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Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Phoenix Suns on November 18, 2000 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. Having the skill set to go along with the confidence is the best combination for anyone," Price said. 600 West Amelia Street Orlando, Florida, United States. The six-foot, eleven-inch Nigerian was offered a full scholarship.At the suggestion of head coach Guy Lewis, Olajuwon, who weighed barely 190 pounds in 1980, "red-shirted," or sat out, his first year to mature physically and learn the fundamentals of basketball. In addition to English, Olajuwon has fluency in Arabic and French, as well as the Nigerian languages of Ekiti and Yoruba. Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton celebrate Olympic gold. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (function(d) { His undefendable fade-away jump shot, combined with his powerful dunks and tenacious defense under the basket proved a nearly unstoppable combination. In 2001, Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors. Abi Olajuwon gave her dad a Sooners T-shirt to wear, but it was too tight and wouldn't fit his 7-foot frame. daughters Aisha and Rahmah and sons Abdullah and Abdul. His highest-earning year was the the 2000-2001 season when he made $16.7 million from the Houston Rockets. He enjoyed playing soccer, often playing as a goalkeeper. In the 1987/88 season, Ralph Sampsons knee injury which ended his career prematurely started. Hakeem Olajuwon was born on January 21st, 1963, in Lagos, Nigeria. But after I tasted [playing basketball], I didn't want to play anything else, I knew that was my passion.". In his first year in the NBA, Olajuwon formed the first twin towers duo, with Ralph Sampson, the 1984 Rookie of the Year, to help the Rockets improve their performance. 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The way to give thanks is obedience to God. Formerly named Akeem Olajuwon, Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a world-famous basketball player of Nigerian-American descent. Hakeem Olajuwon has his position in the Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame, both as players. He also became the first player not born in the US to win the MVP. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it. Hakeem Olajuwon was born on 21 January 1963, in Lagos, Nigeria into a middle-class Yaruba family, and is a popular former basketball player. 10. Originally, when they moved to the UK, Abdullah admitted they had a passion for soccer. Your tongue moves, and the Arabic language is so beautiful. And he always tells me Im my own person, so that helps a lot.. Hakeem Olajuwon was born on January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. He finished the season runner-up to Michael Jordan in the Rookie of the Year voting. I saw all these blessings God had given me. However, there is no further information about her family background, just like another NBA star's wife, Tamara Houston. Although the Rockets faced disappointment the next year, Olajuwon continued his personal professional success, leading the league in rebounds and blocks. Moreover, many families and friends of Dalia and Hakeem attended their marriage ceremony. ""Basketball is in my blood. 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Ultimately, he ended his professional playing career as the all-time league leader in total blocked shots, with 3,830. There he played only one season before retiring in 2002. Moreover, Hakeem also played with the Toronto Raptors for a year before retiring due to back injuries. Hakeem Olajuwon Retweeted. Her spouse Hakeem Olajuwon is a Nigerian-born professional basketball player. Olajuwon is a very devout Muslim who observes Ramadan. Olajuwon rose to become one of the best players to have played in the NBA, as a result of his unique style of play which combines a tactical defensive approach to fast-paced offensive skills. He and the even taller 7ft 4 in Ralph Sampson were together known as the Twin Towers. He was the third of six children born to Salim and Abike Olajuwon, middle-class Muslims who owned a thriving cement business in Lagos. He is also one of the only four players in NBA history to have scored a quadruple-double. There he played only one season before retiring in 2002. "Hes more relaxed on the floor this year. Hakeem Olajuwon sat with the rest of Abi's family, and was easy to spot: the Hall of Famer wore a bright green polo shirt in a sea of Sooners crimson. "Hes seen that he can get some things done on the court, so his confidence has really grown. Hakeem Olajuwon is 7 ft 0 in (213 cm) tall and weighs 255 lb (116 kg). The next several years of Olajuwon's career proved frustrating. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets shoots against Raef LaFrentz of the Denver Nuggets during the game on January 20, 2000 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. The following season the Rockets, who were plagued by injuries throughout the regular season, surprised many by returning to the NBA finals, this time facing center Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. From the 1996 season to the 1999 season, Olajuwon continued in fine form, but with Michael Jordan back in action, the Rockets struggled to claim another Championship. Abdullah Olajuwon's early journey to basketball. He led the Rockets to the 1994 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, winning the title in seven games to bring Houston its first professional sports championship in over 30 years. Hakeem Olajuwon, after winning the NBA MVP. Shocked by the hustle and bustle of the airport and New York's cold weather, he cancelled his trip to St. John's and flew straight to Houston, where he asked a taxi driver to take him to the "University of Austin." This is why you don't see just one author for this article. In this. basketball player. In the summer of 1984, Olajuwon was considered the top college prospect over teammates and future NBA players Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton, and was picked for the first time in the 1984 NBA draft by the Rockets. Quotations:
The following season the Rockets, who were plagued by injuries throughout the regular season, surprised many by returning to the NBA finals, this time facing center Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic. New to basketball and unaware of the various skills, such as dunking, a coach tried explaining to him what it meant to dunk, while standing on a chair. Dalia Asafi married Hakeem when she was just 18 years old even though he was already 33. "You want her to do so well, and win so bad. He's the son of NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, but not many people have heard of him. ""I'm shy, but sometimes my voice is so clear and strong. ""All these boundaries - Africa, Asia, Malaysia, America - are set by men. His retirement was as a result of a back injury. Kid of HOF beast @thedr34m. He continued playing in good form for the Raptors until his retirement in 2002. Nigerian-American basketball player (born 1963) Hakeem Olajuwon Olajuwon in 2015 Personal information Born (1963-01-21) January 21, 1963(age 60) Lagos, Nigeria Nationality Nigerian / American Listed height 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) Listed weight 255 lb (116 kg) Career information High school Muslim Teachers College (Lagos, Nigeria) College Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets circa 2000 at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. He joined the Toronto Raptors in 2001 and played in the same center position for both the teams. He was ultimately unable to replicate his past triumphs, averaging career lows of 7.1 points and six rebounds per game. Olajuwon prides his parents as devoted people who made sure they . Recently, Abdullah Olajuwon came to America and started playing high school ball in Houston, Texas. Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Hakeem Olajuwon. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808954&cache=false"
Instead, Houston brought in a new coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, who worked to keep Olajuwon in a Rockets uniform. Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $300 million. Hakeem Olajuwon is a former Professional Basketball Player who is Nigerian-American. Family Life He married Dalia Asafi in 1996 as per an arranged marriage. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Vancouver Grizzlies on November 9, 2000 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. The wife of Hakeem Olajuwon, Dalia Asafi's was born in 1968 in Nigeria. Everybody wanted to play it, and so thats what I did.. He has led the Rockets to the NBA first team in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994 and 1997. Besides, Hakeem has fluency in many other languages apart from English. Olajuwon, paired with Ralph Sampson in the front court, had a stellar rookie year, averaging 20.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, and finished second to Jordan in the Rookie of Year voting. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Toronto Raptors drives against Zeljko Rebraca of the Detroit Pistons during game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals series during the 2002 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto, Canada. His parents Salim and Abike Olajuwon were cement business owners and had eight children together. HOUSTON Following the Islamic custom of prearranged marriages, Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon and 18-year-old Dalia Asafi were wed last week in a traditional ceremony. After he became a naturalized US citizen in 1993, he was allowed to play for the US team at the 1996 Olympics. He led the league in rebounds that season, but the Rockets were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. He sought advice from the Houston staff on how to earn more playing time and it was recommended that he work out with NBA star, Moses Malone. The 1993/94 season was the peak of Olajuwons career. As of 2022, Hakeem has an estimated net worth of over $70 million, which is solely generated from his professional career. Following a dismal 1991 and 1992 season, Olajuwon requested a trade from the Rocket, citing contract issues as well as unconvincing performance. var s = d.createElement('script'); s.type='text/javascript';s.async=true; It was a month ago that the Olajuwons officially reclaimed Houston as their full-time home. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. He has another child, with Lita Spencer, who played basketball in the WNBA. The 1994 NBA regular season Most Valuable Player recorded 26,946 points and 13,748 rebounds during his career.In 2008, Hakeem was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. In both his sophomore and junior years, Olajuwon helped lead the Cougars to consecutive NCAA championship games. So, I put them in a basketball club and a soccer club. . Privacy Policy src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808950&cache=false"
"When we used to play soccer, I was more passionate than everybody," Abdul, whose favorite NBA players are Golden State's Steph Curry and Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox, said. He has a tell-all autobiography written along with Peter Knobler in 1996 titled Living the Dream. Growing up there and later in the UK, Abdullah didn't initially show much interest in basketball; the sport wasn't as widely appreciated in that region. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808942&cache=false"
In this article on Hakeem Olajuwon biography, childhood, career, personal life and facts, well review his life as well as his ascent to the top of his basketball career. Olajuwon is the daughter of former NBA center Hakeem Olajuwon. "[Abdullah] is 15, if he doesn't come now, he won't really get a chance to catch up," Hakeem said. For the 1988-89 season, Olajuwon was the undisputed leader of the Rockets, finishing as the league leader in rebounds with 13.5 per game. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. cb: (new Date()).getTime() At the time of his retirement, Olajuwon ranked 7th in career points scored in the NBA (26,946) and 11th in career rebounds (13,748); he was also the league's all-time leader in blocked shots (3,830).After retirement, in the 2006 NBA offseason, Olajuwon opened his first Big Man Camp, where he teaches young frontcourt players the finer points of playing in the post. He was especially known for his defense, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award twice, leading the NBA in blocks 3 times, and retiring with 3,830 career blocks. For her. Selected to twelve NBA All Star games, Olajuwon holds the NBA record for blocked shots (3,830) and is the only player to record more than 3,000 blocked shots and 2,000 steals in a career. As a young boy, Olajuwon was interested in sports, but not basketball at first. By the end of the 1991-92 season, Olajuwon was demanding that Houston management trade him. His name still exists in the history of the NBA as one of the 50 greatest players. You can read up on where "The Dream's" kids will take on prep school hoops in Houston through our partners VYPE Houston. The decision to decide who had the number 1 pick was by a coin flip. Hakeem Olajuwon played in the NBA for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors, the former of which he led to back-to-back NBA championships in the mid-90s. He also had an affair with a girl; whom he met in college and has a daughter with her as well, named Abisola. The star of the Houston Rockets chronicles the cross-cultural journey from his Nigerian childhood to the heights of fame with the NBA, discussing his life on and off the court, rivalry with other players, confrontations with owners and referees, and religious faith. They had played it before, so they didn't mind. At SportyTell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. He was born in Jordan, a Middle-Eastern country just east of Israel, in 2004 before moving to England when he was 10 years old. Dalia and Hakeem have been happily married couple for the past about 23 years. Olajuwon is a practicing Muslim, and has talked about studying the Qur'an every day. Further, his confidence is at least partly fueled by encouragement from his father to be his own player not least of all because theres a difference between playing center as his father did, and being a perimeter player like the younger Olajuwon. For now, the duo is living a happy married life with their beautiful children without any rumors of divorce and extramarital affairs. After redshirting his freshman year, he became the Cougars' sixth man. Furthermore, Asafi has not revealed anything about her educational qualifications. He led the Cougars to three consecutive Final Four appearances from 1982 to 1984, and was named the Most Outstanding Player in 1983. Besides this, there is no information concerning her early life and family background. Hakeem Olajuwon Net Worth. Well, if youre ready, lets start. The couple has two children. "You feel goose bumps," Hakeem Olajuwon said. But you don't have to look at boundaries when you are looking at a man - at the character of a man. Olajuwon subsequently immigrated to the US to play basketball with the University of Houston Cougars. 211. "She said she's not going to wear the number unless she's going to play," Hakeem Olajuwon said. SAN ANTONIO -- Hakeem Olajuwon has a new favorite memory of the Alamodome: Watching his daughter play in the Final Four. But the younger Olajuwon has actually only been working at the sport for about five years, and did not grow up playing it. Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $300 million. 4800 Calhoun Rd, Houston, TX 77004, United States. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808943&cache=false"
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