Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1963, and eventually became one of the most legendary players in the NBA. Olajuwon was the third child in a family of eight, and his parents owned a concrete business, where he learned the values of hard work and dedication (Nba.com). Growing up, Olajuwon played multiple sports, but was mainly focused on playing soccer. Soccer, being the most popular sport in Nigeria, did not fit Olajuwon well, due to his tall stature at a young age. In his mid-teens, he finally began to play basketball, as those around him believed his height could help him succeed at the sport (Klein, 2010). Due to his height being over six foot nine inches, Olajuwon was asked to play basketball at the University of Houston, where he began to take to the game of basketball.
Courtesy of britannica.com Al Messerschmidt/AP Images
Olajuwon excelled at the University of Houston, playing four years at the school. His junior year, his team made it to the Final Four, and his senior year he became a First-Team All American (Nba.com). In 1984, Olajuwon was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets, where he spent most of his career. Immediately, Olajuwon was a superstar in the league, as his tall stature and graceful movements were something unparalleled in the league at the time. Unlike many of the centers in the NBA at the time, Olajuwon was creative and had many different moves that were difficult to guard, such as his famous “dream shake” (Allan, 2015). He won his first award in the NBA, making the All-Rookie team, and never looked back from there. While the Rockets were often a good team, they were never able to win the NBA Championship until the mid-1990s. Olajuwon claimed many accolades throughout the late eighties and early nineties, and in back-to-back seasons, the Houston Rockets won the NBA Championship. Olajuwon was named the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals MVP, where he led his team to two consecutive titles (Klein 2010).
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After the two championship seasons, Olajuwon’s career slowly began to dwindle due to injuries. In his final year, he played for the Toronto Raptors in 2002, and eventually retired at the age of 39. Even though his career ended with injuries, Olajuwon is recognized as one of the best players of all time, and he continues to have an impact on the game of basketball. His accolades include being a 12 time all-star, 2 time NBA Finals winner and MVP, the NBA leader in blocks, and was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 2008. These are only a few of the awards he won during his time in the NBA. He is recognized as one of the best centers of all-time, changing the way the game was played for the forwards, as he was able to move like a guard.
Courtesy of University of Houston Digital Library
Olajuwon has made a large impact on the NBA, and even among the players today. Olajuwon has spent time to help young superstars with their skills, such as Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Joel Embiid (Allan, 2015). This is not often seen, as a big man does not often help with the footwork of people that do not play his position. He has made a positive influence on the NBA, and even his home country, as basketball has become more popular due to his rise in success in America. Olajuwon is a practicing Muslim, and is now married with two children, and spends his time in both Houston and Jordan, where his family mainly resides (Klein, 2010). Olajuwon is one of the most overlooked players in NBA history as he was playing in a time where stars like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan had all of the attention, but he was still able to become a legend of the game and became one of the best African basketball players of all-time.
Featured Image Courtesy of The Islamic Monthly / NBA.com
WORKS CITED
Allan, Kyle. “Legacy Left Behind: Hakeem Olajuwon.” Basketball Society, Basketball Society Online, 7 June 2015, basketballsocietyonline.com/legacy-left-behind-hakeem-olajuwon.
Klein, Alexander. “Hakeem Olajuwon (1963– ).” Welcome to Blackpast •, BlackPast, 6 Oct. 2010, http://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/olajuwon-hakeem-1963/.
“Legends Profile: Hakeem Olajuwon.” NBA.com, NBA.com, 24 Aug. 2017, http://www.nba.com/history/legends/profiles/hakeem-olajuwon.
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