Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem would take his reputation as one of the NBA's best role models into his retirement. Hooters musical group, UC3, performs at a variety of sporting events, promotional appearances, and charity shows. He also gained recognition for his sportsmanlike behavior on the court and his charitable pursuits off the court, and became known as one of the sports world's more intelligent individuals, speaking several languages and having a very developed sense of art appreciation. Hooters also launched what it calls "Operation Let Freedom Wing", which involves sending its celebrities, like Hooters Calendar Girls, to visit troops overseas, including to Afghanistan. Olajuwon was still consistently recognized as one of the league's elite centers despite his strict observance (e.g., fasting during daylight hours) of Ramadan, which occurred during the NBA season during virtually all of his career and is usually a handicap for Muslim athletes. Local restaurants will often select their own local charities. "I'm not changing the spelling of my name, I'm correcting it", he explained. It has provided money and/or volunteers to charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association [1].

He officially announced the altering of his name from Akeem to Hakeem on March 9, 1991. Hooters has an extensive public relations campaign and has actively supported charities through its Hooters Community Endowment Fund. However, Olajuwon began exploring his spiritual side later in his career, becoming a devout Muslim and deciding to alter his name to the proper Arabic spelling when he became more pious. Many women also enjoy going to Hooters with their husbands, boyfriends, brothers, and sons. Throughout Olajuwon's college career and early years in the NBA, he was often an undisciplined player, talking back to officials, getting in minor fights with other players, and amassing personal fouls. Hooters does not market itself to families." However, Hooters is also popular with female customers and families who enjoy its food, especially the buffalo chicken wings and sandwiches. Shortly after his retirement, his #34 jersey was retired by the Rockets. Seventy percent of all customers are male, most between the ages of 25-54.

In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. The chain sees itself this way: "Hooters characterizes itself as a neighborhood place, not a family restaurant. Olajuwon is also in the top ten in scoring, rebounding, and steals; he is the only player in NBA history placed in the top ten for all four categories. The company's management "acknowledges that many consider 'Hooters' a slang term for a portion of the female anatomy." But adds, "Hooters Girls have the same right to use their natural female sex appeal to earn a living as do supermodels Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell.". (Note: the NBA did not keep statistics for blocked shots until Abdul-Jabbar had been in the league several years). The chain is controversial on two counts. On August 8, 2001, he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he would play his final NBA season before retiring as the all-time leader in blocked shots, well past second-placed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Female employees are required to sign that they "acknowledge and affirm" the following:.

Houston then began a rebuilding effort, bringing in young guards Cuttino Mobley and Steve Francis, the 2000 Co-Rookie of the Year. The Smoking Gun obtained a copy of the Hooter's Employee Handbook, which notes that:. Olajuwon continued to lead the team throughout the late 1990s, teaming with Drexler, Barkley, and the newly-acquired Scottie Pippen, but no combination of the four brought Houston a return to prominence. Men who work at Hooters wear shirts with long pants or Bermuda shorts, or attire more suitable for cooking in. During this period, Olajuwon perfected his set of faking and spinning moves, all of which became known as his trademark Dream Shake and developed intense rivalries with some of the other great centers of that era, as well as his openly hated rival Karl Malone. Pantyhose are a requirement for good looks, as are good shoes, because waitresses and waiters everywhere face the danger of plates and hot food dropped onto their feet. He did eventually win the long coveted NBA championship, leading the Rockets to the title in both 1994 and 1995, bringing the first pro sports championships in Houston history. The remainder of the Hooters Girl's uniform consists of glossy suntan pantyhose, white socks, and white athletic shoes.

He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1993. The company also began using other colors and designs for their tops such as a camouflage theme on Monday ("Military Mondays"), black on Friday ("Formal Fridays") and the football uniforms of a local NFL team during the NFL season. Olajuwon also won Defensive Player of the Year honors and league MVP in 1994. Waitresses also have a choice of shirts that are more suitable for cold weather. He finished second in scoring in both '95 and '96. Later, Hooters changed to a tight white spandex top that eliminated the knot-tying and is also less transparent when wet. Olajuwon also won the rebounding and blocked shots titles, becoming the third player ever (after Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton) to lead the league in both categories during the same season. For years, this knot tying was a Hooters ritual before opening.

He also made the second and third team several times. Originally, the T-shirts were white cotton, pulled tight, and knotted in the back to emphasize the breasts. After losing Sampson first to injury and then to trade, the Rockets struggled, though Olajuwon himself thrived individually, being named to the all-NBA First Team in 1987, '88, '89, '93, '94 and '97. They are instantly recognizable by their uniform of a white tank top with the Hooters owl logo and the location name on the front paired with the famously short orange runners' shorts. The Rockets had immediate success as Olajuwon teamed with the 1984 Rookie of the Year Ralph Sampson to form the original NBA "Twin Towers" duo, taking Houston to the Finals in 1986 where they succumbed to the Boston Celtics. It is generally thought that Hooters Girls are chosen for their breast size, but in fact are usually chosen for all-around good looks, attractive legs, and if small-chested, they may be asked to pad their bras. Olajuwon averaged 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.68 blocks in his rookie season, finishing as runner-up to Michael Jordan in the 1985 Rookie of the Year voting, and was the only other rookie to receive any votes. A Hooters Girl is a female waitress employed by the Hooters restaurant chain.

He was noted as a prankster by his teammates, and once claimed to CBS broadcaster Billy Packer that his favorite food was ice cream. . He was considered the top amateur prospect in the summer of 1984 over fellow collegians and future NBA stars Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton, and was selected first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA Draft. Almost all Hooters hold alcoholic beverage licenses and sell a selection of beer and wine. Olajuwon came from Nigeria, and played collegiately at the University of Houston, teaming with Clyde Drexler to form Phi Slamma Jamma. It specializes in buffalo wings, too. He was affectionately called "Hakeem the Dream" for his grace on and off the court. The menu includes hamburgers, steak, other sandwiches, seafood, and chicken.

Olajuwon was arguably one of the best centers to ever play, along with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson as the best pivots in basketball history. Hooters targets male customers with a female waitress staff, though men find employment at Hooters as cooks, hosts, bartenders, and managers. Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (born Akeem Abdul Olajuwon on January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria) is a former college and professional basketball player whose glory days were with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. The chain began operations on October 4, 1983 with a restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, and is still privately held. Between company owned locations, and franchisees, there are now over 350 Hooters restaurants, in 46 US states, plus 13 other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Singapore - its first overseas location to open. Hooters is the trade name of two restaurant chains, Hooters of America, Inc based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Hooters, Inc, based in Clearwater, Florida.

Some famous former Hooters girls are Fox Sports Net's Leeann Tweeden, Former WWE diva Christy Hemme, Playboy Playmates Lynne Austin & Miriam Gonzalez and Co-host of Boston Bruins All-Access on NESN Jillian Nathan. An episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch portrayed a bachelor party in a Hooters of the "magic realm," in which the employees are giant owls that give "flap dances" instead of lap dances. Hooters has been parodied in South Park (Raisins) and The Simpsons (Knockers). The men are always available to deal with the possibility of rowdy customers.

Men do find employment at Hooters in jobs other than on the waitstaff. The restaurant hires only women as servers, and refers to them as "Hooters Girls." Several discrimination lawsuits brought against the chain have been settled out of court or dropped by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The general environment of the restaurant is seen by many feminists as sexist and demeaning of women. The uniform is considered by some to be objectification of women.

I do not find my job duties, uniform requirements, or work environment to be offensive, intimidating, hostile, or unwelcome. the Hooters concept is based on female sex appeal and the work environment is one in which joking and sexual innuendo based on female sex appeal is commonplace. my job duties require that I interact with and entertain the customers. my job duties require I wear the designated Hooters Girl uniform.