Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon - Naija's Best!!!

What’s really good people? 

Yo, I gotta say am loving my powerful African belly and how it’s rounding into shape these days.  But if you want to do something about yours, go check out one of my favorite blogs “The Greenbelt Experience” http://www.madeinliberia.blogspot.com/. This site has something for everybody looking to get fit and hopefully boost your training with some creative workout plans. 

So what went down since I last kicked it with you all on the blog spot;

My brother's Arsenal Gunners showed some heart and came back to beat Barca in this week's big UEFA match. Nice!!!

The weather outside here in the DMV just hit 70 plus degrees outside today, time to go into the closet and bring out my Alex Vanderpoolera catalog.  I show you how to do this son!!!

Pause - “V-necks, mohawks, just ain’t me.  S**t barely look right on Mr. T.  Your biker chains, designer shades, just ain’t right, especially when you can’t breathe, cause your pants to tight” (Grow Up by Bishop Lamont) Classic...

Some sad news on the Supa Eagles front Uche Okafor (R.I.P.) finally was lay to rest and one of my favorites Celestine Babayaro has gone bankrupt.  Na wa O!!! 

Everybody and their mama now believe they can pull-off a Facebook Revolution. Good Luck!!!

Iron Mike Tyson still as nutty as ever. Mr. "I think I broke my back, it's spinal" Another Classic... 

Half the females are upset with their Valentine's Day gifts and half the guys are now trying to recovery from their overzealous spending. Looool.

Finally, NBA All-Star weekend is here.  Time to check out Blake Griffin in the Slam Dunk Contest!!! I missed the days of the greats like Michael “Air” Jordan, Dominque “The Human Highlight Film” Wilkins, Clyde “The Glyde” Drexler”, “Dr. Dunkinstein” Darrell Griffith, Harold “Baby Jordan” Minor and Vince “1/2 Man 1/2 Amazing” Carter.

Shot-outs to all "My Omo Naija" extended family in the States, Canada, Nigeria, Africa, UK, Europe, Russia, Asia, thanks for the continued and massive support!!!   

Ok people, let me get focused…

For those of you young or old enough to remember “Akeem”, yes before the spelling changed to “Hakeem.”  This is my tribute to my favorite athlete of all time and arguably the most dominating and influential Nigerian sports figure that pioneered his way into the history books and left an indelible imprint on the American sports landscape.  Now referred to as “Hakeem”, this man in my opinion is the Pele and Jackie Robinson of Nigerian/African athletes who conquered and broke several barriers that have contributed to the continued success of other African athletes in the United States over the past twenty years.

My introduction to “The Dream” started in my father’s home in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday evenings in the late 80’s.  My siblings and I would gather around the television and watch recorded tapes of National Basketball Association (NBA) games of Hakeem versus the best America had to offer; Ervin “Magic” Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.  At this time I had never even heard of Michael “Air” Jordan.  My lasting memory of watching those basketball games for the first time as a youth was this sense of pride, joy and fulfillment it brought me watching a fellow “My Omo Naija” representing my proud nation with such purpose, commitment and a dominating presence on the basketball court.  You know you are official and have made it in the streets when you go to the park to play pick-up basketball and all you hear from the other guys on the court is, “Man you see Olajuwon today?” or “That Afrikan Boy Bad Man!!!” My personal favorite, “That's Greatness right there…” 

I would later get to live out my childhood dream as a youth by attending and meeting Hakeem up close and in person.  Walking up to “The Dream” for the first time during his pre-game warm-up (shoot-around), I was a bundle of joy, nerves and shock all in one.  I literally was overwhelmed and almost turned around on multiple occasions because of my anxiety being uncontrollable.  But when I was finally able to gather myself together and introduce myself to my childhood hero, the warmth and substance of the man as he greeted my family members and I left me speechless and flabbergasted.  Not only was my favorite athlete the best in his sport but he was a better human being.  We all exchanged pleasantries with him and he even found it amusing as we attempted to converse with him in my native Yoruba dialect.  That moment served as one of the biggest highlights in my life to date.

Over the years, it appears that there has been a disconnect of some sort with Olajuwon and the Nigerian public.  The root of it all is uncertain; maybe some feel he should have used his basketball platform to raise awareness and bring attention to meaningful causes plaguing Nigerian and the continent of Africa. Others expectations could be for him to develop programs and projects to advance youth causes like another African athlete, Dikembe Mutombo.  Look, we all are built, created and shaped differently.  Only Hakeem himself can speak to his efforts and attempts in serving as an ambassador of the world and the contributions he made to his fatherland. One thing that is unquestioned is the toughness, passion and excellence he demonstrated on the basketball court.   

Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon Career Accomplishments

·         NBA’s all-time leader in points scored by a non-American born Player

·         NBA’s all-time leader with 3,459 career blocked shots

·         Overall first pick by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA Draft

·         Selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

·         NBA Most Valuable Player in the 1993-94 season

·         Won Two consecutive NBA championships in 1994 and 1995

·         Won NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1994 and 1995

·         Remains in the Top Ten in the NBA all-time scoring list

·         12 NBA All-Star Appearances

Hakeem remains by far the most graceful and skillful big-man in NBA history. I always recall him giving credit and accounts of his successes on the court to his roots as a youth footballer in Nigeria and the obstacles he had to endure to be successful both as an collegiate and professional athlete. In his words, “My game was to play the same as a little guy, a cat’s game, but with big cats.”  Alexander Wolff, of SI.com described him as, “Light feet from soccer, power and craftiness from team handball, hand-eye coordination from table tennis, sudden levitation from high jumping and volleyball.” These attributes mentioned allowed Olajuwon to be the most complete NBA basketball player of his era, which in turn has led him to teaching his talents to the best in today’s NBA; the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Yao Ming.  

So I conclude my first black history month blog post by saluting a man; the most influential Nigerian athlete of my lifetime that raised the bar and expectations for the current and new generation of prominent athletes of Nigerian parentage.  With your work ethic and character you soared to heights unimaginable. I thank you for raising and waving our proud colors of the Green/White/Green high in the sky these last 30 years.

Still The Unbeatable Dream...