Hakeem Olajuwon has been named the greatest foreign-born player in NBA history by HoopsHype, putting the Houston Rockets icon at No. 1 on its list of the 80 best international players ever.
The choice puts one of the league’s most decorated big men at the top of a field that included Dirk Nowitzki, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Steve Nash in the top five.
Olajuwon’s case starts with both longevity and dominance. The Nigerian center played 18 NBA seasons, and 17 of them came in Houston. During that stretch, he was the engine behind the Rockets’ rise, with Houston reaching the playoffs in 14 of his 17 seasons there and finishing below .500 only once.
His resume is packed with the kind of hardware that usually settles these debates fast. Olajuwon won an MVP award, collected two NBA Finals MVP awards, earned 12 All-NBA selections, took home two Defensive Player of the Year honors, grabbed two rebounding titles and led the league in blocks three times.
The numbers from his Rockets career tell the same story. In 1,177 games with Houston, Olajuwon averaged 22.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.2 blocks.
One season in particular stood out even among all that production. In 1989-1990, Olajuwon finished seventh in MVP voting, but that may have been his best year, as he posted 24.3 points, 14 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 4.6 blocks per game. He did not win Defensive Player of the Year that season, with Dennis Rodman taking the award instead.
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