Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Hakeem Olajuwon didn’t began playing basketball until he was fifteen years old. Although growing up he dedicated most of his life to soccer, his size quickly earned him a spot in Nigeria’s National Basketball team.(Olajuwon, Hakeem1) After two years of familiarizing his self with the sport, Olajuwon was recruited to play college basketball in the United States at the University of Houston.(Hakeem Olajuwon2) In his first season, Houston made it to the Final Four of the 1982
Chase Sumner 7G Ms Gallagher/ Mr. Kirsch L.A. / Social Studies 16 May 2014 Hakeem Olajuwon’s Worldwide Effect In the United States, it is 23,528 times more likely for someone to die from obesity than terrorism (“You’re More Likely to…”). Terrorist attacks, such as 9/11, have given Muslims the stereotype of being horrible people who cause mass destruction. This stereotype adds a burden to all Muslims’ life. Some Muslims are the opposite of this stereotype. One example of this is a man born on January
“Keep moving the ball around and dump it inside to Hakeem.” – Rudy Tomjanovich Sounds pretty easy right. Wrong. While Hakeem Olajuwon was one the most dominating centers that the NBA has ever seen, the defense usually didn’t let him get easy buckets inside the paint. Or at least try not too. The offense that coach Tomjanovich used during the Houston Rockets back-to-back championships relied heavily on Hakeem’s post skills and the ability of their outside shooters to knock down wide open looks
accepted a scholarship to play for the University of North Carolina. After three seasons of college ball in which he averaged almost 18 points and 5 rebounds a game. He was selected 3rd overall in the 1984 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls after Hakeem Olajuwon (a hall of fame center with the Houston Rockets) and Sam Bowie (considered a major bust by the Portland Trail Blazers). In his first season with the Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan averaged 28 points a game and voted to the All-Star game, because
When you think of the greatest NBA players ever, who do you think of? Most likely you thought of players such as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, or Charles Barkley. But, one name surpasses all others when it comes to NBA greats, that name is Michael Jordan. That recognition doesn’t come with just being a good player, you have to be able to prove it and Michael Jordan’s six NBA championships and his 5 MVP’s for certain just helps his case of being the best player of all time all
Tanking has been one of the most serious issues in National Basketball Association (NBA) for last couple decades. In every sport league, there are always some teams cannot win games and become jokes sticks for others. No one wants to be a joke stick, or in other words, a tanker. However, in NBA, there is a different story. Unlike other sport leagues, in NBA, the difference between good teams and bad teams is extremely huge. They are either so good that can content in the playoffs and take a shot
dunks. Jump shots inside the paint are the big men’s forte because it takes a big man to shoot over a big defender. Great players who have mastered this art include Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwon. When these players get inside the paint, their size and skill enables them to utilize this shot to score. The best way to take a jump shot is by squaring both the shoulders and feet ... ... middle of paper ... ...enough to play again. Unfortunately
Fair Play in the NBA: A Modest Proposal As surprising as it may be to those who are not themselves fans of the National Basketball Association, Anglo-Americans are vastly outnumbered by other ethnicities. In fact, African-Americans hold a majority of positions, command higher average salaries, and receive more attention for their accomplishments in the media. Although there are a number of Anglo-Americans employed by the NBA, few ever manage to obtain equality in the field. For example, the position
Tanking, the issue that has plagued the NBA since the 1980s, has grown as a popular solution for teams to improve. In NBA terms, tanking is when a team purposely continues to lose in order to get a top draft pick. In today’s NBA, I have witnessed multiple teams openly tank, which has made the NBA less interesting for me to watch. Mark Cuban’s statement that the Dallas Mavericks, the team that he owns, were tanking, led to an uproar throughout the NBA and an eventual fine by the league. In order to
Why Athletes are Good Role Models Ever since the ancient years, we have admired athletes and the hard work that they do to achieve their goal of winning. We idolize them and wish we were more like them. What happens though when the realization sinks in that they are human too and that some of them do get greedy and selfish? A lot of athletes are model citizens that you should really look up to, but there are also some bad apples in the bunch that ruin it for everyone. Athletes can inspire
awards in the same season. Hakeem Olajuwon was raised as Muslim, and he is a lifelong pious Muslim. Olajuwon spent a lot of time going back to Jordan, where he and his family pursue Islamic studies. Olajuwon strictly follow Ramadan, and that custom has not affect on him. He was even noted playing better during the month of Ramadan. An interesting thing in his life is that he only pays cash for commodity, because it is against Islamic law to pay interest. Hakeem Olajuwon continues to help out the
certain swagger to him, confidence oozing like the sweat from his body a fearless aspect about him at first he was conservative but soon they would meet the real him As the veterans of the court the world’s best Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, John Stockton just to name a few would choose their usual suspects with big broad shoulders, chiseled rock bodies and fully developed athletic abilities in the midst of them there he was a baby face ,long body, lanky
fundamental parts of many NBA teams. Ever since Italian-born, Canada raised Henry Biasatti stepped foot on a National Basketball Association court, international talent has become an important part of a, now global, NBA. International players such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki have contributed to the league with All-Star selections, Most Valuable Player awards, and even Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals. There’s no doubt, international talent has turned the NBA into a diverse, ultra-competitive
to Oklahoma City in the first place. Other smaller market teams have tanked for superstars as early as 1984 when the Houston Rockets tanked for Hakeem (then known as Akeem) Olajuwon, as well as 1997 when the San Antonio Spurs tanked for Tim Duncan or 2003 when the Cleveland Cavaliers tanked for LeBron James. You may have heard of those three names. Olajuwon led the Rockets to two champions... ... middle of paper ... ...e Western Conference. While a casual NBA fan probably will never root for their
Orlando Magic legend Penny Hardaway's rise to stardom with an innovative skill set for a tall guard set the groundwork for future mega stars to succeed in today's NBA. The common thread during a conversation regarding former Orlando Magic great Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway includes the constant injuries and abrupt ending to his once promising career. A 6'7 point guard was extremely rare back in 1993 something not seen since the days of Earvin "Magic" Johnson standing at 6'9 with the Los Angeles Lakers
the name of the “strategy” that has been increasingly noticed in recent years. “The issue of teams' intentionally losing games for the sake of improving their draft position has been around for decades, or ever since Bill Fitch pulled off the Hakeem Olajuwon gambit back in 1984” (D’alessandro). When teams lose games to raise their draft stock in order to get good players for the future. Should teams be aloud to do this? Tanking not only has an impact on fans, but the players, and coaches need to
Nigeria Nigeria is a massive country of almost 100 million people comprising 250 ethnic groups speaking 4000 dialects. It is more than two and half times the size of California. With one of the highest literacy rates in Africa, the country has the largest and most vocal press in Africa, publishing views and opinions freely. However, while debates are passionate and views varied, Nigerians largely remain united in a single, unswerving thread: "ONE NIGERIA". It is this oneness that has been
When people play basketball, they usually don’t think about the history. They don’t think who created it, who leads in assists, steals, blocks, points, and rebounds in the entire history of the sport. Did they know that it was illegal to dunk just because of one person, and he soon became the all-time scoring leader? Who created the name “slam dunk”? When was the first basketball game ever played? Who was on the first basketball team, and how many players were on a team? In 1891, Dr. James
community boasts a significant number of millionaires as well as many other accomplished individuals (including one Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, Ahmed H. Zewail, and such notables as the movie actor Omar Sharif, the professional basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon, and the model Iman). Muslim Americans proudly say that theirs is "the richest Muslim society on Earth," and they are right; more than that, it may be the most accomplished. In regards to income, twenty-eight percent of Muslim immigrants make
Popular Sports in Nigerian Culture In the story “Things Fall Apart”, Chinua Achebe tells about life in small Nigerian villages during the early 1900’s. Life in early 1900’s in Nigeria is similar in one respect to modern life today, in that sports play an important role in Nigerian entertainment and culture. In the story, Okonokwo is a leader of the Igbo village in Nigeria, Okonokwo first gains fame and attention in his village by winning a wrestling match against another village. The wrestling