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Hakeem Olajuwon
Leading Houston to consecutive NBA championships with exceptional footwork and defence.
NBA MVP · Two championships
- Born
- 21 January 1963
- Birthplace
- Lagos, Nigeria
More people
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon is a Nigerian-American former basketball centre whose career combined scoring skill and rim protection.
Early life
Other sports
Played football and handball before taking up basketball.
College
Moved to the United States to play at the University of Houston.
Career
- 1980s
College and draft
Rose with Houston’s college team and became the first NBA draft pick.
- 1984–2001
Houston Rockets
Built a long career and won two titles.
- Final season
Toronto
Finished his playing career with the Raptors.
Achievements
NBA MVP
Won the regular-season award.
Two championships
Led Houston and won both Finals MVP awards.
Defensive record
Finished with 3,830 recorded NBA blocks.
Beyond basketball
Faith
Has spoken about the role of Islam in his life.
Teaching
Later trained players in post footwork.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Photo: U.S. Department of State. Public domain · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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