Olajuwon Says He Isn’t Using Drugs and Will Put Up $50,000 to Prove It

Houston Rockets center Akeem Olajuwon says he is not using drugs, offering to put up $50,000 to prove it, and a report Friday night indicates that National Basketball Assn. officials agree with him.

KRIV-TV reported that Horace Balmer, the NBA director of security, met with Olajuwon Thursday and said he was convinced the Rocket star was not using drugs.

“If anyone thinks I’m on drugs, bring $1,000 and put it down, and I’ll put $50,000 . . . $100,000 up front,” Olajuwon said Thursday night after practice. “I’ll take a drug test, and if I fail, they can get the $50,000. If I’m right, they can donate the thousand dollars to a drug center.

“I’ll take the drug test any time, and not just now, as long as I’m in the league.”

Olajuwon said it’s important to him to squelch rumors circulating in the NBA that he is using drugs.

“I don’t know who started these rumors about me,” he said. “It’s coming from everywhere: ‘He said, he said, she said.’

Olajuwon’s frustration erupted into a scuffle this week with teammate Robert Reid, who Olajuwon said helped spread the rumors. The two exchanged punches during a workout Tuesday, but Olajuwon said Thursday they had settled their differences.