Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon was and still is probably the most technically sound center to ever grace the professional hardwood. His footwork and ability to create his own shot in the post is something that can be taught but takes thousands of hours of practice and experience to master. For those of you doubting this, google Hakeem vs. Shaq and you decide for yourself. Olajuwon was drafted first overall in 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets where he spent the majority of his career, The Dream also played his final season with the Toronto Raptors before hanging it up for good.
Throughout his career, Hakeem was able to average 21.8 points per game while winning two NBA titles back-to-back in 1994 and 1995, as well as two NBA Finals MVP Awards for both of those seasons as well. Olajuwon also won MVP for the 1994 season, an Olympic Gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta games, and earned twelve NBA All-Star appearances in his eighteen-year career. These days, Olajuwon is a player development coach for the Houston Rockets.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."