People
Hakeem Olajuwon – Bio, Wife, Daughter, Family, Height, Weight, Net worth
Hakeem Olajuwon, popularly known as “The Dream,” is a Nigerian-born former professional basketball player who went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history during his 18-year career.
Hakeem Olajuwon’s biography
Hakeem was born on January 21, 1963 in Lagos,Nigeria to parents Salaam and Abike Olajuwon as the third of six children. Raised by his middle-class parents who owned a cement business, Olajuwon played soccer and handball while attending the Muslim Teachers College in Lagos, Nigeria. Hakeem wasn’t introduced to basketball until he was 15 years old. This was the birth of an American basketball legend. He soon joined the Nigeria national basketball team under coach Richard Mills and led the team to win third place in the 1979 All-African tournament.
In 1980, Olajuwon moved to the United States and enrolled at the University of Houston, which offered him a scholarship to join the basketball team (Houston Cougars) under coach Guy Lewis. With a combination of size, strength, footwork, agility and speed, the 7-foot-tall athlete quickly dominated the Houston basketball game. There he earned the nickname “The Dream” for his eye-opening skills and effortless movements that “looked like a dream”.
His career
While studying physics at Houston, Hakeem’s college career included playing three seasons and assisting the Cougars to the Final Four each year. Along with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton, Olajuwon was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first pick in the 1984 NBA draft. He teamed up with Ralph Sampson to become a formidable Houston duo called the “Twin Towers” until Sampson’s departure in 1988, eventually leaving Olajuwon as the undisputed leader of the Rockets and one of the best center players in NBA history.
Hakeem has had a miracle career throughout his professional career. The 1993-94 season was the high point of his career when he became the first player to be named NBA MVP, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and NBA Finals MVP. The Houston Rockets’ NBA title win in 1994-95 earned him a place among the best in the game. He helped make the team the fifth NBA franchise to ever win back-to-back titles. Olajuwon has received many awards over the course of his 18-year professional career. From the 1996 gold medal with the US Olympic men’s basketball team, two NBA titles in the 1990s, Six times on the NBA All-NBA First-Team and five times on the NBA All-Defensive First-Team Olajuwon was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and certainly had an impressive career. According to his career record, he totaled 26,946 points, 13,747 rebounds and 3,830 blocks.
Hakeem spent seventeen years of his eighteen year life, playing career with the Houston Rockets and eventually joining the Toronto Raptors in 2001. On December 2, 2002, he announced his retirement from professional basketball after serving just one season with the Toronto Raptors.
Post NBA Retirement Net Worth
Considered one of the greatest center players in the NBA, Hakeem Olajuwon was selected as one of the greatest players in NBA history and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He was also inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016.
See also: 5 Best African Basketball Stars in the NBA of All Time
After a successful NBA career not only, Olajuwon became an instructor for NBA players and invested in real estate to become a successful dealer in Houston, Texas. From the real estate business, which he operates under his company Palladio Development Ltd, Olajuwon generates profits in excess of US$100 million. The star, who was the NBA’s international ambassador, endorsed a number of sports companies such as Etonic, LA Gear and a multi-year deal with Spalding men’s athletic shoes. Through all his endeavors, Hakeem Olajuwon earned over $100 million during his professional career and his net worth has been estimated at $200 million.
Family – wife, daughter
In August 1996, Olajuwon married his wife DaliaAsafi in an arranged marriage. As a devout Muslim, Hakeem tied the knot with Dalia, who was 18 at the time, in a traditional ceremony. While the basketball icon has a daughter Abisola from a previous relationship, his union with Dalia has produced two more daughters, Rahmah and Aisha. Like her father, Abi is a former basketball player and coach who played for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.
After ending his professional career, Olajuwon, who visited and trained in Jordan while playing in the NBA, settled in the Islamic nation with his entire family.
height and weight
However, it is quite common to find players who are Hakeem Olajuwon, who is often documented an inch or two taller than his actual height, towering in height and weighing 115 kg. This size helped shape his legendary professional career.
