Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Mahmoud and Islam Ever Since Mahmoud converted to Islam in 1991, he has become one of the greatest American Muslim role models. While in the NBA, he used to wake up before sunrise to pray and then practice basketball. His most famous controversy was when he refused to stand for the Star Spangled Banner in 1996, saying that is was a "symbol of oprression" and has had a "history of tyranny." He was suspended for one game, and in a compromise Abdul-Rauf agreed to stand during the anthem while reciting a silent Islamic prayer. Since retiring from NBA, he has built a mosque in his home town of Gulfport, Mississippi, and has become an Imam. He purposefully transformed property that had been a crack-house into the mosque as a symbol of his mission to mobilize the neighborhood to rid itself of drugs and crime. Fast Facts Born: March 9, 1969 in Gulf Port, Mississippi Birth Name: Chris Wayne Jackson Careers: Point Gaurd in NBA, European Basketball Player, Imam Accomplishments: Record Setting College Career at Lousiana State University 1991 NBA Draft 3rd pick 1991 All Rookie Team 1993 Most Improved Player Award 1994 and 1996 Highest Free Throw Percentage 1998 Lowest Turn Over Ratio Built a Mosque Statistics YEAR Team Games Pts FT % FG % 3PM 3-pt % Reb. Trn Ast St Blk Min. 1991 Denver 67 14.1 .857 .413 24 .240 1.8 1.6 3.1 0.8 0.1 22.5 1992 Denver 81 10.3 .870 .421 31 .330 1.4 1.4 2.4 0.5 0.0 19.0 1993 Denver 81 19.2 .935 .450 70 .355 2.8 2.3 4.2 1.0 0.1 33.5 1994 Denver 80 18.0 .956 .460 42 .316 2.1 1.9 4.5 1.0 0.1 32.7 1995 Denver 73 16.0 .885 .470 83 .386 1.9 1.6 3.6 1.1 0.1 28.5 1996 Denver 57 19.2 .930 .434 121 .392 2.4 2.0 6.8 1.1 0.1 35.6 1997 Sacramento 75 13.7 .846 .445 94 .382 1.6 1.6 2.5 0.7 0.1 28.4 1998 Sacramento 31 7.3 1.000 .377 5 .161 1.2 0.6 1.9 0.5 0.0 17.3 2001 Vancouver 41 6.5 .759 .488 4 .286 0.6 0.6 1.9 0.2 0.0 11.9 Career Career 586 14.6 .905 .442 474 .354 1.9 1.6 3.5 0.8 0.1 26.7 Discuss This Article Refrences: http://www.geocities.com/tzovas/nbastars/abdul_rauf_mahmoud.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmoud_Abdul-Rauf

Last Updated ( Saturday, 07 October 2006 )