If you followed the NBA in the 90's, then you've probably heard of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. In my opinion, he is one of the most underrated players in NBA history. He has also dominated overseas and in college at LSU.He was born Chris Wayne Jackson on March 9, 1969 in Gulfport, Mississippi. He played college basketball at LSU where he was named the USBWA National Freshman of the Year in 1989 and won the SEC Player of the Year award twice (1989 & 1990).
After entering the NBA Draft, Jackson was selected by the Denver Nuggets with the 3rd overall pick. He spent the majority of his NBA career in Denver. His highlights with the team included participating in the 1993 Slam Dunk Contest, winning the Most Improved Player Award in that same year, and scoring a career-high 51 points against the Utah Jazz on December 7, 1995.
However, at the peak of his career, Abdul-Rauf became the center of a big controversy around the league when he refused to stand for the National Anthem. His reasons for doing it were that the flag was a symbol of oppression and tyranny and therefore, it went against his religion as a Muslim. The NBA suspended him one game and he compromised with the league by standing for "The Star Spangled Banner," but closing his eyes with his head down while doing it.
After his tenure with the Nuggets, he played 106 games with the Sacramento Kings over two seasons. His last season in the NBA was played with the Vancouver Grizzlies during the 2000-2001 season. He averaged 6.5 points and 1.9 assists a game in 41 games with the team that season.
After playing nine seasons in the league with three different teams, he went overseas to keep playing and is still playing today at the age of 42! While overseas, he has played in Turkey, Russia, Italy, Greece, Saudi Arabia, and currently plays for the Kyoto Hannaryz in Japan.
Have any thoughts on Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf or any suggestions on who I should write a Baller Bio on next? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
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