Slam dunk - interview with basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon - Interview

Interview, Feb, 1994 by Spike Lee

SPIKE LEE: Hakeem, what's up?

HAKEEM OLAJUWON: Not too much. How are you doing?

SL: Good. Good. Now, you've been getting all this attention lately. Everyone is saying that, suddenly, you're the best ballplayer in the game. I imagine you'd say that you've been playing like this all along. But since Michael [Jordan] has retired, it looks like you and your team are finally getting the spotlight.

HO: [laughs] Well, I don't think Michael had to retire for us to get the spotlight, because when you win, it commands attention. And now that the Houston Rockets are playing together as a team, and we're winning, you can see that. Of course, the attention that's being focused on the team has resulted in my getting some more attention, too.

SL: Before we get into this whole discussion of basketball, Hakeem, I want to ask you, didn't you recently become a U.S. citizen?

HO: Yes, last year.

SL: Why did you decide to do that?

HO: I've now been in this country for thirteen years, since I was seventeen. So this is my second home.

SL: And your other home is Lagos, Nigeria.

HO: Yes.

SL: It's amazing to me that many African Americans still view Africa like a Tarzan movie: that it's full of cannibalism; that everyone has bones in their noses. Irish Americans talk about going back to Ireland. Italian Americans talk about going back to the old country, to Italy. But a lot of African Americans still don't see Africa as their true home. It's kind of sad.

HO: Yes, it is. And many African Americans will criticize you for telling them that they are from Africa. Why? Being from Africa is the best thing that could have ever, ever happened to me. I cannot see it any other way. All of my fundamental principles that were instilled in me in my home, from my childhood, are still with me. And now, when I look at the system here and look at my position--not just as a basketball player, but when I look around me at the values of the people and the culture and compare them with the values of where I came from--I feel so blessed to be from Africa.

SL: Have you had any lengthy conversations with your African American teammates or other African American NBA players who would argue that they are Americans but they are not Africans?

HO: I usually avoid that whole conversation. [laughs]

SL: So you don't even get into it?

HO: I only get into it when the person feels comfortable with himself.

SL: So what you're saying is, if we're not comfortable with being from Africa, we're not comfortable with our own selves.

HO: Right.

SL: Would you also say that that discomfort is a form of self-hatred?

HO: No, it's just a lack of understanding. All these boundaries--Africa, Asia, Malaysia, America--are set by men. But you don't have to look at boundaries when you are looking at a man--at the character of a man. The question is: What do you stand for? Are you a follower, or are you a leader? When people talk about my popularity as a basketball player, they don't know that I am not in competition with, and I don't compare myself with, anybody, because I am comfortable with myself.

SL: I hear you.

HO: I respect a lot of players in this league. But to me basketball is just a little aspect of my life. I enjoy the game because it's fun. But it is a game.

SL: So what are your other interests?

HO: My life is very simple. I like simplicity and for my time to be my own, so that I have the freedom to devote the majority of it to Islam. That is the foundation from which I keep everything in perspective. I also want to let people know about Islam, how Islam can be a way of life. I want them to really understand its richness and its beauty and to see that Islam is for everybody. For me, this is the most important thing. From this, everything else falls into place.

SL: It's interesting, because this is the first time I've ever heard you talk publicly about Islam and being a Muslim. I guess your religious convictions are not something the NBA wants to push, huh?

HO: [laughs] The people who run the show in the NBA don't know anything about Islam. I think that may also be why some people are against me personally--because I am a Muslim. It's the same way people can be against you because of the color of your skin. They don't look past these things. But it always depends on the individual.

SL: Getting back to basketball, do you try to bring your game up to another level when you face the big centers like Patrick Ewing or David Robinson or Shaquille O'Neal or Alonzo Mourning? Because every time you play against Patrick, man, it seems like you go crazy.

HO: Well, those are my toughest opponents. When you get to that level, it's not a matter of talent anymore--because all the players are so talented--it's about preparation, about playing smart and making good decisions. Patrick is so good on both offense and defense; I respect him tremendously. And I know his mentality. He'll come to Houston...

SL: He can't wait to play Houston again after what you did to him last time.

HO: Exactly. That's the sign of a true warrior, a true champion. He may lose the battle, but he'll come prepared next time--even more prepared to play again. So I have to get ready. [laughs]