On May 25, 1994, legendary Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon accepted NBA’s MVP award for the 1993-94 regular season.
Then 31 years old and in his 10th professional season, “The Dream” averaged 27.3 points (52.8% FG), 11.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in a career-high 41.0 minutes per game. His Rockets went 58-24, which at the time was their best record in franchise history.
Olajuwon had 66 first-place votes, which easily outpaced the 24 for second-place finisher David Robinson of rival San Antonio. Immediately after accepting the award, Olajuwon led the Rockets to a Game 2 victory in the 1994 Western Conference Finals against the Utah Jazz.
It was the only regular-season MVP award that the future Hall of Famer received over his 18-year career. However, he earned two awards of even greater significance by being named NBA Finals MVP in 1994 and 1995. Those remain the only two NBA titles in team history.
Olajuwon’s 1993-94 award is one of only four won by NBA players who were with the Rockets during their MVP season. Moses Malone had two in 1978-79 and 1981-82, while James Harden won in 2017-18.
