Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon was a legitimate two-way threat, being effective on both ends of the floor. On his own half of the hardwood, he was a standout defender (he was a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner) and thwarted opponents with his shot-blocking ability, averaging 3.09 blocks per game in his career. He was quick enough to defend guards at the perimeter in clutch situations and was also an excellent ball-thief, averaging 1.75 steals per game in his career. Olajuwon was also a prolific rebounder, averaging 11.1 rebounds per game in his career, and leading the league in rebounding twice.

On offense, Olajuwon was famous for his soft touch around the basket and his footwork combined with a vast array of fake moves, highlighted in his signature Dream Shake (see below). He was a prolific scorer, averaging 21.8 points in his career, and an above average offensive rebounder, averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game in his career. Beyond this, Olajuwon could "put the ball on the floor" and dribble with guard-like quickness. He is also one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double, illustrating his versatility.

1 Biography
2 Statistics
3 References
4 Related Articles
- 4.1 Recent Hakeem Olajuwon ArmchairGM Stories

[edit] Biography

Picked No. 1 overall in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets.

In Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon, the Raptors have one of the best centers ever to play the game and one of the most accomplished players in league history. The NBA named the Nigerian-born Olajuwon one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996-97 in conjunction with the league's 50th anniversary celebration. Showing remarkable agility, moves and shooting touch for a big man, Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to the only NBA championships in franchise history. In 1993-94 he had a storybook season, becoming the first player to be named NBA MVP, NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals MVP in the same season as Houston won its first NBA championship. The following season he rallied the Rockets from a sixth seed in the playoffs to their second straight NBA crown, making Houston one of only five NBA franchises ever to win back-to-back titles.

Despite stellar play from Olajuwon during his first few seasons in the league, the Rockets had settled into mediocrity since the team's trip to the NBA Finals in 1986--Houston didn't win a playoff series from 1988 through 1992. Beginning in 1992-93 Olajuwon got even better, taking himself and the Rockets to new levels of success. Introducing a new line of spins, fadeaways and jump shots, he became virtually unstoppable on offense while continuing to mature both on defense and as a team leader. In the next four seasons he averaged 26.1, 27.3, 27.8 and 26.9 points per game. In 1993 he was NBA Defensive Player of the Year and runner-up for league MVP as the Rockets won 55 games and advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals.

In 1993-94 Olajuwon attained the pinnacle of achievement when he won both the league and NBA Finals MVP Awards while leading Houston to its first-ever NBA crown. The Rockets entered the 1994-95 postseason seeded sixth, but Olajuwon averaged 33.0 points on .531 shooting from the field in the playoffs to help Houston capture its second consecutive NBA championship. His transcendent performance throughout the postseason earned him mention among the greatest winners in recent history--players such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Isiah Thomas.

Following his triumphant 1994-95 season, Olajuwon, who had become a naturalized American citizen in 1993, was named to the 1996 Dream Team, which would win gold at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta