Hakeem Olajuwon Biography, Net Worth, Height, Age, Wife and Career

The city of Houston, Texas will never forget the joy Hakeem Olajuwon, better known as The Dream, single-handedly brings sporting excellence to it. The Nigerian-born college basketball player played college basketball for the University of Houston before spending 17 years with the Houston Rockets. 34 jerseys have been retired by the two Houston-based outfits.

Read on to learn more about the careers, families and net worth of the 12 NBA stars who were selected to be among the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

Biography (Age)

On January 21, 1963, in Lagos, Nigeria, Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon was the third of his parents’ eight children. Salim and Abike Olajuwon. His parents owned a cement business in Lagos and belonged to the Yoruba ethnic group.

Growing up, the only sport in which HakeemOlajuwon was exposed was football. He was only able to play basketball for the first time when he was 17 years old. He has since credited his early football days as a goalkeeper as what allowed him to block shots, walk and be flexible. size and strength in the sport he ended up playing. After playing in a few local tournaments in Nigeria, Olajuwon was recommended to University of Houston varsity coach Guy Lewis by a friend who had seen him play.

He first traveled to Houston, Texas in 1980 for the school’s coaching staff. He managed to impress and later received a basketball scholarship to attend college. After playing in his freshman year due to NCAA rules, Olajuwon played for the Houston Cougars from 1981 to 1984, after opting to advance to the NBA draft in 1984 and was picked first overall. by the Houston Rockets, to the detriment of his colleagues and future NBA stars, such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton.

Career statistics

Hakeem Olajuwon had a very impressive NBA rookie season averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.68 blocks per game during the season, which allowed him to finish second to Jordan in the NBA rookie poll. ‘year. He maintained his performance over the next few years, showcasing mouth-watering performances that led his team to the 1986 NBA Finals, beating the Boston Celtics.

With Olajuwon as the leader of the Rockets, the team made the playoffs every year except for the 1991-92 season. In the 1993-94 season, he averaged 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game to help his team reach the 1994 NBA Finals by beating the New York Knicks for win the NBA championship. His exploits for the season earned him NBA MVP, Finals runner-up and Defensive Player of the Year honors as he became the only player in NBA history to win the awards. the same season. The following year, he again led his team to another NBA championship after averaging 27.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game during the 1994-95 season.

Hakeem Olajuwon played for Houston until the 2001-2002 season, he joined the Toronto Raptors for a year before taking a career hiatus due to back injuries. He retired as the league leader with total blocked shots and managed to place in the top ten in points, rebounds and steals categories, to become the only player in NBA history to retire in the top ten. categories.

The net worth of Hakeem Olajuwon

According to celebrity net worth, Hakeem Olajuw has an estimated net worth of around $200 million. He derived his wealth from his days as a professional basketball player and later an entrepreneur.

It is reported that the Naismith Class of 2008 Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee earned over $107 million in salary from his playing days. Add to that what he has done with companies such as ‘Etonic, Spalding Athletic and LA Gear, and you’ll see why he managed to invest in the Houston real estate market, where he reportedly made over $100 million in profits..

Family – wife

Hakeem Olajuwon married his wife, Dalia Asafi, on August 8, 1996 in Houston, Texas. The basketball star followed the Islamic tradition of pre-arranged marriages to marry his wife, as they did not know or date each other before marrying in a traditional ceremony.

Olajuwon, who was 33 at the time, and his wife, who was 18, had two daughters named Rahmah and Aisha. He has an eldest daughter, Abisola, whom he had with his college girlfriend, Lita Spencer. Abisola Olajuwon followed in his father’s footsteps and embarked on a professional basketball career before retiring to become a coach.

the size

Thanks to his very impressive height of 7ft 02.13m, accompanied by a body weighing 116kg, Hakeem Olajuwon was able to dominate his opponents on the court and started a legendary basketball career.