Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon

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Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon - retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) - (b. Akeem Abdul Olajuwon on January 21, 1963)

Olajuwon played center for the Houston Rockets, whom he led to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, and the Toronto Raptors.

Olajuwon travelled from his home country of Nigeria to play collegiately for the University of Houston. After a standout career for the Cougars, which included three trips to the Final Four, Olajuwon was drafted by the Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA Draft, two places ahead of Michael Jordan. Olajuwon combined with the 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson, to form what was dubbed the "Twin Towers" duo. 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 undisputed leader of the team. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and shot-blocking three times (1990, 1991, 1993). In the 1993-94 season he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP), Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season. In 1996, Olajuwon assisted in the gold medal-winning performance of the United States national team and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He ended his career the league's all-time leader in blocked shots.

He was nicknamed "Hakeem the Dream" for his grace on and off the court. Since his career ended Olajuwon spends most of his time in Jordan where he moved with his family to pursue Islamic studies. He returns once or twice a year to visit his friends and former teammates such as Sam Cassell and Robert Horry, whose careers he follows.

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. Olajuwon will be eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. It is considered a foregone conclusion that he will be inducted, as every member of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History list who is eligible has been inducted.

Accolades

2x NBA champion (1994, '95)
2x NBA Finals MVP (1994, '95)
1x NBA MVP (1994)
2x Defensive Player of Year (1993, '94)
6x All-NBA First Team (1987, '88, '89, '93, '94, '97)
3x All-NBA Second Team ('86, '90, '96)
3x All-NBA Third Team (1991, '95, '99)
5x All-Defensive First Team ('87, '88, '90, '93, '94)
12x All-Star
Olympic gold medalist (1996)
Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
Only player in NBA history to have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season (1994).
One of the 4 players in NBA history to have ever recorded a quadruple-double.
Olajuwon also won the rebounding and blocked shots titles in 1989-90, becoming the third player ever (after Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton) to lead the league in both categories during the same season.
All-time leader in blocked shots. (note: the NBA did not keep statistics for blocked shots until the 1973-74 season)
Olajuwon is also in the top ten in blocks, scoring, rebounding, and steals. He is the only player in NBA history placed in the top ten for all four categories.
All-time NBA Playoffs leader in total blocks with 472 and blocks per game with 3.3 per game.
Olajuwon ranks 7th all-time in steals and is by far the highest ranked center. (note that steals were not recorded until the 1973-74 season)
In 1989, Olajuwon had 282 blocks and 218 steals, becoming the only NBA player to record over 200 blocks and 200 steals in a season.
Olajuwon is one of few players to record more than 200 blocks and 100 steals in a season. As the all-time leader in this feat, he did it for 11 seasons (consecutively from the 1985-86 season to the 1995-96 season).

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