All Things Basketball with GD - Week 14 Player Spotlight, Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon - 7'0", 255 lb (00:30)Born 1/21/63 in Lagos, Nigeria (Akeem Abdul Olajuwon)Family of 6; his parents owned a cement mixing companyStarted playing at age 15; mostly played soccer & handball when youngerEntered a basketball tournament at Muslim Teachers CollegeAs a HS junior he played in All-Africa GamesEmigrated to the US to attend the University of Houston in 1981Coach Guy Lewis invited him on the recommendation of a friendRedshirted in his 1st year; his soccer & handball skills served him well for basketballIn his debut season he came off the benchMade it to the Final 4; lost to eventual champs UNCIn the summer of 1982 he worked out with HOU's Moses MaloneWith his newfound skills which earned him the nickname The Dream, he became the starter & averaged 13.9 PPG, 11.4 RPG & 5.1 BPGA member of the famed fraternity Phi Slama JamaMade it to Final 4 again to face Louisville & won behind Olajuwon's 21 pts, 22 rebs & 8 blks; upset in the Finals to NC StateReturned the following season; led the nation in rebounds (13.5), blocks (5.6) & FG% (67.5)Got back to the NCAA Finals; lost to Patrick Ewing's Georgetown teamDeclared himself eligible for the 1984 Draft; HOU wins the coin toss & picks him #1Other picks: Michael Jordan (#3), Charles Barkley (#5), John Stockton (#16) & Oscar Schmidt (#131)Made the All Star team as a rookie; finished 2nd to Jordan as Rookie of the YearHim & Sampson formed what was the Twin TowersIn 1985-86 his sophomore season a greater successBeat SAC, DEN & LAL to reach NBA Finals; lost to BOS in 6 gamesThe next few seasons saw Sampson's decline due to his sore knees; was eventually tradedIn his 1st full season as the franchise player & under new coach Don Chaney he led the league in rebounds (13.5); lost in 1st rd to SEAIn 1989-90 he had one of the greatest defensive seasons by a center since Bill RussellHis 14 RPG & 4.6 BPG led the NBA; had one of the only 4 quadruple-doubles in history: 18 pts, 16 rebs, 10 asts & 11 blksIn 1990-91 he became a truly devout Muslim; changed his name from Akeem to HakeemMissed 25 games (broken orbital bones)In 1991-92 he endured a coaching change with Chaney fired & replaced with Rudy Tomjanovich; missed 7 games (irregular heartbeat)In 1992-93 the team & Hakeem progressed under coach Rudy TWon Defensive Player of the Year while leading the NBA in blocks (4.2)Finished 2nd in MVP voting to Barkley; lost in West semis to SEA1993-94 became his greatest season; won another DPOY, league MVP, a NBA title & a Finals MVPAveraged 27.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 3.7 BPG, 1.6 SPG & 52.8% FG; topped POR, PHO, UTA & NYKIn 1994-95 his team got off to a sluggish start; reignited by midseason trade for college teammate DrexlerAs 6th seed they got back to the Finals; beat UTA, PHO, SAS in the West & swept ORL to win back-to-back titles & another Finals MVPFrom 1995-96 to 2000-01 they never matched that playoff success againMade Dream Team II & won a gold medalPlayed 2 more seasons with HOU before going to TOR; ended a 20 year stay in HOURetired after the 2001-02 season; after his playing career he ran his Big Man CampACCOLADES:Became only player in the top 11 all time in 4 major categories when he retiredNow is the all time leader in blocks, 9th in steals, 12th in points & 14th in reboundsHis #34 jersey retired (2000)Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2008 & FIBA HoF in 2016Named to 50th & 75th Anniversary Teams12x All Star, 12x All-NBA, 9x All-Defense, 2x Reb Champ 3x Block Champ, 1 MVP, 2x DPOY, 2x NBA Champ, 2x Finals MVP, 1 Olympic gold medal