Story by Ben DuBose | Rockets Wire
The Rockets recently hosted a series of flagship events to celebrate Nigerian heritage. Current head coach Ime Udoka is of Nigerian descent, while former center Hakeem Olajuwon — who led Houston to its only two NBA championships in 1994 and 1995 and is now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — was born and raised in Nigeria.
Olajuwon was also a two-time NBA Finals MVP and won Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NBA’s 1993-94 season, which ended with Houston’s first title.
At Houston’s Dec. 1 home game versus Oklahoma City (which ended in a memorable win for the Rockets), the team celebrated its annual Nigerian Heritage Night. A post-game question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Seun Adigun featured Olajuwon, Udoka, and WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike speaking to fans on topics related to heritage, sports, and culture.
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They shared powerful insights into their journeys, the richness of their Nigerian heritage, and how sports and culture beautifully intersect,” the team wrote in its recap.
Elsewhere this week, the Rockets partnered with Adidas to host the first annual basketball camp celebrating Nigerian heritage at Fonde Community Center. The camp consisted of boys and girls of Nigerian descent, who were given an opportunity to train with established coaches who have influenced Houston’s Nigerian community through basketball.