Two important things haven’t changed for Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf in the 14 years since he set off a firestorm of criticism by refusing to stand for the national anthem before NBA games.
He’s still a devout Muslim and playing basketball.
Abdul-Rauf is now in Japan, the latest stop of a globe-trotting career that became necessary in the aftermath of being booed, inundated with hate mail and suspended by the NBA for refusing to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner in March 1996.
“It was close to impossible to play in the US after that,” Abdul-Rauf said. “The doors were shut, but I said the NBA wasn’t the only show in town and I was going to make use of my God-given talent even if it meant playing in Timbuktu.”
He has found his latest refuge in Japan’s fledgling professional league, where he is settling in with the Kyoto Hannaryz.
Abdul-Rauf, then known as Chris Jackson, was a two-time All-American at Louisiana State University before being taken third overall in the 1990 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. He converted to Islam a year later.
“I had a lot of questions with my Christian background while growing up,” Abdul-Rauf said. “I felt like I was being someone I wasn’t meant to be.”
Abdul-Rauf was consistently among the Nuggets’ best players, and narrowly missed setting an NBA record for free-throw percentage when he shot 95.6 percent during the 1993-1994 campaign.
However, his career changed forever after he stopped standing for the national anthem, saying it conflicted with his Muslim beliefs.
The Denver media picked up on it and when the team played at Chicago in March, fans booed and jeered him.
The NBA suspended Abdul-Rauf — the ban lasting only one game after he and the league reached a compromise that allowed him to stand but close his eyes and pray during the playing of the anthem.
That did little to satisfy those who questioned his patriotism.
Abdul-Rauf was traded to Sacramento in the offseason and played for the Kings for two seasons. He then played in Turkey in 1998-1999 before returning for his final NBA season with Vancouver in 2000-2001.
Since then he has been inactive or has played overseas, with stops in Russia, Italy, Greece and Saudi Arabia. Being abroad seems to suit him just fine.
“I feel like I could live anywhere, not necessarily in the States,” Abdul-Rauf said. “I’m the type of person who could pick up his bags and go live anywhere and I’m not going to miss anything.”
His current one-year contract with Kyoto came about when the team’s coach, former NBA player David Benoit, called to say he’d like to have Abdul-Rauf on the team.
Benoit played against Abdul-Rauf both in college and the NBA and knew the veteran would bring a lot to the expansion team.
“His experience is the most important thing,” Benoit said. “He wants to go out and play ball like he did a few years back and it’s exciting to see a guy his age [41] still do it.”
After a hamstring injury early in the season, Abdul-Rauf is settling in, averaging 16 points a game for Hannaryz.
“I love Kyoto, the people are wonderful and I’m not just saying that. I’m a person who speaks his mind and I’m really enjoying it,” Abdul-Rauf said.
The league is also enjoying that Abdul-Rauf is bringing it some much-needed attention.
“Abdul-Rauf is a guy that demands respect because of everything he has accomplished on the basketball court,” Osaka forward Lynn Washington said. “The play of ex-NBA players is needed in this league as the sport becomes more popular in Japan.”
One thing Abdul-Rauf knows for sure, he’ll continue to practice his faith.
“I have no regrets [about converting to Islam],” he said. “It was the best decision I ever made in my whole life. It’s a great gift.”
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