Hakeem Olajuwon.

Hakeem Olajuwon. Hakeem Olajuwon, born in 1963, Nigerian-born professional basketball player, acclaimed for his defensive abilities and considered one of the greatest centers in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 7 ft (2.1 m) tall, Olajuwon developed a highly athletic style of play, with remarkable quickness and mobility for a player of his height. In the 1980s and 1990s he consistently ranked among the NBA's leaders in shot blocking, rebounding, and scoring. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon played soccer and team handball when he was young. He was introduced to basketball as a teenager and soon joined the Nigerian national basketball team. Olajuwon enrolled at the University of Houston in 1981 and helped lead the school's basketball team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament championship final in 1983 and 1984. The Houston Rockets selected Olajuwon with the first pick of the 1984 NBA draft (Michael Jordan was selected third). He quickly became one of the league's dominant centers, and in 1986 he helped the Rockets advance to the final round of the NBA playoffs. Olajuwon led the league in rebounding in 1989 and 1990 and in blocked shots in 1990, 1991, and 1993. He was voted NBA defensive player of the year in 1993. In 1994 Olajuwon led the Rockets to the team's first NBA championship title and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the finals. For the season he was named the NBA's MVP and defensive player of the year. In 1995 Olajuwon led the Rockets to another championship title and was again named MVP of the league finals. Olajuwon, who became a United States citizen in 1993, won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. national basketball team for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. That same year his autobiography, Living the Dream, was published. Olajuwon signed with the Toronto Raptors before the 2001-02 season, and he retired after playing one year with the team. He left as the NBA's all-time leading shot-blocker with 3,830 blocks, while his 26,946 points placed him among the league's top ten career scorers. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.