Which team did NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon play for?

Hakeem Olajuwon played for the Houston Rockets, the NBA team that selected him first overall in the 1984 draft.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon moved to the United States to play college basketball at the University of Houston. The Rockets chose him ahead of future legends such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. He quickly became the centerpiece of Houston’s team and earned the nickname “Hakeem the Dream.”

Olajuwon led the Rockets to consecutive NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, winning Finals MVP in both series. He also won the 1994 regular-season MVP award and Defensive Player of the Year honors, making him one of the most accomplished centers in NBA history.

A common mix-up is that Olajuwon finished his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors after leaving Houston in 2001. However, he spent the overwhelming majority of his career with the Rockets, playing there from 1984 to 2001 and becoming the franchise’s defining superstar.