One of the finest all-around centers in the game of basketball has ever seen was Hakeem Olajuwon.

“The Dream” was born January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. When he reached his playing days, Hakeem Olajuwon stood 7-feet tall and weighed 255 pounds. He was the prototypical NBA center.

Hakeem Olajuwon played alongside future Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler at the University of Houston. There, both Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler put on a clinic, leading Houston to three trips to the NCAA Final Four.

Hakeem Olajuwon went on to be drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection in the 1984 NBA Draft. That draft is so popular, because it was the same one that produced the likes of Charles Barley, John Stockton and one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, the air man Michael Jordan.

Hakeem Olajuwon had a tremendous rookie year and was voted to the 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team. Other coaches, players and fans marveled at the way he not only dominated under the basket on the offensive end, but also was one of the best defenders on a yearly basis.

It was until the 1993-94 and 1994-95 NBA seasons where Hakeem Olajuwon became one of the greatest centers of his generation, however. He went on to dominate great centers like Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Shaquille O’Neal and in-state rival David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs.

In one of the greatest NBA Finals in basketball history, Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets battled the New York Knicks in a seven-game grudge match.

With the Knicks up 3-2 in the best of seven series, Hakeem Olajuwon made one of the best plays in NBA Finals history, blocking New York guard John Starks’ shots as time expired and Houston defending an 86-84 lead. In Game 7 of the series, Hakeem Olajuwon, “The Dream”, scored a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds, which helped boost the Rockets to NBA Finals Champions. It was the first sports championship in Houston since the Houston Oilers won the AFL championship in 1961.

Thanks to “The Dream”, the Rockets again won the NBA Finals in 1995. Not only is Hakeem Olajuwon a two-time NBA Champion, but he’s also a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

For his amazing career, Hakeem Olajuwon amassed 26,946 points, 13,747 rebounds and 3,830 blocked shots. In 1994, he became the only player in NBA history to have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season – a record that still stands today. Hakeem Olajuwon is also the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots and is also in the top ten for blocks, scoring, rebound, and steals. Hakeem  Olajuwon is the only player in NBA history placed in the top ten for all four categories.

Hakeem Olajuwon was a 12-time All-Star during his career and a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993-1994). He was also a six-time All-NBA First Team Selection, a three-time All-NBA Second Team Selection and a five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection.

While the NBA has certainly seen its fair share of great centers, Hakeem Olajuwon undoubtedly deserves mention with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.