Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon

[Mr.Espinoza ♔♔♔]

 

 

Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, known as Akeem Olajuwon during the early NBA years (Lagos, Nigeria, January 21, 1963), is a former Nigerian-born American basketball player who played 18 seasons in the NBA, 17 of them with the Houston Rockets .

At 2.13 meters tall, Olajuwon was one of the best pivots there has been. Hakeem the Dream was nicknamed for having left Nigeria and in just a few years having achieved the American dream of a great athlete and title winner.

Olajuwon won two NBA champion rings in 1994 and 1995, resulting in MVP of the Finals on both occasions and MVP of the 1994 season. He joined the best NBA quintet in six seasons, the second quintet in three and the third quintet in three others, and played 12 editions of the All-Star. He also won the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games with the United States team.

In 1996 he was among the 50 best players in NBA history, and in 2008 he entered the Basketball Hall of Fame.

 

Sports career
college
Of Yoruba descent, the Nigerian Olajuwon went to the United States and played at the University of Houston, sharing a team with Clyde Drexler to form the "Phi Slamma Jamma". He played with the name "Akeem" on the back, to change it later for "Hakeem".

Olajuwon helped the Cougars reach the NCAA finals two consecutive years, but lost first against North Carolina State in 1983 and Georgetown in 1984. Drexler became professional in 1983, leaving Olajuwon alone on the team.

NBA
The Twin Towers of Houston (1984-1987)
He was considered the number 1 in the 1984 NBA Draft over Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton, later NBA stars, and was first chosen by the Houston Rockets. In the days leading up to the lottery, the first team was chosen by throwing a coin in the air, and a stroke of luck placed Houston Rockets above the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Rockets had immediate success during the season as a rookie for Olajuwon, who shared a team with the 1984 Rookie of the Year, Ralph Sampson, to form the original NBA duo known as the "Twin Towers." They took Houston to the 1986 NBA finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.68 blocks in his first season. He finished as runner-up in the 1985 rookie vote after Michael Jordan.

 

Awards

The 34 of Olajuwon, retired by the Cougars.
Two NBA Championships (1994, 1995)
Twice MVP of the NBA Finals (1994, 1995)
NBA MVP (1994)
Twice NBA Defender of the Year (1993, 1994)
Six times member of the First NBA Team (1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1997)
Three times member of the Second NBA Team (1986, 1990, 1996)
Three times member of the Third NBA Team (1991, 1995, 1999)
Five times member of the NBA Defensive Team (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994)
Twelve times All-Star
Olympic gold medalist (1996)
One of the 50 best players in the history of the NBA (1996)
Only NBA player to win the MVP, MVP of the finals and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (1994)
One of the four NBA players to have finished a game with a quadruple-double.
Olajuwon also won the rebounder and capper titles, becoming the third player (after Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton) to lead the league in both categories in the same season.
Leader of all time in caps, moving to second place to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Note: the NBA did not keep statistics on caps until Abdul-Jabbar was in the league for several years).
Olajuwon is also in the top ten of caps, bounces and thefts. In scoring he was in the top 10, until Lebron James beat him.