Hakeem Olajuwon

At 61 years old, Hakeem Olajuwon has this physical status:

College career

Under Cougars coach Guy Lewis, Olajuwon migrated from Nigeria to play basketball at the University of Houston. Olajuwon was not well-researched, and the university was only allowed a visit to the university to work out for the coaching staff, based on a suggestion from a friend of Lewis who had never seen Olajuwon play. When he first arrived at the airport in 1980 for the tour, no representative of the school was there to welcome him. When he called the workers, they told him to take a taxi to the university.

Olajuwon came mostly off the bench and spent his time as the Cougars' sixth man in 1981-82, shooting 60% from the field in 18 minutes per game as Houston's eventual NCAA champion, North Carolina, was eliminated in the Final Four. Olajuwon wanted to get more playing time, so they recommended he work out with local Houston resident and multiple NBA MVP nominee Moses Malone. Malone, the NBA's Houston Rockets' center, appeared at games every offseason with several NBA players at the Fonde Recreation Center. Olajuwon joined the gym and went head-to-head with Malone in several games throughout the summer. Olajuwon credited this experience with quickly improving his game: "Meansaided me in many ways," Moses said by being out playing and encouraging me to go against that level of competition." I was the best center in the NBA at the time, so I was working to make my game play the best" in the league.

Olajuwon was a different player in the summer of that year. After being unable to express himself so easily that his college coach said it "looked like a dream," he was dubbed "the Dream" during his basketball career. He and his coworkers, as well as Clyde Drexler, formed "Phi Slama Jama," the first slam-dunking "fraternity" named for its above-the-rim prowess. In his sophomore and junior years, he helped the Cougars advance to a streak of NCAA championship games, where they lost to North Carolina State on a last-second tip-in in 1983 and a Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown team in 1984. In 1982–83, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks, along with 13.9 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 5.4 blocks in 1983–84, he averaged 13.9 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks. Even though Olajuwon was on the losing team in the final game, he received the 1983 NCAA Tournament Player of the Year award. He is the last player from a losing team to be honoured with this award to date. Drexler left the NBA in 1983, leaving Olajuwon as the team's lone star.

Olajuwon debated whether to stay in college or announce early for the NBA draft following the 1983-84 season. At that time, before the NBA Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985, the first pick was awarded by coin flip. "I really believed that Houston would win the coin flip and pick the first draft pick, and I was going to play in Houston so I had to make the decision early." His intuition was accurate, and he was a lucky toss Houston ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. Olajuwon was voted first overall by the Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft over fellow collegians and future NBA stars Michael Barkley and John Stockton, and John Stockton.

Olajuwon's autobiography Living the Dream talks about an intriguing draft trade for the Rockets that would have traded Clyde Drexler and the number two pick in the 1984 NBA draft from Portland for Ralph Sampson. If the Rockets made the offer, Olajuwon claims the Rockets may have chosen Jordan with the number two pick to play alongside Olajuwon and Drexler, who had developed chemistry while playing together during their Phi Slama Jama days in college. According to sportswriter Sam Smith, "such a trade may have changed league history and perhaps even the entire Michael Jordan legend." Every NBA championship team from 1991 to 1998 featured Jordan or Olajuwon; in addition, at least one of Drexler, Jordan, and Olajuwon was active in every NBA Final from 1990 to 1998.

Professional career

During Olajuwon's rookie season, the Rockets saw a dramatic increase go from 29 to 53, from 53 in 1983–84 to 48–34 in 1984–85. Ralph Sampson, the 1984 Rookie of the Year, ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson, joined the original NBA "Twin Towers" pair. In his rookie season, Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.68 blocks. In the 1985 Rookie of the Year poll, he came in second, behind Michael Jordan, and he was the only other rookie to receive any votes.

During his second pro season (1985–86), Olajuwon averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. The Rockets finished 51-31 and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals, where they met the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets won the series by a huge margin, shocking the sports world and landing Olajuwon on the front page of Sports Illustrated. Olajuwon won games three and four, and after the series, Lakers coach Pat Riley said, "We tried everything." We had four bodies on him. We've all been aided from different directions. He's just a good sport." The Rockets advanced to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics, one of the best teams in NBA history.

Sampson, who was suffering with knee injuries that would have ended his career early, was traded to the Golden State Warriors during the 1987–88 season. Olajuwon was the Rockets' first full season in 1988-89. Don Chaney's appointment coincided with the addition of a new coach. The Rockets finished the regular season with a record of 45–37, while Olajuwon finished the season as the league's top rebounder (13.5 per game) over Charles Barkley, with a full rebound per game. This result was consistent with his averages of 24.8 points and 3.4 blocks. Olajuwon's playoff results of 37.5 ppg and 16.8 rpg, as well as a record for points in a four-game playoff series (150). However, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle SuperSonics, 3 games to 1.

The Rockets' 1989-90 season was a disappointment. They finished the season with a 41–41 record, and although they made the playoffs, Los Angeles cut them in four games. Olajuwon had one of the most productive defensive seasons by an interior player in the NBA's history. He captured the NBA rebounding crown (14.0 per game) for the second time this season, this time by a much larger margin; he had a total of two rebounds per game over David Robinson, and led the league in blocks by averaging 4.6 per game. He is the first NBA player since the NBA started shooting blocking shots in 1973–74 to average 14+ points and 4.5+ blocked shots per game in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton were the only players in NBA history (at that time) to lead the league in rebounding and shot-blocking in the same season. Olajuwon was also a quadruple-double during the season, becoming the third player in NBA history to do so.

Under NBA Coach of the Year Chaney, the Rockets completed their 1990-1991 season with a record of 52–30. In 1990–91, Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points per game, but after an elbow injury caused by Bill Cartwright's elbow, he did not play enough games (56) to qualify for the reboundsing title. Otherwise, he would have won it for the third year in a row, with 13.8 rpg as a result (league leader Robinson averaged 13.0 rpg). He also averaged 3.95 blocks per game in the league. The Rockets were however swept in the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.

During Olajuwon's tenure, the Rockets' season came to a low point. The team went 42-40 and missed the playoffs for the first time in Olajuwon's history. Due to an elevated heart beat, he missed two weeks early in the season. Despite his usual high success, he was unable to help his team lift his team out of mediocrity. Since being in the playoffs for five years, the Rockets had played in five different countries, but they were disqualified in the first round four times. Following the season, Olajuwon demanded a transfer in part due to his poor work; his compensation was considerably less than a top center; and his deal specifically forbade re-negotiation. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the company's attempts to recruit him with high-quality players. He felt the Rockets had cut corners at every turn, and was more concerned about losing than winning. During the season, management had angered Olajuwon, who had accused him of faking a hamstring injury as a result of his unhappiness regarding his work situation. Olajuwon blasted owner Charlie Thomas and the team's front office in a tweet. His agent characterized his dissatisfaction with the company as "irrable." Olajuwon was "as close to a sure thing as there is" in the 1992–93 season.

However, he was not fired, and the Rockets started the season with Rudy Tomjanovich, the Rockets' new coach. Olajuwon set a new career record of 3.5 assists per game in 1992–93. This willingness to pass the ball raised his scoring, making it more difficult for opposing teams to double and triple-team him. Olajuwon posted a new career-high with 26.1 points per game. The Rockets set a new franchise record with 55 victories and advanced to the second round of the playoffs, advancing to their seventh game before losing 103–103. He came in second in the MVP competition to Charles Barkley with 22 votes to Barkley's 59. Towards the end of the regular season, the team rewarded him with a four-year deal extension. The Rockets were on the rise in 1993–94 as a team on the rise in comparison to the previous year. They had a strong core of youth players and veterans, as well as a leader in Olajuwon, who was approaching his prime.

Based on his appearances in the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons, Olajuwon gained a reputation as a clutch performer and as one of the best centers in history. He defplayed centers such as Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Dikembe Mutombo, as well as other defensive stalwarts such as Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone. Many of his battles took place with his Texas-based rival David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs. Olajuwon averaged 26.3 points per game, shooting 45.7 percent from the field, while Robinson averaged 22.1 and 46 percent in the 30 head-to-head match-ups from 1989 to 1996, when both Olajuwon and Robinson were in their prime.

In a seven-game series against the New York Knicks, Olajuwon's perennial rivals since his youth, Patrick Ewing, led the Rockets to a championship in the 1994 NBA Finals. The Knicks led by 3–2 after being down 2–1, a 2–1 loss. When the Rockets' last second, Knicks guard John Starks (who had already scored 27 points) went up for what would have been a Finals-winning three, they were defending an 86–84 lead. Olajuwon retaliated by blocking the shot as time expired. Olajuwon led the Houston Oilers to their first professional sports championship since the Houston Oilers claimed the American Football League championship in 1961 with a game-high 25 points and ten rebounds. In a head-to-head match, Olajuwon defeated Ewing, outscoring him in every game of the series and averaging 26.9 points per game on 50% shooting, compared to Ewing's 18.9 and 36.3%. Olajuwon was named NBA Final Most Valuable Player for his efforts.

Olajuwon was at his pinnacle of his career. In 1994, he became the first NBA player to win the MVP, the Championship, and the Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. He was also the first foreign-born player to win the league's MVP award.

Olajuwon defeated the Golden State Warriors 113-109 on December 1, 1994, with a triple-double 37 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. However, the Rockets were crowned champions in 1995 after a slow start by the team and Olajuwon's missing eight games due to anemia at the end of the season. In a mid-season trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, they were boosted in part by the signing of Clyde Drexler, Olajuwon's former University of Houston "Phi Slama Jama" teammate. During the regular season, Olajuwon averaged 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. Olajuwon played some of his best performances during the playoffs, perhaps in his career. In the last two games, San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson, who was recently named league MVP, was outplayed by Olajuwon: Olajuwon defeated him by 35.3 points on a.560 shooting (Robinson's numbers were 23.8 and.449) and defeated Robinson 841–41. Olajuwon defeated Woln with 39 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game that was series-clinching. Robinson told LIFE magazine, "Hakeem?" when asked later what a team could do to "solve" Olajuwon. You can't solve Hakeem." Every road game in the series was a success for the Rockets. The Rockets thrashed the Orlando Magic, who were led by Shaquille O'Neal, in the NBA Finals. Olajuwon defeated O'Neal in every game, scoring more than 30 points in each and raising his regular-season average by five, though O'Neal's decreased by one. Olajuwon was named the finals MVP once more. In the 1995 Playoffs, he averaged 33.0 points on a.531 shot, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.81 blocks. Olajuwon was the only Rockets All-Star in 1994.

The Rockets' two-year championship bid came to an end in the second round of the 1996 NBA Playoffs by the eventual Western Conference Champions Seattle SuperSonics. Michael Jordan had returned from an 18-month absence in March 1995, and the Chicago Bulls dominated the league for the next three years (1996-98). In the NBA Playoffs, the Bulls and Rockets never met. When the Rockets drafted Charles Barkley to their roster in 1996-97, they had a 57-win season. They began the season 22-2, but they lost in six games to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Finals. Olajuwon's point production fell to 16.4 in 1997-98 after averaging 26.9 and 23.2 percent in 1995–96 and 1996–97 respectively. Drexler, the Rockets' former coach, who suffered in the first round in five games to the Jazz in 1998, has been fired. In 1998–99, the Rockets acquired veteran All-Star Scottie Pippen and finished 31-19, 31-19 in the lockout-shortened regular season. Olajuwon's scoring average increased to 18.9 points per game, and he made his twelfth and final All-NBA squad. However, they lost in the first round again, this time to the Lakers. Pippen was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after the season.

Houston began to rebuild, with young guards Cuttino Mobley and 2000 NBA co-Rookie of the Year Steve Francis. Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors for draft picks (the majority of which was used by Houston to draft Bo'tjan Nachbar at #15 in the 2002 NBA draft), resulting in a three-year deal for the player. In his first game with the Raptors, he scored 11 points in less than 22 minutes against the Magic. Olajuwon had career lows of 7.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in what would be his last season in the NBA, before he decided to miss the fall of 2002 due to a back injury. With 3,830, Olajuwon became the all-time league leader in total blocked shots, although shot-blocking did not become a standard statistic until the 1973–74 NBA season.

His No. resigned shortly after his retirement, he was no. 68. The Rockets cut 34 jerseys. In 1,238 games, Olajuwon averaged 21.8 points on 51% shooting, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 3.1 blocks.

National team career

Olajuwon played for a Nigerian junior team in the All-Africa Games in 1980, before arriving in the United States. When he first tried to play for the United States national basketball team, he had some issues. Players are forbidden from representing more than one country in international competition, according to FIBA, and players must go through a three-year wait for any nationality change. Olajuwon was ineligible for selection to the "Dream Team" because he hadn't become a US citizen.

Olajuwon became a naturalized American citizen on April 2, 1993. He was given a FIBA exemption for the 1996 Olympics and was eligible to play for Dream Team II. The team went on to win the gold medal in Atlanta. He shared his minutes with Shaquille O'Neal and David Robinson during the tournament. He played 7 out of the eight games and started 2. In seven games, he averaged 5 points and 3.1 rebounds, and had 8 assists and 6 steals.

Source

Awards and achievements

• 2× NBA champion (1994, 1995)
• 2× NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995)
• 1× NBA MVP (1994)
• 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994)
• 6× All-NBA First Team (1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997)
• 3× All-NBA Second Team (1986, 1990, 1996)
• 3× All-NBA Third Team (1991, 1995, 1999)
• 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994)
• 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1985, 1991, 1996, 1997)
• 12× NBA All-Star
• Olympic gold medalist (1996)
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
• Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team
• Olajuwon ended his career in the top eleven all-time in blocks, scoring, rebounding, and steals. He is the only player in NBA history to retire in the top eleven for all four categories (he is now 13th all-time in rebounding).
• Olajuwon was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2008, as well as to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.
• Ranked #10 in ESPN's All-Time #NBArank: Counting down the greatest players ever (published in 2016)
• Ranked #12 in SLAM Magazine's 2018 revision of the top 100 greatest players of all time (published in the January 2018 issue)