VIDEO: Hakeem Olajuwon Talks Mentoring NBA Stars Like Kobe and LeBron

Nigerian basketball icon Hakeem Olajuwon shared how NBA stars like the late Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo came to him for help to boost their basketball skills.

Olajuwon spoke about this in an interview with CNN's Larry Madowo, which aired on November 9, 2026. He talked about how he got involved in mentoring some of basketball's biggest names after retiring.

When asked about his work with these players, the former Houston Rockets center said he never planned to be a mentor. He revealed that the players were the ones who reached out to him.

“I didn’t plan that, they reached out to me. From LeBron, Kobe, Wembyama, Giannis,” he said.

Olajuwon mentioned that Kobe was the first to contact him. He remembered how the late Los Angeles Lakers star called him to learn some of his signature moves.

“Kobe started it. Kobe called me up in the summer time,” Olajuwon said.

He explained that he was shocked that someone like Bryant wanted to learn from him. The Nigerian-born Hall of Famer recalled thinking the request was a joke.

“They wanted to come down and work out with me. I said they was kidding. I said, because I said, Kobe, you got everything. You are Kobe. Right,” he recounted.

Despite his surprise, Olajuwon said Kobe insisted he wanted to learn Olajuwon’s moves.

The two-time NBA champion also talked about his time with Wembanyama, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs. He explained that their training focused on using his height and skills effectively.

“First of all, you know, you look at how to use it. You have the height advantage, you have the skill. How do you use it to the max?” he said.

Olajuwon also mentioned working with Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks forward with Nigerian roots. He enjoyed helping him improve his finishing moves.

“I enjoy working with this guy’s skill, how to finish, how to create space and dunk,” he said.

He pointed out that his sessions were no longer about teaching the basics of basketball. Instead, they focused on finding and creating scoring chances.

“So we’re not talking about basics now. We just talking about how to create opportunities. And these guys are so athletic when they get that, they get any space, bam,” he added.