Mirin Fader, a senior writer at The Ringer and author of the New York Times bestseller Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an MVP, teased Thursday night that her next biography will cover Houston Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.
“I can’t wait to share my book on Dream next year,” Fader posted to X (formerly Twitter).
https://twitter.com/MirinFader/status/1717778303996830143
Fader has carved out a niche as one of sports media’s best longform profiles writers with Giannis as well as her frequent work at The Ringer. In the past few months, she has profiled the younger guard of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, NBA champion Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., and veteran Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.
Giannis debuted at No. 3 in non-fiction and then became a bestseller on the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal lists.
The connective tissue between Olajuwon and Giannis Antetokounmpo make it a fascinating next project for Fader. Both NBA MVPs trace their heritage back to Nigeria, with each hailing as their generation’s most defining, game-changing athlete from Africa.
Both also grew up in working class families and developed devoted fan bases in relatively small NBA markets, bringing historic franchises a championship.
Olajuwon has stayed involved in the NBA since retiring about 20 years ago. He trains star players how to operate in the post (including Antetokounmpo this summer) and works with NBA Academy Africa and the Basketball Africa League.
We’ll have to stay tuned for more details on Fader’s telling of the Rockets legend’s story.
