Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon, formerly known as Akeem Olajuwon, is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Listed at 7 ft 0 in, Olajuwon is considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player ever, stated on public record, that he believes Olajuwon is the geatest center in the history of basketball. He was nicknamed "The Dream" during his basketball career, for his grace on and off the court. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Olajuwon traveled from his home country to play for the University of Houston under Coach Guy Lewis. His college career for the Cougars included three trips to the Final Four. Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection of the 1984 NBA Draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton. He combined with the 7 ft 4 in Ralph Sampson to form a duo dubbed the "Twin Towers". [More at Wikipedia]

January 21st, 1963 in Lagos (Age 61)