Who is Hakeem Olajuwon's wife? Looking at personal life of Rockets legend

Hakeem Olajuwon played 18 NBA seasons for the Rockets, clinching two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, a league MVP and made the All-Star team 12 times. The NBA legend married Dalia Asafi in August 1996, in Houston. She was only 18 years old at the time. The couple have four children together.

Dalia Asafi was born in 1978 in the West African country of Nigeria, the same country Olajuwon was born in. She moved to Houston, United States, with her family where she completed her education. Asafi is a Muslim by birth.

Olajuwon married Asafi in the Islamic custom of prearranged marriages. The two were thus wed in a traditional Islamic wedding ceremony.

"There is no dating process, no boyfriends and girlfriends in Islam," Olajuwon said in a statement when the two wed in August 1996. "Families meet, talk, get to know one another. Then the marriage is arranged."

While this might seem strange to people who are not Muslims, Olajuwon went on to explain,

"In the Islam faith, it is customary for a girl to marry much younger than they do in America, at age 15 or 16, for instance. Dalia maybe 18 in terms of age, but because of her background, beliefs and religious understanding, she, like many other Islamic young women, possesses a maturity, knowledge and wisdom beyond her years."

Hakeem Olajuwon's children and current day impact

Hakeem Olajuwon has four children: Abi, Abdullah, Aisha and Rahmah. Abi followed in her father’s footsteps by playing basketball for the University of Oklahoma, helping the team reach the NCAA Final Four in 2009 and 2010. She was picked fourth in the draft by the Chicago Sky and played in six games, then went on to the Tulsa Shock and played 16 games.

Hakeem Olajuwon is no longer making an impact on the basketball courts as a player but he is still active in other forms. He is a well-known businessman with a net worth of $300 million. His investments are primarily concentrated in the real estate sector.

Olajuwon also runs the Dream Foundation Jordan. The charity's target is to help the local community in Jordan, especially the youth, to improve their standard of living.