Little Dream is officially headed to play basketball in the ACC.
Aziz Olajuwon, the son of basketball icon Hakeem Olajuwon, has committed to Stanford University for college. Aziz chose Stanford over fellow finalists Cincinnati, Vanderbilt, and Houston (where his father famously played).
“I chose Stanford because the coaching staff made it clear they are about me not just as an athlete, but as a person,” Aziz told ESPN in an interview. “That meant a lot in the process.”
“[Stanford head] coach [Kyle] Smith and really the whole staff are people who really invest in their players, on and off the court,” added Aziz. “Their passion, leadership and ability to connect with the teams made a huge impression on me. The visit felt like a real day in the life, not just a tour. I got to experience the campus, the people and the culture in an authentic way, and it just felt right.”
Still just 18 years old, Aziz is one of Hakeem’s five children. He is a 6-foot-7 small forward and is ranked No. 40 in the ESPN 100 list for the 2026 recruiting class. Aziz is currently in his senior year at IMG Academy in Brandeton, Fla. and averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League earlier this year.
As for Hakeem, now 62 years old, he was one of the greatest centers in NBA history. He led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995 as the Finals MVP both times. Hakeem also won league MVP in 1994, was a 12-time NBA All-Star and a nine-time All-Defensive selection, and retired in 2002 as the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots. He was then inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
These days, Hakeem is still involved in the game of basketball as well and made headlines earlier this month for his work with a top NBA name.
Meanwhile, Aziz is taking a bit of a leap of faith by committing to Stanford, a team that has not even made it to the NCAA Tournament in over a decade. But the Cardinals have had other sons of former NBA stars walk through their doors in recent years, and now Aziz is set to become the latest one.
