Hakeem ‘the Dream’ was born as Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon in Lagos, Nigeria, on the 21st day of January 1963. His parents owned a successful cement business in Lagos. And along with other family members, are devout Muslims who constantly pray, fast, and remained inclined to charitable works and donations according to the dictates of the Koran. These fine attributes of Islam were imbibed into Hakeem very early in his life; and, he still abides by them till this day.

The first sport Hakeem fell in love with was football (i.e. the North American equivalent of soccer). This was, and still is, the most popular sport in his native Nigeria. Basketball is also prominent in Nigeria, but far less than football. So, at his High School at the Lagos Teachers College, the young man devoted far more time to football/soccer than he ever did to basketball.

But things changed after friends, family members, and acquaintances persuaded the then 7’0” 252lbs goalkeeper to pay more attention to basketball. This advice paid off; and his basketball skills improved exponentially. He was quick on his feet and with his hand, despite his great size. An impressed American, who was one of the coaches in Lagos then, encouraged him to attend college in the U.S.A. And Hakeem wisely enrolled at the University of Houston—with moral and financial support of his parents. His basketball skills underwent dramatic refinements there in Texas.

Olajuwon was such an outstanding player at college that he made it all the way to becoming the number one overall pick during the 1984 draft. He was even ahead of the great Michael Jordan, who came in as the third pick. The young Center who enjoyed good rapport with teammates, including the veteran 7’4” Center, Ralph Sampson, took the Houston Rockets to the NBA finals during his second season in the league. They eventually lost to the Boston Celtics, but an impressive Hakeem was highly praised for his efforts and accomplishments.

“The Dream” continually proved his mettle as a fearsome Center. Win or lose, acknowledged NBA warlords like Michael Jordan, ‘Magic’ Johnson, Larry Bird, and many others continued to have hard time playing against him. Hakeem’s athleticism was such that these smaller and lighter players could neither outpace him nor out-jump him. Even fantastic seven-footer Centers like Patrick Ewing and David Robinson had to struggle against him. His dominance would eventually culminate in an unforgettable 1993/94 season.

During that period, Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon became the first basketball player ever to win the NBA MVP, the NBA Finals MVP, and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. The year was 1994; and those awards officially confirmed what every basketball follower already knew: that Hakeem was unquestionably the best player in the world during that 1993/94 season.

Ask the affable Charlotte broadcaster, Mike Gminski, about Hakeem Olajuwon, and he would smile, nod his head in quick successions before telling you about what he (Gminski) calls the “Dream Shake”. According to Mike, the “Dream Shake” is Hakeem’s inimitable pivot move. It consists of a deceptive baseline twirl, which ends-up in an unstoppable shot—after opposing defenders have been left frozen on their feet.

Hakeem has a plethora of other trademark styles. But as a fitness buff, I cherished his speed, agility, and overall athleticism. Indeed, of all the Centers (and other big guys) that I have seen on a basketball court, only “the Admiral” (David Robinson) could compare to Hakeem in terms of athleticism. And in crunch time, either of these two Centers could easily outrun most Guards and Forwards.

The skills and qualities of Hakeem as a player were such that in 1997 the SLAM Magazine, (anchored by editor-in-chief, Tony Gervino and senior contributors Zack Burgess and Ken Shouler), included Olajuwon as one of their top-ten players of all time. And from what I have witnessed from the player—both live and on video, I will not at all disagree.

 Given below are some of Hakeem “the Dream’s” notable achievements as an NBA player:

1.       1984 first overall draft pick (by Houston Rockets, and ahead of Michael Jordan)

2.       1996 Olympic Champion (with the Dream Team II, at the centenary games in Atlanta, GA)

3.       2-time NBA Champion (1994 and ‘95)

4.       2-time NBA Finals MVP (1994 and ‘95)

5.       NBA MVP (1994)

6.       2-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993 and ‘94)

7.       5-time NBA All-Defensive First Team (1987-’88, ’90, and ’93-‘94)

8.       12-time NBA All-Star Selections

9.       6-time All-NBA First Team (1987-’89, ’93-’94, and ‘97)

10.   3-time All-NBA Second Team (1986, ’90, and ‘96)

11.   3-time All-NBA Third Team (1991, ’95, and ‘99)

12.   4th All-time NBA leader in Rebounds

13.   2nd All-time NBA leader in Blocked Shots

His eighteen-year NBA Hall-of-Fame career featured a double-double average: 21.8 points per game and 11.1 rebounds per game. It also showcased remarkable elegance, success, and finesse at every department of the game.

Even in his rookie year, Hakeem averaged 20.6 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game. At that same period, he shot .538 from the field and was only beaten by Michael Jordan in the Rookie-of-the-Year ballot pick.

Hakeem Olajuwon was traded to the Toronto Raptors in 2001. Still, in a hearty show of appreciation, a grateful Houston Rockets retired his number 34 jersey in November 2002. His life-size sculpture was also commissioned in the Rockets new arena, at downtown Houston.

VALENTINE ODUENYI.