Olajuwon Sets NBA Record for Career Blocked Shots

HOUSTON (AP) _ Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon set an NBA record for career blocked shots Sunday when he swatted away a shot by Phoenix’s A.C. Green.

Olajuwon has 3,190 blocks in 12 seasons, one more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had in 19 seasons.

Green, going in for a layup, had the shot rejected by Olajuwon with 6:04 remaining in the third period of Houston’s game against the Suns. It was his third blocked shot of the game and 207th this season.

During a timeout immediately after setting the record, Olajuwon was presented a large framed photograph of him playing against Abdul-Jabbar. He also received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 16,285.

He wasted little time getting his first block of the game and tying the record, knocking away a shot by Chris Carr on the third Phoenix possession of the game and altering a Wayman Tisdale attempt with 7:24 remaining in the first period.

Olajuwon averages 2.87 blocks per game, the fourth-best mark in the league.

Mark Eaton ranks third on the NBA’s career list with 3,064, followed by Tree Rollins at 2,542 and Robert Parish at 2,338.