Michael Olowokandi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Olowokandi was considered a top two pick in the 1998 NBA draft due to his 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) wingspan and "unlimited upside." He performed well at the NBA annual pre-draft events with his quickness, speed and strength, setting records during workouts in the Denver and Vancouver pre-draft camps, including a record for medicine ball dunks in Denver and running the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds. Fellow NBA player Andrew Lang said Olowokandi had some of the quickest feet he had ever seen. The Clippers had initially planned to draft Mike Bibby but Elgin Baylor cited Olowokandi's work habits and off-season improvements as the swaying factors. During the 1998 lockout, his agent put him in contact with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who trained extensively with him. Olowokandi signed with Italian team Kinder Bologna on 5 January 1999, playing 3 regular season games (averaging 4.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) and 3 FIBA EuroLeague games (averaging 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds) before Bologna granted an early release. He signed with the Clippers on 29 January 1999.

In Their Own Story

During his rookie season, Olowokandi averaged 8.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in 45 games played for the Clippers. He underwent surgery on his left knee on 11 May 1999, the first of multiple knee surgeries. In the 2001–02 season, he saw the most playing time of his career and averaged 11.1 points and 8.8 rebounds. After center Elton Brand was sidelined by a bruised left hip, Olowokandi became "the Clippers' go-to guy," averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds during the last 20 games of the season. On 5 April 2002, he was fined $50,000 by the Clippers for "behavior detrimental to the team" after criticizing teammates for a loss against the Utah Jazz. He re-signed with the Clippers to their qualifying offer on 24 September 2002. Olowokandi injured his left knee during offseason training and missed most of the preseason. His left knee injury flared up in January 2003, he was placed on the injured list, underwent knee surgery on 3 February 2003, and was ruled out for the rest of the season in April. Abdul-Jabbar, who became an assistant coach for the Clippers during Olowokandi's tenure, considered Olowokandi "talented but uncoachable."

Reader's Guide

Michael Olowokandi averaged 9.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in his 323 games played with the Clippers over five seasons. He was drafted with the first overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 1998 NBA draft. Later in that lottery, future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, and Vince Carter were selected, as well as future All-Star Antawn Jamison. Olowokandi is often considered to be a draft bust, failing to live up to the potential offered by his frame and athleticism. In 500 regular season NBA games (399 games started), Olowokandi averaged 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.39 blocked shots per game. In 15 playoff games (2 starts), he averaged 2.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and .7 blocks per game. After his time with the Clippers, he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves on a three-year, $16.2 million contract, and was later traded to the Boston Celtics on January 26, 2006.

Did You Know?

• Olowokandi first touched a basketball at age 17 and began playing at age 18.
• He set British age group records in long jump and triple jump before playing basketball.
• He chose the University of the Pacific by opening Peterson's Guide to American Colleges to a random page on his 20th birthday.
• Olowokandi offered to pay his own tuition (about $23,000 annually) for two years when no basketball scholarship was available.
• He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds at pre-draft camps.