The Rockets repeated as NBA champions in 1995, sweeping the Orlando Magic. And growing up, soccer was his first love despite his dad being one of the most well-known basketball players of all time. Daughters: Abi Olajuwon, Rahmah Olajuwon, Aisha Olajuwon; Hakeem Olajuwon's Early Life, Childhood & Family Background. There he played only one season before retiring in 2002. Hakeem Olajuwon is a former Professional Basketball Player who is Nigerian-American. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Phoenix Suns on November 18, 2000 at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas. Terms of Use. If you have concerns about something that doesnt look right in this Hakeem Olajuwon Biography, Childhood, Career, Life, Facts, please dont hesitate to contact us. But since men and women are separated when praying, he did not. Her husband, Hakeem Olajuwon, is a former professional basketball player and played with the Houston Rockets for 17 years. Oak pollen already a big problem, but strong storms could wash it away, Man admits to sex trafficking waitresses out of family-owned cantina, At least 36 dead, 66 injured after trains collide in Greece: officials. On the surface, the 17-year-old Olajuwon might not appear to have any reason to lack confidence. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. The team next went to the NBA Finals, ultimately losing in six games to the Boston Celtics. He enjoyed playing soccer, often playing as a goalkeeper. The former Houston Rockets star has lived in Jordan for the past several years, splitting his time between there and Houston. His parents Salim and Abike Olajuwon were cement business owners and had eight children together. (Coach Price) is pushing me to my limit, making me do things I didnt think I could do myself, Olajuwon said. As a Muslim, Hakeem does not borrow money for his acquisitions (it's against Islamic law to pay or charge interest). She belongs to a mixed (Nigerian-African) ethnicity and holds a Nigerian nationality. He has another child, with Lita Spencer, who played basketball in the WNBA. By the end of the 1991-92 season, Olajuwon was demanding that Houston management trade him. Their two daughters are Aisha Olajuwon and Rahmah Olajuwon. Consequently, Olajuwon emerged as the Rockets franchise player. Meanwhile, Olajuwon finished second to Charles Barkley in the MVP race. In his first year in the NBA, Olajuwon formed the first twin towers duo, with Ralph Sampson, the 1984 Rookie of the Year, to help the Rockets improve their performance. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Olajuwon did not play basketball until late 1978 when, at the age of fifteen, he joined the school's basketball team coached by Ganiyu Otenigbade, who taught him to play the center position.Richard Mills, a United States coach who was head of the Nigerian National Sports Coaching Institute, spotted Olajuwon playing in a pick-up game in Lagos and invited him to play with the Nigerian National Team. Hakeem Olajuwon, after winning the NBA MVP. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 22, 2000 at Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. For her final season, Abi Olajuwon switched her jersey to No. Van Price always knew Abdullah Olajuwons raw skill set was special he just needed an extra ingredient to take his game to the next level. Dalia Asafi is popular as the wife of Hakeem Olajuwon. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808946&cache=false" There is a Hakeem Olajuwon Foundation in existence today located in the USA. After retirement, in the 2006 NBA offseason, Olajuwon opened his first Big Man Camp, where he teaches young frontcourt players the finer points of playing in the post. 50 NJ-120, East Rutherford, NJ 07073, United States. Besides, Daila is the second wife of Hakeem. Olajuwon prides his parents as devoted people who made sure they . Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (function(d) { () (). Well, if youre ready, lets start. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808944&cache=false" Although the team lost both times, Olajuwon won the 1983 NCAA Tournament Player of the Year award. id: "beb5f82f-dce3-49e6-a836-cf24eb78a6f6", In both his sophomore and junior years, Olajuwon helped lead the Cougars to consecutive NCAA championship games. In the summer of 1984, Olajuwon was considered the top college prospect over teammates and future NBA players Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton, and was picked for the first time in the 1984 NBA draft by the Rockets. Also that season, the Rockets posted a new franchise record with 55 wins. This prevented him from playing for the US team because he wasnt a citizen and FIBA regulations prevented a player from representing multiple National teams. "When we used to play soccer, I was more passionate than everybody," Abdul, whose favorite NBA players are Golden State's Steph Curry and Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox, said. Olajuwon spent the summer after his freshman year playing basketball at Houston's Fonde Recreation Center, where he gained toughness in frequent match-ups against the bruising Moses Malone, who was then playing for the Houston Rockets.In his first year of college basketball, Olajuwon played a minimal role in the Houston Cougars run to the 1982 Final Four, where they lost to the University of North Carolina. He is the oldest son of former Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon, an NBA Hall of Famer who was a 12-time all-star and the 1993-1994 NBA Most Valuable Player. Following his introduction to basketball, he came to love the sports that other sports became unimportant. Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and Sports in the United States, The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy. Considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Olajuwon is the first non-American to be an All-Star and an NBA MVP. He purchased Houston's former Federal Reserve Bank building and converted it into a mosque. Olajuwon prides his parents as devoted people who made sure they instilled core values such as respect, hard work and honesty in their children. Olajuwon is a very devout Muslim who observes Ramadan. He earned this hefty sum of money as a professional basketball player from his career. Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles. All of my fundamental principles that were instilled in me in my home, from my childhood, are still with me. To know all the details, keep reading the article until the end. 100 Paul Buck Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217, United States. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808965&cache=false" As Asafi was very young to get married, her marriage hit the headlines during that time. Dalia Asafi is a married woman as of 2021. She was just 18 years old at the time of her wedding. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. Even back in the '40s, Steve Rogers was juiced up into a super-soldier. basketball player. His parents owned a cement business. Dalia married a famous professional basketball player, Hakeem Olajuwon. So her actual income and net worth are currently under review. daughters Aisha and Rahmah and sons Abdullah and Abdul. But the younger Olajuwon has actually only been working at the sport for about five years, and did not grow up playing it. 34 jerseys. Hakeem Olajuwon studied physical education at the University of Houston. The 1989/90 season was another bad season for the Rockets as they were defeated in the first round of the playoffs, but Olajuwon emerged as the league rebound leader and also became one of three players in the league to record a quadruple-double. He also recorded a quadruple-double, becoming only the third NBA player ever to do so. "I don't think Michael had to retire for us to get the spotlight, because when you win, it commands attention. Read More . As per his birth details, Hakeem holds both the nationality of the United States and Nigeria. var params = In the 1983 NCAA Championship though his team lost he was awarded the Tournament Player of the Year award. The six-foot, eleven-inch Nigerian was offered a full scholarship.At the suggestion of head coach Guy Lewis, Olajuwon, who weighed barely 190 pounds in 1980, "red-shirted," or sat out, his first year to mature physically and learn the fundamentals of basketball. Facing star center Ewing and the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, Olajuwon won his first NBA title, defeating the Knicks in seven games. As Olajuwon aged, his minutes on the court and statistics took a natural decline, and Houston management began planning a future beyond his presence on the court. Originally, when they moved to the UK, Abdullah admitted they had a passion for soccer. However, there is no information about Asafis career. wid: "428986", As a teenager and child, he played soccer football, and it was not until 17, that he played basketball. d: "YWxsc3RhcmJpby5jb20=", Further, the wedding was conducted traditionally in the presence of his friends and family. Kid of HOF beast @thedr34m. Hakeem Olajuwon was born on 21 January 1963, in Lagos, Nigeria into a middle-class Yaruba family, and is a popular former basketball player. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); You have entered an incorrect email address! Olajuwon also has daughter, Abisola Olajuwon, who was drafted by the Chicago Sky of the WNBA in 2010 and played for the Tulsa Shock in 2011. He puts confidence in me to do things I didnt know I could do Were always working hard here, and we go at it together it feels like a family, so theres a good bond. Hakeem Olajuwon is a Nigerian-born American former professional basketball player who led the Houston Rockets to consecutive National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 1994 and 1995. His height is 2.13 m tall, and his weight is 116kg. Also, he shares a daughter named Abi from the relationship with his previous wife. He was ultimately unable to replicate his past triumphs, averaging career lows of 7.1 points and six rebounds per game. The other players were older, bigger, and stronger than Olajuwon, who was still in high school, and he saw limited action. Price also said Olajuwon has always had raw skill, and been coachable from the moment he got to Clements. Instead, Houston brought in a new coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, who worked to keep Olajuwon in a Rockets uniform. ""The key to fashion is, you don't want to look like you're trying. He led the league in rebounds that season, but the Rockets were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. Background Hakeem Olajuwon was born on January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. 27. 1, Center Court, Cleveland, OH 44115, United States. Reportedly, he is fluent in French, Arabic, and the Nigerian languages of Yoruba and Ekiti. Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $300 million. "Dalia may be 18 in terms of age, but because of her background, beliefs and religious understanding, she, like many other Islamic young women, possesses a maturity, knowledge and wisdom beyond her years.". Each player's greatest games, moments, and achievements are captured dramatic photographs, detailed anecdotes, and statistical support. src="" alt="" class="gallery-slider__content__img" height="", data-src="/web/show-photo.jpg?id=2808961&cache=false" Abi Olajuwon (@abiolajuwon34) Instagram photos and videos abiolajuwon34 Verified Follow 547 posts 1,879 followers 1,747 following Abi Olajuwon she/her Assistant Coach for the @connecticutsun. During the 2000-01 season Olajuwon was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg and benched while he took a series of blood thinners. In 1996, Olajuwon married Dalia Asafi. Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets circa 2000 at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida. 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