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Hakeem Olajuwon

21 January 1963 – present

Hakeem Olajuwon is a Nigerian-American former basketball player who spent most of his career as a centre for the Houston Rockets. He led Houston to NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and was named the league's Most Valuable Player in 1994. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

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Life events

Born in Lagos, Nigeria
21 January 1963

He was born into a Yoruba family and played football and handball before taking up basketball as a teenager.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Moved to the United States to attend the University of Houston
1980

He arrived in Texas at seventeen and joined the Cougars basketball programme.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Relocation ✓
Reached consecutive NCAA championship games with Houston's Phi Slama Jama teams
1983 – 1984

He was named most outstanding player of the 1983 Final Four despite Houston's defeat in the title game.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the NBA draft
19 June 1984

He was taken ahead of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley in the 1984 draft.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Became a naturalised citizen of the United States
1993

Citizenship made him eligible to play for the American national team.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Personal ✓
Won the NBA championship and the league MVP award
June 1994

He led Houston past the New York Knicks in seven games and was also named Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Won a second consecutive NBA championship
June 1995

Houston swept the Orlando Magic in the Finals and Olajuwon was again named Finals MVP.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Won Olympic gold with the United States at the Atlanta Games
August 1996

He was part of the American squad that took the men's basketball title.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Retired after a final season with the Toronto Raptors
2002

He ended an eighteen-year NBA career as the league's all-time leader in blocked shots.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
2008

He entered the Hall in his first year of eligibility.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓