"The Dream". One half of the Twin Towers. The only player in history to win the NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP awards all inside the same season in the mid-1990s. It's the offensive players who claim all the glory, but Olajuwon was a wall in defense, and when he retired he was the league's all time block leader.
Born Nigerian, Olajuwon adopted American citizenship, which enabled him to play for the USA team in the 1996 Olympics, where he won a gold medal. Proud of his Muslim faith, it was noted that observing the fasting ceremony of Ramadan didn't seem to affect him at all, and indeed in 1995 he was named NBA Player of the Month for February despite observing fasting at the time. Beloved in the city of Houston for his sporting achievements, Olajuwon has built a property empire there, which makes sure his finances stay healthy in his retirement.