Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1963, is a retired professional basketball player renowned for his exceptional skills and achievements in the NBA. Initially excelling in various sports, he transitioned to basketball at the encouragement of a coach and quickly demonstrated remarkable talent. He played college basketball at the University of Houston, where he became part of the legendary team known as "Phi Slamma Jamma." Selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA Draft, Olajuwon became a dominant force in the league, known for his agility and finesse that set him apart from other players of his size.
Throughout his career, Olajuwon garnered numerous accolades, including two NBA Championships and Finals MVP awards, while also making twelve All-Star appearances. His commitment to his faith, especially during Ramadan, shaped his personal life and performance on the court. After retiring in 2002, Olajuwon continued to influence the sport by mentoring younger players and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. With a career average of 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and a record 3,830 blocked shots, he left an indelible mark on basketball, earning him the nickname "Hakeem the Dream."
Hakeem Olajuwon
Basketball Player
- Born: January 21, 1963
- Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Basketball player
A member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Olympic gold medalist, and two-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion, Olajuwon is regarded as one of the most skilled basketball players ever to play the center position and one of the greatest players of all time.
Areas of achievement: Sports: basketball; Sports: Olympics
Early Life
Hakeem Abdul Ajibola Olajuwon was born into a middle-class family in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, in 1963. His parents, Salaam Olude and Abike Olajuwon, owned a cement business; Hakeem was one of six children. Olajuwon’s parents instilled in him strong moral and spiritual values.
As a youth, Olajuwon excelled in many sports, particularly handball, soccer, field hockey, and high jump. By the time he was fifteen, he had never touched a basketball, but a coach at Lagos State University believed that Olajuwon might make a successful basketball player and asked him to play in an upcoming tournament.
Olajuwon was naturally gifted at basketball, and his training in handball and soccer gave him finesse and agility many other players his size did not have. By age seventeen, Olajuwon had led the Nigerian national basketball team to the All-Africa Games, where it captured the bronze medal. After high school, he was asked to tour colleges in the United States. He chose the University of Houston and transferred there in 1980.
Upon arriving in America, Olajuwon decided to use the name “Akeem” instead of “Hakeem.” The seven-foot tall Olajuwon was a dominating player at Houston from the beginning, taking the Cougars to the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) tournament in each of his active years. Along with teammate Clyde Drexler, Olajuwon’s squad became known as “Phi Slamma Jamma” because of their high-flying, fast-paced play.
Life’s Work
In 1984, the team that received the top selection in the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft was decided by a coin toss. The Houston Rockets, which had selected 7-foot, 4-inch Ralph Sampson first overall only one year earlier, won again and selected Olajuwon, choosing him over future megastar Michael Jordan, who was drafted third.
Sampson and Olajuwon were dubbed the “Twin Towers.” By the end of his rookie year, Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and was runner-up to Jordan for rookie of the year. The 48-34 Rockets made the playoffs but were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round. The next year, however, Olajuwon and Sampson took the Rockets to the NBA Finals, ultimately losing to the Boston Celtics.
Injuries in subsequent years led to Sampson’s decline as a star player, and he eventually was traded to the Golden State Warriors. This move gave Olajuwon a more central role on the Rockets and a greater chance to excel. Over the next several years, Olajuwon was named to the All-Star Game twelve times and was selected to the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team on three different occasions.
Despite Olajuwon’s personal success, his team did not return to the NBA Finals for the next several years. However, after suffering heart palpitations that led to his hospitalization in 1991, Olajuwon returned to basketball and raised his play to a new level.
It was also during this time period, between 1991 and 1993, that Olajuwon became more committed to his religion, Islam, and the strong religious values imparted to him by his parents. He changed his name back to “Hakeem” and made headlines when he observed the fast of Ramadan (abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset) even while playing afternoon games. Rather than diminish his production, Olajuwon’s newfound spirituality seemed to improve his performance.
Faith became very important to Olajuwon, who attended a local mosque in Houston, prayed five times daily, and gave to charity, all following Islamic tradition. He recited the Qur'an in Arabic and carried a compass with him when traveling so that he could pray while facing Mecca at any basketball arena. In 1993, Olajuwon also became a naturalized US citizen.
In the 1993–94 season, Olajuwon and the Rockets claimed the ultimate prize. Finishing with a franchise-best record of 58-24, the Rockets made their way to the NBA Finals, where they defeated Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks in seven hard-fought games. As a result of his stellar performance, Olajuwon was named Finals most valuable player (MVP) after averaging 29.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks per game.
The next season, former University of Houston “Phi Slamma Jamma” teammate Clyde Drexler was reunited with Olajuwon in a midseason trade. This move helped rejuvenate the slumping Rockets on their way to a second consecutive Finals appearance, this time facing the Orlando Magic and their promising young center, Shaquille O’Neal. Averaging 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, Olajuwon led the Rockets to a sweep of the Magic and their second straight NBA title.
In 1996, Olajuwon was asked to play on the US Olympic men’s basketball team. He led a team featuring stars such as O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, David Robinson, and John Stockton to a 95-69 victory over Yugoslavia in the gold-medal game.
Over the next several years, Olajuwon’s numbers began to decline, mostly because of injuries. In his final season in 2002, he left Houston as a free agent and signed with the Toronto Raptors but retired the same year. His legacy in Houston, however, had been cemented. In 2002, the Rockets retired his number 34 jersey and, in 2008, the team erected a monument in his honor.
After retirement, Olajuwon spent a great amount of time at his summer home in Amman, Jordan, pursuing Islamic studies and raising his five children. He also continued to maintain a home in Houston and mentored younger NBA players such as Emeka Okafor, Yao Ming, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard. He was inducted into the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame in 2016.
Significance
Olajuwon finished his professional basketball career with an average of 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. His 3,830 blocked shots were the most in NBA history. Few other centers combined his size and agility. At the peak of Olajuwon’s career, his opponents claimed he had more than twenty moves to beat defenders in the post and facing the basket, making him nearly impossible to defend. His remarkable play earned him the nickname “Hakeem the Dream.”
Bibliography
Christopher, Matt. On the Court with . . . Hakeem Olajuwon. Boston: Little, 1997. Print.
Donnelly, Patrick. The Best NBA Centers of All Time. Minneapolis: Abdo, 2015. Print.
Kalb, Elliott. Who’s Better, Who’s Best in Basketball? Mr. Stats Sets the Record Straight on the Top Fifty NBA Players of All Time. Chicago: Contemporary, 2004. Print.
Laufer, Joanna, and Kenneth S. Lewis. Inspired Lives: Exploring the Role of Faith and Spirituality in the Lives of Extraordinary People. Woodstock: Skylight Paths, 2001. Print.
Olajuwon, Hakeem, and Peter Knobler. Living the Dream: My Life and Basketball. Boston: Little, 1996. Print.