12. Hakeem Olajuwon

12. Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon was and still is probably the most technically sound center to ever grace the professional hardwood. His footwork and ability to create his own shot in the post is something that can be taught but takes thousands of hours of practice and experience to master. For those of you doubting this, google Hakeem vs. Shaq and you decide for yourself. Olajuwon was drafted first overall in 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets where he spent the majority of his career, The Dream also played his final season with the Toronto Raptors before hanging it up for good.

Throughout his career, Hakeem was able to average 21.8 points per game while winning two NBA titles back-to-back in 1994 and 1995, as well as two NBA Finals MVP Awards for both of those seasons as well. Olajuwon also won MVP for the 1994 season, an Olympic Gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta games, and earned twelve NBA All-Star appearances in his eighteen-year career. These days, Olajuwon is a player development coach for the Houston Rockets.

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Did You Know...

I

Chefs made their way into celebrity land a while ago. But how many celebrities that weren’t trained as professional cooks are actually whizzes in the kitchen? Here are several that come to mind.

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Actress Julia Roberts is confident about her cooking skills. “I’m quite a good cook,” she told E! News. “I’m like a closet home ec teacher…I can really cook anything.” Roberts has said she often cooks fish for herself and her kids. And speaking of her three children, “They think that I’m a good cook,” Roberts told People. “They actually told me that I should open a restaurant.” She also relishes cooking for the holidays, particularly shredded Brussel sprouts. Roberts hasn’t published a cookbook, but we did find recipes attributed to her for peach crisp and banana hemp muffins. Or you can make the same summer salad the actress supposedly eats.

III

Chrissy Teigen started off as a supermodel. Then her love of cooking filtered into her professional life too. At this point, she’s created recipes for a limited Blue Apron release and also just launched her own home and cooking line at Target named “Cravings,” after the two cookbooks she’s released. Teigen describes cooking as “a time of peace” for herself. So maybe peace out to her tuna melt sandwich or the fried chicken wings that are a favorite of her husband, John Legend.

IV

Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, comes from a cooking Italian family. Her father started his own restaurant in New York and also published a cookbook. And apparently, Lady Gaga has inherited the family’s cooking genes. Her Instagram account occasionally features photos of her culinary activities. Sure, sometimes it’s topless cooking. But other times it’s more poignant like in the post she shared about her bringing food to the family of her dear friend who passed away. Want to try a Gaga/Germanotta family favorite? Check out her recipe for whole wheat pasta with a sweet fennel sauce.

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