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Teacher Training Sports Festival - The Muslim Teachers College handball team was supposed to play at the festival, but the handball competition was canceled because there was not enough teams participating. Hakeem wanted to go to the festival badly, so he tried out for the basketball team as a way to go. The rest is history.

Team Handball - Even though he was not interested in it at first, Hakeem liked team handball when he finally played and ended up representing Lagos State at the national tournament. Hakeem was the captain of the intermediate team at Muslim Teachers College. He led the team to a gold medal in the national all-sports festival.

Things Fall Apart - This book written by Chinua Achebe was Hakeem's favorite book growing up. The theme is the collision of African and European cultures in people's lives.

Thirty-Year Team - Named to the Rockets 30-Year Team in 1998 as one of the Top 10 players in franchise history.

Thomas, Charlie - Owner of the Houston Rockets when Hakeem was selected in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Tip-In - Hakeem won Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic by tipping in a Clyde Drexler miss. He didn't immediately understand that he had won the game until teammates Kenny Smith and Mario Elie let him know.

Tomjanovich, Rudy - Became Hakeem's third coach with the Rockets when he was named the official head coach prior to the 1992-93 season. He enjoyed Tomjanovich's style because Rudy ruled by reason and created team spirit and unity. Olajuwon enjoyed that Rudy was sincere in everything he said and showed concern for all his players because at one time he had been a player.

Togo - While playing for Lagos State Hakeem scored 60 points, including 15 dunks, against the country of Togo in a junior team tournament.

Triple-Doubles - Entering the 2000-2001 season, Hakeem has amassed 14 career triple-doubles, four of which have come at the expense of the Golden State Warriors. On March 3, 1990, just 26 days prior to recording just the third quadruple-double in NBA history, Hakeem fell one assist shy of posting what would have been his first quadruple-double when he racked up 29 points, 18 rebounds, 11 blocks and nine assists against Golden State.

Twin Towers - Nickname for Hakeem and Ralph Sampson. Not the first of the Twin Towers, but the first to have two No. 1 draft picks at power forward and center together. The duo led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals. They played together for four-and-a-half seasons before Sampson was traded to Golden State.