphasized Olajuwon responded For a big man who is just big maybe But not if you play with speed with agility It will always be a big man s game if the big man plays the right way On defense the big man can rebound and block shots On offense he draws double teams and creates opportunities He can add so much make it easier for the entire team He runs the camp for free 80 Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players including power forward Emeka Okafor 81 and center Yao Ming 82 83 In September 2009 he also worked with Kobe Bryant on the post moves and the Dream Shake 84 In 2010 Olajuwon worked with Dwight Howard helping him diversify his post moves and encouraging more mental focus 85 In the 2011 offseason LeBron James flew to Houston and spent time working with Olajuwon 86 87 Olajuwon has also worked with Omer Asik Donatas Motiejunas Amar e Stoudemire Carmelo Anthony JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried In an interview with the Sporting News in April 2016 Olajuwon said that Kobe Bryant was his best low post student He stated I ve worked with a lot of players but the one who really capitalized on it the most is Kobe Bryant When I watch him play he ll go down in the post comfortably naturally and he ll execute it perfectly 88 89 Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008 On April 10 2008 the Rockets unveiled a sculpture in honor of him outside the Toyota Center Olajuwon attended the 2013 NBA draft to bid farewell to retiring commissioner David Stern as Stern made his announcement for the final pick of the first round Olajuwon was the first pick announced by Stern back in 1984 90 On August 1 2015 Olajuwon made a special appearance for Team Africa at the 2015 NBA Africa exhibition game 91 He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016 92 Awards and achievements EditMain article List of career achievements by Hakeem Olajuwon 2 NBA champion 1994 1995 2 NBA Finals MVP 1994 1995 1 NBA MVP 1994 2 NBA Defensive Player of the Year 1993 1994 6 All NBA First Team 1987 1988 1989 1993 1994 1997 3 All NBA Second Team 1986 1990 1996 3 All NBA Third Team 1991 1995 1999 5 NBA All Defensive First Team 1987 1988 1990 1993 1994 4 NBA All Defensive Second Team 1985 1991 1996 1997 12 NBA All Star Olympic gold medalist 1996 Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History 1996 Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team Olajuwon ended his career in the top eleven all time in blocks scoring rebounding and steals He is the only player in NBA history to retire in the top eleven for all four categories he is now 14th all time in rebounding Olajuwon was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008 93 as well as to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016 94 Ranked 10 in ESPN s All Time NBArank Counting down the greatest players ever published in 2016 95 Ranked 12 in SLAM Magazine s 2018 revision of the top 100 greatest players of all time published in the January 2018 issue 96 Career statistics EditLegend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG Field goal percentage 3P 3 point field goal percentage FT Free throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high Won an NBA championship Led the league NBA recordNBA Edit Regular season Edit Year Team GP GS MPG FG 3P FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPG1984 85 Houston 82 82 35 5 538 613 11 9 1 4 1 2 2 7 20 61985 86 Houston 68 68 36 3 526 645 11 5 2 0 2 0 3 4 23 51986 87 Houston 75 75 36 8 508 200 702 11 4 2 9 1 9 3 4 23 41987 88 Houston 79 79 35 8 514 000 695 12 1 2 1 2 1 2 7 22 81988 89 Houston 82 82 36 9 508 000 696 13 5 1 8 2 6 3 4 24 81989 90 Houston 82 82 38 1 501 167 713 14 0 2 9 2 1 4 6 24 31990 91 Houston 56 50 36 8 508 000 769 13 8 2 3 2 2 3 9 21 21991 92 Houston 70 69 37 7 502 000 766 12 1 2 2 1 8 4 3 21 61992 93 Houston 82 82 39 5 529 000 779 13 0 3 5 1 8 4 2 26 11993 94 Houston 80 80 41 0 528 421 716 11 9 3 6 1 6 3 7 27 31994 95 Houston 72 72 39 6 517 188 756 10 8 3 5 1 8 3 4 27 81995 96 Houston 72 72 38 8 514 214 724 10 9 3 6 1 6 2 9 26 91996 97 Houston 78 78 36 6 510 313 787 9 2 3 0 1 5 2 2 23 21997 98 Houston 47 45 34 7 483 000 755 9 8 3 0 1 8 2 0 16 41998 99 Houston 50 50 35 7 514 308 717 9 6 1 8 1 6 2 5 18 91999 2000 Houston 44 28 23 8 458 000 616 6 2 1 4 9 1 6 10 32000 01 Houston 58 55 26 6 498 000 621 7 4 1 2 1 2 1 5 11 92001 02 Toronto 61 37 22 6 464 000 560 6 0 1 1 1 2 1 5 7 1Career 1 238 1 186 35 7 512 202 712 11 1 2 5 1 7 3 1 21 8All Star 12 8 23 2 409 1 000 520 7 8 1 4 1 3 1 9 9 8Playoffs Edit Year Team GP GS MPG FG 3P FT RPG APG SPG BPG PPG1985 Houston 5 5 37 4 477 1000 13 0 1 4 1 4 2 6 21 21986 Houston 20 20 38 3 530 000 638 11 8 2 0 2 0 3 5 26 91987 Houston 10 10 38 9 615 000 742 11 3 2 5 1 3 4 3 29 21988 Houston 4 4 40 5 571 000 884 16 8 1 8 2 3 2 8 37 51989 Houston 4 4 40 5 519 680 13 0 3 0 2 5 2 8 25 31990 Houston 4 4 40 3 443 706 11 5 2 0 2 5 5 8 18 51991 Houston 3 3 43 0 578 000 824 14 7 2 0 1 3 2 7 22 01993 Houston 12 12 43 2 517 000 827 14 0 4 8 1 8 4 9 25 71994 Houston 23 23 43 0 519 500 795 11 0 4 3 1 7 4 0 28 91995 Houston 22 22 42 2 531 500 681 10 3 4 5 1 2 2 8 33 01996 Houston 8 8 41 1 510 000 725 9 1 3 9 1 9 2 1 22 41997 Houston 16 16 39 3 590 000 731 10 9 3 4 2 1 2 6 23 11998 Houston 5 5 38 0 394 000 727 10 8 2 4 1 0 3 2 20 41999 Houston 4 4 30 8 426 875 7 3 0 5 1 3 0 8 13 32002 Toronto 5 0 17 2 545 667 3 8 0 4 1 4 0 8 5 6Career 145 140 39 6 528 222 719 11 2 3 2 1 7 3 3 25 9See also EditList of National Basketball Association career games played leaders List of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders List of National Basketball Association annual blocks leaders List of National Basketball Association players with most blocks in a game List of NCAA Division I men s basketball season rebounding leaders Islam in HoustonReferences Edit Olajuwon Hakeem definition of Olajuwon Hakeem in English from the Oxford dictionary OxfordDictionaries com Archived from the original on February 3 2016 Retrieved January 20 2016 Jones Jonathan February 1 2017 Hakeem refuses to be shaken by Trump s Muslim ban Sports Illustrated Retrieved July 10 2021 Reimold John April 13 2011 Hakeem Olajuwon Remembered The Best Center of All Time Bleacher Report Retrieved August 7 2021 Reardon Logan June 8 2021 Where does Bill Russell rank among best centers in NBA history NBC Sports Retrieved July 10 2021 The game s greatest giants ever ESPN com March 6 2007 Retrieved July 10 2021 NBA 75th Anniversary Team announced NBA com October 21 2021 Retrieved March 16 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k Hakeem Olajuwon NBA com Retrieved January 3 2007 Olajuwon and Knobler p 15 a b c Blount Terry May 22 1994 Hakeem For the record Kunta Kinte image was way off Houston Chronicle Retrieved November 6 2010 a b c d e f Howerton Darryl It Was All A Dream NBA com Archived December 13 2006 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 2 2007 Rapaport Ron April 4 1983 Olajuwon He s not the best yet Spokane Chronicle Retrieved June 22 2012 Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem the Dream NBA TV March 1 2007 Newman Chuck Foreign born players migrating to U S college basketball in ever higher numbers November 15 1995 accessed March 9 2007 a b NBA TV Over Time Hakeem Olajuwon NBA TV air date December 26 2006 a b Hakeem Olajuwon College Stats College 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Wayback Machine soundvision com accessed January 2 2007 a b Olajuwon and Knobler pg 207 Feigen Jonathan Keeping the Faith Olajuwon s Rockets quiet confidence has roots in Mecca Houston Chronicle September 6 1995 accessed November 4 2010 Ramadan Fact Sheet for Teachers Archived May 17 2007 at the Wayback Machine soundvision com accessed May 20 2007 Associated Press Rockets to send out Olajuwon in style Saturday night via espn com November 8 2003 accessed January 3 2007 Murphy Kate A Slam Dunk in Real Estate The New York Times December 6 2006 accessed January 3 2007 Blinebury Fran Here s How it Done Houston Chronicle August 4 2006 accessed March 9 2007 Daily Dime November 26 2006 ESPN com accessed December 7 2006 Sefko Eddie Thursday in Mavericks Camp The Dallas Morning News October 5 2006 accessed January 3 2007 Associated press Yao works out with Olajuwon espn com May 22 2007 accessed May 29 2007 Yahoo Sports NBA sports yahoo com Retrieved June 2 2018 Sify News Olajuwon keeps The Dream alive in Dwight Howard sify com October 14 2010 accessed October 14 2010 Goldsberry Kirk March 29 2013 The Evolution of King James Grantland Retrieved June 2 2018 dr34mshake January 28 2013 Hakeem Olajuwon amp LeBron James Training Sessions 2011 archived from the original on December 12 2021 retrieved June 2 2018 Adi Joseph April 4 2016 Hakeem Olajuwon says Kobe Bryant was his greatest success as a coach Sporting News Retrieved September 26 2021 Ben DuBose January 29 2020 Hakeem Olajuwon said Kobe Bryant was his best low post student USA Today Sports Weekly Retrieved September 26 2021 http www cbssports com nba eye on basketball 22552066 video hakeem olajuwon surprises david stern at nba draft Archived May 3 2015 at the Wayback Machine NBA stars legends shine in Africa exhibition ESPN com August 1 2015 Retrieved December 10 2018 2016 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame inducted FIBA com August 27 2016 Retrieved August 28 2016 Naimsmith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Seven Members of the Class of 2008 Archived from the original on April 10 2008 Retrieved on April 9 2008 2016 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame Hakeem Olajuwon FIBA com August 11 2016 Retrieved August 28 2016 All Time NBArank Hakeem No 10 ESPN February 9 2016 Archived from the original on August 28 2016 Retrieved February 9 2016 SLAM s Top 100 Players Of All Time 50 11 SLAM May 1 2018 Retrieved May 1 2018 Sources EditHarris Othello Nolte Claire Elaine and Kirsch George B Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States Greenwood Press 2000 ISBN 0 313 29911 0 Heisler Mark Big Men Who Shook the NBA Triumph Books 2003 ISBN 1 57243 766 9 Olajuwon Hakeem with Knobler Peter Living the Dream My Life and Basketball Little Brown and Company 1996 ISBN 0 316 09427 7 Simmons Bill The Book of Basketball The NBA According to the Sports Guy ESPN 2009 ISBN 0 345 51176 XExternal links EditHakeem Olajuwon at Wikipedia s sister projects Media from Commons Quotations from Wikiquote Data from Wikidata Career statistics and player information from NBA com and Basketball Reference com Hakeem Olajuwon entry at NBA Encyclopedia Hakeem Olajuwon player profile at NBA com Hakeem Olajuwon at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Portals Basketball Texas Biography Sports Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hakeem Olajuwon amp oldid 1153290332, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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