Former Houston Rockets star Hakeem Olajuwon will have a familiar person by his side when he is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.
Olajuwon has asked Clyde Drexler to be his presenter — a task that involves simply standing by his side during the induction.
"For Hakeem to ask me to be with him on this special day is quite special," Drexler said.
Drexler and Olajuwon were teammates when the Houston Cougars made it to the NCAA championship game in 1983. In 1995, they also were teammates when the Houston Rockets won their second straight NBA title.
"Hakeem has been like a brother to me since the first time I met him when he came over from Nigeria," Drexler said in an interview with Houston television station KRIV. "He has always been a special friend and he knows I'm supportive of everything he does and vice-versa."