Nigerian-born basketball legend Hakeem Olajuwon will feature on this week’s edition of CNN’s African Voices Changemakers, sponsored by Globacom, where he will share his journey from Lagos to becoming one of basketball’s most celebrated names.
In a conversation with programme anchor Larry Madowo, the former NBA star will reflect on his early years in Nigeria, his move to the United States and the career that earned him the nickname “The Dream”.
Born in Lagos on January 21, 1963, Olajuwon began playing basketball in 1978 at Muslim Teachers’ College before moving to the US in the early 1980s. He later played for the University of Houston Cougars before being selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA Draft, alongside a generation of basketball greats.
His career included 12 NBA All-Star appearances, two NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. He was also named NBA Most Valuable Player in 1994, won the Olympic gold medal with the United States team in 1996 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in recognition of his place among the league’s greatest players.
Olajuwon retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks, with 3,830, and remains one of only four players to have recorded a quadruple-double. His achievements and influence have continued to inspire generations of basketball players around the world.
The programme will air on DStv Channel 401 this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and 12 midnight, West African Time. Repeat broadcasts will follow on Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday at 4 a.m. and 6:45 p.m., and Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
Further repeats are scheduled for the following Saturday at 12 midnight and 8:30 a.m., Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Monday at 4 a.m.
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