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 Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) congratulates Brother Hakeem Olajuwon, a devout Muslim on his election into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Hakeem very openly let it be known that he was a practicing Muslim. He fasted during Ramadan despite facing dehydration in intense match ups. He stayed on the court instead of being in the locker room when his team mates celebrated with customary champagne baths upon winning the Championship. Hakeem set an example for Muslim Youth by being a regular attendee at his local mosque. Hakeem Olajuwon attended the 1994 ICNA Convention in Bloomsburg, PA after successfully winning his first NBA Championship with the Houston Rockets. He announced that he did not like it when young people wore his jersey and emulated him because he felt we should emulate only prophet Muhammad (S). He also set an example for NBA stars by endorsing inexpensive sneakers so they could be affordable for less well off children.
Related:See Houston Chronicles coverage of his election into the hall of fame.
Houston icon's career culminates in highest honorBy FRAN BLINEBURY
SAN ANTONIO — What was improbable on the day he stepped off a plane from Nigeria and inevitable by the time his glorious 18-year NBA career ended became official when Hakeem Olajuwon was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Monday.
"For many years, you've been a future Hall of Famer," said the former Rockets and University of Houston star. "You hear that. It's an honorable title. But now, for the Hall of the Fame to call you, it's like, 'Wow! Is that really true?'
"All of these legends, great players who have played in the past, and
you have been selected to be among them. I think that is the highest
honor that any player can receive."
Olajuwon is joined in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame's class of
2008 by former players Adrian Dantley and Patrick Ewing, coaches Pat
Riley and Cathy Rush, and contributors Dick Vitale and Bill Davidson.
The enshrinement will take place Sept. 5 in Springfield, Mass.
Olajuwon, a 7-0 center, led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA titles in
1994 and 1995 and the Houston Cougars to three consecutive Final Four
appearances from 1982 to 1984.
A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, Olajuwon holds the NBA record
for blocked shots (3,830) and is the only player to record more than
3,000 blocked shots and 2,000 steals.
He was also a five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, a
six-time All-NBA First Team performer, and the 1994 NBA MVP. He
recorded 26,946 points and 13,748 rebounds, good for ninth and 14th,
respectively, on the all-time NBA leader board.
The selection is the culmination of a storybook journey that saw
Olajuwon pick up a basketball for the first time at age 17 in his
native Lagos, Nigeria, and, in less than a year, board a plane to the
United States for a trip that would change Houston sports history.
He revolutionized the center position and became a pioneer who opened
the door for so many of the international players in the NBA.
"Breaking new ground was not designed," Olajuwon, 45, said. "It wasn't
a goal for me. It was important to believe that I have been given this
talent to fill my role as a player and a leader on the team. Your
teammates believe that we have this position covered. That's been my
role on every team that I played."
It is significant and fitting to Olajuwon that he enters the Hall of
Fame in the same class with his longtime rival Ewing, with whom he
battled on the court for nearly two decades.
Ewing's Georgetown team defeated Houston in the 1984 NCAA championship
game, but Olajuwon led the Rockets to the first of their back-to-back
NBA titles in 1994 by overcoming Ewing's New York Knicks in a
seven-game Finals.
The former opponents shared stories over breakfast Monday and reflected
on their experiences, their battle scars and the fact they used to
circle the dates when they would face each other on the NBA schedule.
"Definitely," Ewing said, laughing. "You knew when you had to gear it
up. Hakeem and I have been battling each other for years, starting in
college and culminating in the NBA. I won a ring from him in college,
and he won one from me in the NBA."
Even though it was a foregone conclusion he would be elected in his
first year of eligibility, Olajuwon said the phone call from the Hall
was a thrill.
"On Tuesday, I was told I was supposed to expect this phone call," he
said. "Even though I was expecting the call, it was different when I
actually got it. They say, 'You are officially elected.' That was so
emotional. I couldn't believe that it was actually official. You are a
Hall of Famer."
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Source:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5682449.html
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
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