By Ernest Osogbue
In a surprising twist, FIBA hall of famer and Nigeria’s biggest basketball export, Hakeem Olajuwon, has thrown his support behind his two sons, Abdullah and Abdulrahman’s decision to represent Jordan the country of their birth.
Olajuwon, who was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016, led the Houston Rockets to back to back NBA titles in the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He claimed the finals MVP on both occasions and became the first player to do so in NBA history without the benefit of the home court.
He also led the American national basketball team to Olympic gold medal at 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers of his generation. According to information, efforts to link up with the Nigerian national basketball team were largely frustrated, leading to him deciding to represent America after being granted citizenship.
Hakeem is currently in Saudi Arabia, venue of the FIBA Asian Cup, to support his children and he expressed his joy at the opportunity for them to gain valuable experience. Jordan is in group C alongside China, Saudi Arabia, and India. They currently sit third in the group, after winning one and losing one game. Their final group game comes up later today against group leaders China.
Many have expressed surprise, however, at Olajuwon allowing his children to represent Jordan and not even the USA if he didn’t want them to represent Nigeria. It currently follows a pattern where most Nigerians and Nigerian born sportsmen and women choose to represent other countries instead of Nigeria due to poor governance at various sports federations.
Abdullah, who is 21, has averaged 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 assists in Jordan’s two games so far. Abdulrahman, who is only 19, has had limited minutes. It remains to be seen if they grow older and improve their skills, whether Olajuwon will continue to support their representing Jordan as opposed to Nigeria or the USA.
