{"id":1126397,"date":"2020-03-29T16:46:31","date_gmt":"2020-03-29T20:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1126397"},"modified":"2020-03-29T16:46:32","modified_gmt":"2020-03-29T20:46:32","slug":"what-happened-to-hakeem-the-dream-olajuwon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/what-happened-to-hakeem-the-dream-olajuwon\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thirty years ago today Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon became only the third play in NBA history to record a quadruple-double<\/a> with 18 points, 16 rebounds, 11 blocks, and 10 assists. After that amazing accomplishment, Olajuwon went on to win a pair of NBA titles in 1994 and 1995, before retiring in 2002. Where is Hakeem “The Dream” today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hakeem Olajuwon's outstanding college career comes up short twice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/_K3UJUmHREQ\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

University of Houston Coach Guy Lewis recruited Hakeem Olajuwon to Houston on a chance recommendation from a friend who had spotted the tall, lanky kid playing basketball while on a trip to Nigeria. It was a discovery that would change the game of basketball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Houston, Olajuwon redshirted his freshman year and saw limited action as a redshirt freshman in 1981\u201382. That season the North Carolina Tar Heels and Michael Jordan<\/a> eliminated the Cougars in the Final Four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following off-season, after seeking advice from the coaching staff on how to improve his game, Olajuwon worked out with local Houston resident and multiple NBA MVP winner, Moses Malone, who was a center for the Houston Rockets. It paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1982-83 season, a more-polished Olajuwon teamed up with Clyde Drexler, Michael Young, and others to form the first dunking fraternity, Phi Slama Jama. The Cougars dominated college basketball and were ranked No. 1 most of the season, which included a 26-game winning streak. The team that appeared to be destined for an NCAA title was shockingly denied in the national championship game<\/a> when North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles made the memorable dunk at the buzzer to stun the Cougars 54-52.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following season, after Drexler opted to leave for the NBA early, Olajuwon and Young once again led the Cougars into the NCAA Tournament, where Houston made a return trip to the finals in a match-up against Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas. Unfortunately, for the Cougars, it was a different team, but the same result as Georgetown won the contest 84-75.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hometown hero's Hall of Fame career\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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