Olajuwon, Hakeem, oh LY juh won, ah KEEM (1963-...), ranks among the great centers in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 7 feet (213 centimeters) tall, he became known on offense for his quick, graceful moves and accurate jump shot. Defensively, he was the leading shot-blocker in NBA history with 3,830 blocked shots. Olajuwon led the Houston Rockets to the NBA championship in 1993-1994 and again in 1994-1995. During the 1993-1994 season, he became the first NBA player ever to be named the league's Most Valuable Player, defensive player of the year, and Most Valuable Player in the play-off finals in the same season.