Nigeria-born former USA’s international basketball star, Hakeem ‘The Dream’ Olajuwon has been named into the all-star roster for the 75th year anniversary of the country’s elite professional league, megasportsarena.com reports.
Olajuwon, who is regarded as a legend of the game in USA’s National Basketball Association (NBA) competition, is named alongside Nigerian-born Greece international, Giannis Adetokunbo (Antetokounmpo) and four others of foreign origin.
A statement by the NBA noted in part: “Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (US Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
“The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson.
“Representing different eras of the league’s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
“(The team also) includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
“Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team.
“(The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time).”
