39 Quotes by Hakeem Olajuwon

It's not up to anyone else to make me give my best.

All I know is I'm saying this, and somebody's going to read it and say I'm a male chauvinist. That's not the case. It is just different with men and boys with women. It's like raising your kids. Boys are more stubborn. As good, as strong as a mother is, sometimes it takes the father to step in. Oh boy, I can see it now: 'Hakeem is a male chauvinist.' That is not the case.

I’m the kind of person who always wants more.

The most important thing in a person’s life is his faith and how he translates his faith into practical deeds.

When you get to that level, it’s not a matter of talent anymore – because all the players are so talented – it’s about preparation, about playing smart and making good decisions.

It’s not up to anyone else to make me give my best.

All these boundaries – Africa, Asia, Malaysia, America – are set by men. But you don’t have to look at boundaries when you are looking at a man – at the character of a man. The question is: What do you stand for? Are you a follower, or are you a leader?

When I look at the system here and look at my position – not just as a basketball player, but when I look around me at the values of the people and the culture and compare them with the values of where I came from – I feel so blessed to be from Africa.

The key to fashion is, you don’t want to look like you’re trying. You’ve gotta be natural.