Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, sometimes known as "the Dream," is a former professional basketball player from Nigeria. He was a center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and, later, the Toronto Raptors from 1984 to 2002. In 1994 and 1995, he led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles. In 2008, Olajuwon was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest centers of all time, as well as one of the best basketball players of all time.
Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and came to the University of Houston to play for head coach Guy Lewis. His college career with the Cougars includes three Final Four appearances. The Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft, which also included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He formed the "Twin Towers" with Ralph Sampson, who stood 7 feet 4 inches (224 cm). The two guided the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1986, where they were defeated in six games by the Boston Celtics. Olajuwon became the Rockets' uncontested leader after Sampson was transferred to the Golden State Warriors in 1988.
Hakeem Olajuwon was 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 the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and the first non-American to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP all in the same season in the 1993–94 season. His Rockets won back-to-back championships, avenging his college championship defeat to Patrick Ewing, and Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic. Olajuwon was a part of the United States national basketball team that won an Olympic gold medal in 1996, and he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Hakeem Olajuwon was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in October 2021, recognizing him as one of the league's best players of all time. He retired as the NBA's all-time leader in blocks (3,830) and is one of just four players in NBA history to record a quadruple-double.
Born: January 21, 1963
Nationality: Nigerian / American
