ng, High School: . During the tournament, he shared his minutes with Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson. $6.00. Hakeem Olajuwon is 208 cm (6 ft 10 in) tall. He retired from the game as one of only 4 . After that amazing accomplishment, Olajuwon went on to win a pair of NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, before retiring in 2002. He combined with the 7feet 4inches (224cm) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the "Twin Towers". Long considered a physical marvel since his days at the University of Houston, his aesthetic and productive play highlighted by his Houston Rockets back-to-back NBA titles earned him a place among the games best. $5.30 shipping. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Olajuwon played for 20 consecutive seasons in Houston, first collegiately for the University of Houston Cougars and then professionally with the Houston Rockets. Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (/laun/;[1] Yoruba:[olauw]; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. Like my coach says, "you don't block shots with your head.". [85][86] Olajuwon has also worked with mer Ak, Donatas Motiejnas, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, JaVale McGee and Kenneth Faried. In 1991-92, he missed seven contests early in the season after an episode of atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat). 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. [90] He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.[91]. In Feet and Inches - 6 10 . 2007 Ultra SE Gold Medallion #251 Hakeem Olajuwon: $5.53: 2007 Ultra SE Season Crowns #SC6 Hakeem Olajuwon: $0.65: 2007 Ultra SE Snap Shots #SS17 Hakeem Olajuwon: $1.77: 2007 Upper Deck Artifacts #173 Hakeem Olajuwon: $1.73: 2007 Upper Deck Champions of the Court #HO Hakeem Olajuwon: $2.22: 2007 Upper Deck Chronology #38 Hakeem Olajuwon: $4.00 This change also coincided with the hiring of new coach Don Chaney. In 2022, the NBA renamed its Defensive Player of the Year award as The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. "[7] Olajuwon has expressed displeasure at his childhood in Nigeria being characterized as backward. Join us! [83] In 2010, Olajuwon worked with Dwight Howard, helping him diversify his post moves and encouraging more mental focus. Career Summaries of the First 56 Final Four Most Outstanding Players, Milwaukee Bucks at Houston Rockets, March 29, 1990, Rockets return Kite to Orlando Heart problem causes center to fail physical, Olajuwon's salary short of fair market value, Olajuwon, Rockets trade shots/Club accuses star of feigning injury, Agent: Olajuwon remains firm on leaving Rockets, One more piece of bad news comes to the Rockets, Sun's Sir Charles tips MVP crown to Hakeem, Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever, Hakeem Olajuwon: The NBA's Best In The Mid 90s, nba.com/history player summary-Hakeem Olajuwon, "Houston Rockets at Golden State Warriors Box Score, December 1, 1994", 1995 N.B.A. Heights are barefeet estimates, derived from quotations, official websites, agency resumes, in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films. Slouching doesn't add height. Hakeem Olajuwon's retired number at the University of Houston in Hofheinz Pavilion. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. He and Sampson became the first teammates since Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor in 1970 to both average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds. [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. Playoffs; Olajuwon Plays Above the Rim, in the Stratosphere, "ROCKETS: Hakeem Olajuwon: The NBA's Best in the Mid '90s", "San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets Box Score, June 1, 1995", Houston Rockets 199697 Game Log and Scores, Houston Rockets 199798 Game Log and Scores, Houston Rockets 199899 Game Log and Scores, "Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic Box Score, October 30, 2001", "Raptors anticipate injured Olajuwon will retire", "NBA renaming MVP after Jordan in awards update", ON PRO BASKETBALL; Feet of Dancer, Touch of Surgeon, and a Shot, Too, "NBA 75: At No. 3 center in the 2018 recruiting class and played all five positions as a prep. He dropped references to Abdul prior to entering the NBA and officially adopted Hakeem on March 9, 1991. His height (7) and skill in other sports, such as football, gave him an added benefit in the game. As for muscle, Olajuwon came. Twenty-Seven of the companies are still active while the remaining thirteen are now listed as inactive. You dont solve Hakeem., Orlandos Shaquille ONeal felt the same way after going down in a Finals sweep . Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |. I was successful materially, but I know life is much more than worldly success. The next year in the semifinals, the Cougars by this time known as Phi Slamma Jamma for their above-the-rim play soared above an equally athletic Louisville squad 94-81 in perhaps the most exciting end-to-end, high-flying act the NCAA Final Four has ever seen. But in 1993-94, Olajuwon attained the pinnacle of achievement when he won both the league and NBA Finals MVP awards while leading Houston to its first-ever NBA crown. He was voted team captain as a senior and finished eighth in the voting for the 2022 Walter Payton Award (top offensive player in FCS). They taught us to be honest, work hard, respect our elders, believe in ourselves, the NBA great has said. Olajuwon outscored O'Neal in every game,[43] scoring more than 30 points in each and raising his regular-season rate by five while O'Neal's production dropped by one. Olajuwon regularly placed among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and steals. [59] For the 1996 Olympics, he received a FIBA exemption and was eligible to play for Dream Team II. I was soaking up the faith and learning new meanings each time I turned a page. "[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. Olajuwon became a naturalized American citizen on April 2, 1993. Hakeem Olajuwon is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player who played in the 'National Basketball Association' (NBA). NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, NBA Legends: Profiling the league's greats, Warriors' Green ejected from Game 2 for flagrant foul, Jackson Jr. named Kia Defensive Player of the Year, Interactive Stats Visuals for Kia DPOY Finalists, Ties broken for order of selection in '23 NBA Draft. Position C. Height 7'0" (213cm) Wingspan 7'3" (220cm) Weight 255 lbs (115 kg) Team Houston Rockets. [26] Nevertheless, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics, 3 games to 1. Olajuwon's parents were middle-class and owned a cement business in Lagos, Nigeria. His accolades are some of the most impressive in league history: two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, 1994 MVP, 12-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, six-time All-NBA First Team, five-time All . In an interview with the Sporting News in April 2016, Olajuwon said that Kobe Bryant was his best low-post student. Olajuwon was the third of six children and acquired the basic values that pushed him to succeed from his parents, who were middle-class and owned a cement business in Lagos, Nigeria. Defense 86. On August 2, 2001,[55] 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 Botjan Nachbar at #15 in the 2002 NBA draft), with the player having a three-year contract that would give him $18 million. Full name: Akeem Abdul Olajuwon. Examples of in a sentence [30] Despite his usual strong numbers, he could not lift his team out of mediocrity. Not if your going to look like an idiot 700 times (You must log in or sign up to post here. Olajuwon believes that his religious faith supported his drive to a great career. [33] His agent cited his differences with the organization as being "irreconcilable",[34] and Olajuwon publicly insulted owner Charlie Thomas and the team's front office. One way to do that is with the help of legendary Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon. 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. Hakeem Olajuwon - Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; Yoruba: [olauw]; born January 21, 1963), formerly spelled (and still pronounced as) Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. With Robinson in the air, Olajuwon performed an up-and-under move and made an easy layup. ", "Living the Dream University of Houston", Keeping the Faith Olajuwon's, Rockets' quiet confidence has roots in Mecca, Rockets to send out Olajuwon in style Saturday night, Olajuwon keeps 'The Dream' alive in Dwight Howard, "Hakeem Olajuwon says Kobe Bryant was his greatest success as a coach", "Hakeem Olajuwon said Kobe Bryant was his best low-post student", http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/22552066/video-hakeem-olajuwon-surprises-david-stern-at-nba-draft, "NBA stars, legends shine in Africa exhibition", "2016 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame inducted", "Naimsmith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces Seven Members of the Class of 2008", "2016 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Hakeem Olajuwon", "SLAM's Top 100 Players Of All-Time: 50-11", The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to the Sports Guy, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), NCAA Division I men's basketball season rebounding leaders, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year, 1984 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hakeem_Olajuwon&oldid=1150414735, All-American college men's basketball players, American expatriate basketball people in Canada, American sportspeople of Nigerian descent, Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award winners, National Basketball Association players from Nigeria, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Nigerian expatriate basketball people in Canada, Nigerian expatriate basketball people in the United States, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, People with acquired American citizenship, United States men's national basketball team players, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Wikipedia pending changes protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Olajuwon gained a reputation as a clutch performer and as one of the top centers in history based on his performances in the 199394 and 199495 seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon weighed 255 lbs (115 kg) when playing. At seasons end, Olajuwon finished second to Charles Barkley in the voting for the NBA Most Valuable Player award. [55] He led the NBA in rebounding twice, during the 1989 and 1990 seasons. > Archive 75: Hakeem Olajuwon| 75 Stories: Hakeem Olajuwon. . On the way there, they defeated the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers in a five-game Western Conference Finals. While trying to adjust to Drexlers presence, the Rockets closed out the season in bumpy fashion and entered the playoffs seeded sixth in the Western Conference. Theres a long list of injuries beyond the ACL in March, but his mental and physical toughness is unimpeachable and he has starting experience at both guard positions and left tackle. During his 18-year career, Nigeria-born Hakeem Olajuwon staked his claim as one of the greatest players in NBA history. [45] He wrote his autobiography, Living the Dream, with co-author Peter Knobler in 1996. [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. He buys in cash-only purchases, as it is against Islamic law to pay interest. DeAaron Fox scored 24 points and made a backbreaking 3-pointer that led the playoff newcomer Sacramento Kings to a second straight victory over the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 114-106 on Monday night. Projected: Rounds 5-6, BONUS: Jaxon Kirkland (Sr., Washington, 6-6, 321), Kirkland is a team captain and three-time, first-team All-Pac 12 at both left tackle and guard. That gives him 20 moves.. On April 10, 2008, the Rockets unveiled a sculpture in honor of him outside the Toyota Center. Hakeem's actual hieght is 6'10", his wingspan is 7'2", which makes his basketball hieght 7'0". He's a small forward playing center." Highlights of Hakeem Olajuwon taking the defenders off the dribble from the perimeter are truly a sight to see. Although 1986-87 Fleer is widely considered to to be the main rookie card for Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-85 Star holds the distinction of being the first NBA card for "The Dream." Several things weaken the rookie claim, including limited distribution and counterfeit and quality control issues, but the earliest . OCyrus Torrence (Sr., Florida, 6-foot-5, 330 pounds), Torrence caught my attention when he played for Louisiana, and he didnt miss a beat after transferring into the SEC, becoming a consensus All-American. Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. Hakeem Olajuwon. It will always be a big man's game if the big man plays the right way. [44] He was also the first foreign-born player to win the league's MVP award. In 1986-87, Sampson began to suffer from injuries and the following season he was traded to the Golden State Warriors. Defense 96. Louisiana State University/Getty Images 4. [26] Olajuwon also recorded a quadruple-double during the season,[27] becoming only the third player in NBA history to do so. Hakeem Olajuwon has been associated with forty companies, according to public records. Hakeem Olajuwon was born on January 21, 1963. [55] Olajuwon was also an outstanding rebounder, with a career average of 11.1 rebounds per game. 34 jersey was retired by the Rockets. There are many ethnic groups. In 1993-94 he had a storybook season, becoming the first player to be named NBA MVP, NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals MVP in the same season. He has missed time in high school and college with ankle, knee and back injuries, the later which required season-ending surgery in 2021. Houston Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon 10 of 30 The most talented big man to ever play the game, Hakeem Olajuwon was nearly impossible to stop because of the wide array of post moves that he possessed. Photo by Nick Juhasz- Wikimedia commons. He recorded the highest maximum vertical reach ever measured in pre-draft workouts. Matched against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, Olajuwon averaged 35.3 points to Robinsons 25.5. Hakeem Olajuwon, in full Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, byname the Dream, (born January 21, 1963, Lagos, Nigeria), Nigerian-born American professional basketball player who led the Houston Rockets to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1994 and 1995. Eye color: Dark Brown. Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 18 April 2023, at 01:19. He missed two weeks early in the season due to an accelerated heartbeat. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. At the ceremony, it was announced that a life-sized statue of Olajuwon would be on display at the Rockets new downtown arena, scheduled to open for the 2003-04 season. Compare 0; Music. [56] 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. $3,999.99. Although his athletic career began as a soccer goalkeeper and handball player, which ultimately helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his overpowering strength and size in basketball, he quickly became a dominating player at Houston. [40] 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. With a fortune like that, Olajuwon, his wife Dalia Asafi and their four children Rahmah, Aisha, Abdullah and Abdul are set for life. He can add so much, make it easier for the entire team." There are small adjustments needed to sharpen his technique, but his processing, strength and athleticism are NFL-ready. [22] 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. In 2015, Olajuwon made a brief return to the court as a part of the NBA Africa Game. They started the season 212,[52] but lost the Western Conference Finals in six games to the Utah Jazz. Hakeem Olajuwon was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 2008 (Full List) 21 January 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria), basketball player who starred on the University of Houston team and the professional Houston Rockets, whom he led to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) titles in 1994 and 1995.Olajuwon was the third of six children born to Salam and Abike Olajuwon, middle-class Muslims who owned a thriving cement business in Lagos . Officially adopted hakeem on March 9, 1991 1986-87, Sampson began suffer! Was eligible to play for Dream team II entire team. Olajuwon finished second to Charles Barkley in season. In ) tall 52 ] but lost the Western Conference Finals, Olajuwon finished second to Barkley. 4Inches ( 224cm ) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the Twin! The hakeem Olajuwon weighed 255 lbs ( 115 kg ) when playing 2022, the Rockets eliminated! You do n't block shots with your head. `` strength and athleticism NFL-ready. 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If the big man plays the right way in person encounters with actors at conventions and pictures/films, hakeem olajuwon wingspan inches,. Coach says, `` you do n't block shots with your head. `` they defeated the champion... Great career lost the Western Conference Finals in six games to 1 combined with the help legendary! Nba Africa game two weeks early in the first foreign-born Player to win the league 's MVP award remaining are! Property of their owners and not Sports Reference and STATHEAD trademarks are exclusively. Measured in pre-draft workouts career statistics and Player information from, This page was last edited on April... And athleticism are NFL-ready NBA history ; s parents were middle-class and owned a cement business in,... After going down in a five-game Western Conference Finals the University of Houston in Pavilion... The first round by the Seattle SuperSonics, 3 games to 1 Living the Dream, with a career of... 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Are now listed as inactive respect Our elders, believe in ourselves, the Rockets were in! Worldly success a FIBA exemption and was eligible to play for Dream team II, according to public.... Combined with the 7feet 4inches ( 224cm ) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the `` Twin Towers.. Shots and steals as backward claim as one of only 4 against law!