Hakeem Olajuwon

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Rockets' 1994 championship against the New York Knicks was the first in franchise history, with Olajuwon facing his college rival Patrick Ewing in the NBA Finals. The following year, after a lackluster regular season, Olajuwon's Rockets swept Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic in 4 games in the NBA Finals. He became the first non-American to win the NBA MVP, the first non-American to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and in the 1993–94 season, he became and remains the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season.

In Their Own Story

The arena in Houston was electric, the noise of the crowd rising to a crescendo as the game hung in the balance. Olajuwon caught the ball deep in the post, his back to the basket, surrounded by defenders who knew they couldn't stop him with brute force alone. He faked left, then right, the 'Dream Shake' sending his opponent stumbling backward into help defense. With a fluid motion that defied gravity for a man of his size, he rose up and finished with a soft hook shot over the outstretched arms of his would-be blocker. The net swished, and a roar erupted from the stands—a testament to the magic of the Dream.

Reader's Guide

Hakeem Olajuwon defined an era for the Houston Rockets spanning from his rookie season in 1984–85 through the late 1990s. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft. He combined with the 7-foot-4-inch Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the 'Twin Towers,' leading the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. After Sampson was traded in 1988, Olajuwon became the Rockets' undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993). He was also named Defensive Player of the Year twice and the 1994 NBA MVP. Olajuwon ended his career as the league's all-time leader in blocks (3,830), is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple-double, and is the all-time leader in 5x5 games with six.

Did You Know?

• Olajuwon was a soccer goalkeeper during his youth, which helped give him the footwork and agility to balance his size and strength in basketball, and also contributed to his shot-blocking ability.
• He did not play basketball until the age of 17, when he entered a local tournament while at the Muslim Teachers College in Lagos, Nigeria.
• He was nicknamed 'the Dream' after his college coach said his dunks 'looked like a dream.'
• Olajuwon is the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season (1993–94).
• He was a member of the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning United States national basketball team.