Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is the latest phenomenon in the NBA, electrifying fans with a nearly-automatic jumpshot and extensive range. Basketball experts have scrambled to find a comparison for the last three years, until legendary coach Phil Jackson brought up a name that left a sour taste in the mouths of many American basketball fans.
"Never seen anything like S. Curry? Remind you of Chris Jackson/Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who had a short but brilliant run in NBA?" Jackson Tweeted on Feb. 28, causing an uproar on social media.
The Tweet caused an outrage, not so much because of the spot-on comparison but because of Abdul-Rauf's actions that caused him to be exiled from the NBA.
He was Curry before Curry, from the smooth jumper with unlimited range to the flashy passes. He could shoot off the dribble from anywhere and finish strong at the rack despite weighing a frail 162 pounds. He dropped 51 points on hall of fame guard John Stockton and snapped the historic 1996 Chicago Bulls 18-game winning streak with 32 points on Michael Jordan.
Abdul-Rauf hadn't gambled like Pete Rose or raped a woman like Mike Tyson or murdered anyone like Aaron Hernandez. Abdul-Rauf's biggest crime was standing up for what he believed in.
There have been numerous athletes that have converted to Islam, the world's fasting growing religion. Of those athletes, the most notable are Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who excelled in their respected sports while facing backlash from the media for their new-found beliefs.
Thirty-two years after Ali denounced his "slave name" of Cassius Clay, Abdul-Rauf decided not to stand for the Star Spangled Banner on March 10,1996. The media backlash turned into what many see as a blacklisting, as Abdul-Rauf was traded around the league multiple times in his prime before finding himself playing overseas.
Abdul-Rauf was no ordinary player, and looking back on his time as Chris Jackson shows the change in the media and the world's perception of him nearly overnight.
A Freshman Phenom at LSU, Jackson was compared to the immortal Tiger legend "Pistol" Pete Maravich and he lived up to the hype. Jackson hold's the NCAA freshman scoring record at 30.2 ppg and was the recipient of the SEC Player of The Year Award. Jackson led an exciting LSU team that featured dynamic big man Stanley Roberts and future NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O'Neal.
After a decorated sophomore season, Jackson bolted for the NBA, selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets in 1990. After a solid rookie campaign off the bench, Jackson converted to Islam in 1991 as the Nuggets drafted future Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo and Jackson helped reshape the lowly Nuggets, as Mutombo became a household name and Jackson won the NBA's Most Improved Player award in 1993.
1993 also saw Jackson change his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, as he led the Nuggets in scoring while becoming more devout in his faith. While other players would party and indulge in women on team road trips, Abdul-Rauf would travel to the ghettoes of every city, speaking to the youth and giving back to the underprivileged communities of America.
The Nuggets shocked the world in 1994, when they became the first 8th-seed to knock off a 1st-seed in the NBA Playoffs, defeating the Seattle Supersonics in seven games. From 1992-96, Abdul-Rauf led the team in scoring, and was one of the league's greatest free-throw shooters ever, hitting 95 percent of his shots in 1994.
1995 was a pivotal year for Abdul-Rauf, as it saw him average career highs in points (19.2) and assists (6.8). It's also the year he made the conscious decision to stop standing for the Star Spangled Banner. It was his every right, especially coming from the south, to recognize the wrongdoings of this country in regards to people of color. Whatever his reasoning, he avoided that pre-game moment every night, not standing or stretching until the song was completed.
After being noticed by a reporter, the story went national. Instead of embracing their star, the Nuggets shunned him, trading him following the 1996 season, despite being the team's leading scorer.
Abdul-Rauf was no longer a starter during his two seasons with the Sacramento Kings and after one season with the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2001 he was out of the league. For the next 10 seasons, Abdul-Rauf bounced from team to team overseas, never getting another NBA shot.
Abdul-Rauf was 39 free-throws shy of reaching the mandatory 1200 career free throws to qualify as an all-time leader. If Abdul-Rauf had reached that milestone, his 90.5 career percentage from the line would be the greatest in league history.
Abdul-Rauf is a mere memory for those old enough to remember, and a what-if for those willing to YouTube him.There is no doubt that Abdul-Rauf's game would translate to today's NBA and his beliefs would be more accepted.
Unfortunately for him, he was the wrong religion at the wrong time.
