1. HAKEEM ABDUL OLAJUWON “The Dream”
Done in Holbein waterproof ink,watercolor, and gouache on arches hot press block
One of the best players to ever play the game. The amount of class Olajuwon brought to the game was league’s above even some modern players. A stalwart shield against alley oops and dunks the dream made basketball look effortless.
YouTube career summary: https://youtu.be/jH-uHgdzpXQ
Career history 1984–2001 Houston Rockets 2001–2002 Toronto Raptors Career highlights and awards 2× NBA champion (1994, 1995) 2× NBA Finals MVP (1994, 1995) NBA Most Valuable Player (1994) 12× NBA All-Star (1985–1990, 1992–1997) 6× All-NBA First Team (1987–1989, 1993, 1994, 1997) 3× All-NBA Second Team (1986, 1990, 1996) 3× All-NBA Third Team (1991, 1995, 1999) 2× NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994) 5× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1994) 4× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1985, 1991, 1996, 1997) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1985) 2x NBA rebounding leader (1989, 1990) 3× NBA blocks leader (1990, 1991, 1993) No. 34 retired by Houston Rockets NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Consensus first-team All-American (1984) SWC Player of the Year (1984) NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1983) No. 34 retired by University of Houston
Basketball Hall of Fame as player FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Men’s basketball Representing United States Olympic Games Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born January 21, 1963), formerly known as Akeem Olajuwon, is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and in 2016, he was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame. Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) (but standing closer to 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) by his own admission), Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game.He was nicknamed “The Dream” during his basketball career after he dunked so effortlessly that his college coach said it “looked like a dream.”
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon traveled from his home country to play for the University of Houston under head coach Guy Lewis. His college career for the Cougars included three trips to the Final Four. Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He combined with the 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the “Twin Towers”. The two led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, where they lost in six games to the Boston Celtics. After Sampson was traded to the Warriors in 1988, Olajuwon became the Rockets’ undisputed leader. He led the league in rebounding twice (1989, 1990) and blocks three times (1990, 1991, 1993).
Despite very nearly being traded during a bitter contract dispute before the 1992–93 season, he remained in Houston where in 1993–94, he became the only player in NBA history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP awards in the same season. His Rockets won back-to-back championships against the New York Knicks (avenging his college championship loss to Patrick Ewing), and Shaquille O'Neal’s Orlando Magic. In 1996, Olajuwon was a member of the Olympic gold-medal-winning United States national team, and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. He ended his career as the league’s all-time leader in blocks (3,830) and is one of four NBA players to record a quadruple-double.
Sourced from Wikipedia.
