Hakeem Olajuwon

Quick Facts

Full Name	Hakeem Olajuwon
Occupation	Basketball Player
Date Of Birth	Jan 21, 1963(1963-01-21)
Age	61
Birthplace	Lagos
Country	Nigeria
Birth City	Lagos State
Horoscope	Capricorn

Hakeem Olajuwon Biography

Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the most popular and richest Basketball Player who was born on January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. After leading the Houston Rockets’ to NBA Championships 1994 and 1995, he was named Finals MVP. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and 6-time All- NBA First Team selection. He also won the 1994 NBA MVP. He was inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame.

He was joined by From 1995 to 1998, he was joined on the Houston Rockets by fellow Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler., another Hall of Famer, on the Houston Rockets from 1995 to 1998.

On offense, Olajuwon was famous for his deft shooting touch around the basket and his nimble footwork in the low post. With the ball, Hakeem displayed a vast array of fakes and spin moves, highlighted in his signature “Dream Shake” (see below). He was a prolific scorer, averaging 21.8 points per game for his career, and an above average offensive rebounder, averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game. Additionally, Olajuwon became a skilled dribbler with an ability to score in “face-up” situations like a perimeter player. He is one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double in the NBA, which have only been possible since the 1973–74 season, when blocked shots and steals were first kept as statistics in the NBA.

In 1980, before arriving in the US, Olajuwon played for a Nigerian junior team in the All-Africa Games. This created some problems when he tried to play for the United States men’s national basketball team initially. FIBA rules prohibit players from representing more than one country in international competition, and players must go through a three-year waiting period for any nationality change. Olajuwon was ineligible for selection to the “Dream Team” as he hadn’t become a US citizen.

In 1996, he married Dalia Asafi through an arrangement. Their three children are named Abi, Aisha and Rahmah. Abi was a college basketball player at Oklahoma. She spent two years with the Chicago Sky, Tulsa Shock in the WNBA.

Hakeem Olajuwon Net Worth

Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the richest Basketball Player from Nigeria. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Hakeem Olajuwon 's net worth $200 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

He stopped playing basketball at the age of 15

He is best known for his defense. He won the NBA Defensive Player Of The Year award twice and led the NBA in blocks three times. He retired with 3,830 career blocks.

Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (/ə ˈ l aɪ ʒ u ɒ n / ; Yoruba: [olaɟuwɔ̃] ; born January 21, 1963), formerly spelled (and still pronounced as) Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to- back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was nicknamed “The Dream” during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it “looked like a dream.”

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Hakeem Olajuwon height 7 ft 0 in Hakeem weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Hakeem Olajuwon Dating?

According to our records, Hakeem Olajuwon married to Dalia Asafi (m. 1996). As of December 1, 2023, Hakeem Olajuwon’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Hakeem Olajuwon. You may help us to build the dating records for Hakeem Olajuwon!

In his autobiography, Living the Dream, Olajuwon mentions an intriguing draft trade offered to the Rockets that would have sent Clyde Drexler and the number two pick in the 1984 NBA draft from Portland in exchange for Ralph Sampson. Had the Rockets made the deal, Olajuwon states the Rockets could have selected Michael Jordan with the number two pick to play alongside Olajuwon and Drexler, who had established chemistry playing together during their Phi Slama Jama days in college. Sportswriter Sam Smith speculates that such a trade “would have changed league history and maybe the entire Michael Jordan legend”. From 1991 to 1998, every NBA championship team included either Jordan or Olajuwon; furthermore, at least one of Drexler, Jordan, and Olajuwon was involved in every NBA Finals from 1990 to 1998.

Facts & Trivia

Hakeem Ranked on the list of most popular Basketball Player. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in Nigeria. Hakeem Olajuwon celebrates birthday on January 21 of every year.

Olajuwon averaged 23.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game during his second pro season (1985–86). The Rockets finished 51–31, and advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they faced the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets won the series fairly easily, four games to one, shocking the sports world and landing Olajuwon on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Olajuwon scored 75 points in victories in games three and four, and after the series Lakers coach Pat Riley remarked “We tried everything. We put four bodies on him. We helped from different angles. He’s just a great player.” The Rockets advanced to the 1986 NBA Finals where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics, whose 1986 team is often considered one of the best teams in NBA history.

Who's better Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaquille O Neal?

In 20 regular season matchups, Shaq has gotten the better of Hakeem , leading his teams to 14 wins and six losses. Shaq’s numbers against Hakeem are also more impressive—he averaged 22.1 points on 54.4 percent shooting, 12.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.8 blocks.

Why was Hakeem Olajuwon not on the Dream team?

Olajuwon was ineligible for selection to the “Dream Team” as he hadn’t become a US citizen. Olajuwon became a naturalized American citizen on April 2, 1993. For the 1996 Olympics, he received a FIBA exemption and was eligible to play for Dream Team II.

Why did Hakeem change his name?

4. Hakeem Olajuwon (Akeem Olajuwon) — It was a slight change, but the Nigerian-born NBA great altered his first name in 1991 to reflect the proper Arabic spelling.

How many Mvps does Hakeem Olajuwon have?

Hakeem Olajuwon is a two-time NBA champion, a former MVP and widely considered one of the greatest centers ever.

Who was Shaq's toughest opponent?

Shaquille O’Neal Reveals His Toughest Opponent Was ‘Big Country’ Bryant Reeves : “He Had The Ugliest Duckworth One-Handed Jumper. He’d Shoot It And It Would Always Go In.” It’s hard to imagine Shaquille O’Neal struggling against any one player in the NBA. Shaq is often considered the most dominant player in NBA history.