Hakeem Olajuwon is 7 feet tall, with a distinctive gait, an accent that combines a Nigerian boyhood with more than two decades in Texas and fame that stretches from basketball courts to mosques.

And one of the best things he likes about his new adopted hometown is the anonymity it affords him.

"I love Toronto, it's different," the Raptor centre said this week. "You see little subtle changes from the United States being in Canada. You go downtown and it looks like any other city but the people are more reserved.

"In American cities, you go there, you can get hassled, autograph people everywhere. Over here, people are more reserved. They recognize you but it's okay.

"It's wonderful."