Abdul-Malik Olajuwon, a four-star shooting guard recruit in the Class of 2027 and the son of Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, committed to SMU on Thursday.
The younger Olajuwon plays at IMG Academy in Florida but grew up in a suburb of Houston, where his father spent 17 of his 18 NBA seasons with the Rockets and became a franchise icon. He also starred collegiately for the “Phi Slama Jama” Houston Cougars before the Rockets selected him first overall in the 1984 NBA Draft.
Abdul-Malik Olajuwon did not hold a reported offer from the Cougars, choosing SMU over Minnesota (where he also took an official visit), Kansas State, Virginia Tech and others.
He is rated as the No. 66 overall player and No. 4 shooting guard in his class by the 247Sports composite rankings.
“Coach (Andy) Enfield is a laid-back guy, but he’s intense,” the younger Olajuwon told ESPN. “He’s not a yeller or a screamer, but he gets his point across. When he talks, the gym becomes silent. Everyone listens to him and respects him.
“My dad was with me on the visit and feels that this is a great decision for me. I also leaned on my older brother, who’s been through the process and told me not to think only about basketball, but to think long-term.”
Hakeem Olajuwon’s older son Aziz is an incoming freshman at Stanford and was considered a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2026.
–Field Level Media
