Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon earned plenty of accolades in his 18-year NBA career, including one MVP, two Finals MVPs, 12 All-NBA nods and a pair of Defensive Player of the Year awards. Another major honor was bestowed upon him Tuesday.
The NBA rebranded a number of major awards Tuesday morning. This included Defensive Player of the Year, with the winner now set to receive The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy each season. Olajuwon is the NBA's all-time leader in blocks. He ranks No. 9 on the all-time steals leaderboard. Olajuwon is now properly honored as perhaps the greatest defender in NBA history, and on Tuesday, he expressed gratitude for becoming the award's namesake.