- published: 19 May 2013
- views: 119175
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (born Chris Wayne Jackson on March 9, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. Abdul-Rauf played basketball for Gulfport High School before enrolling to Louisiana State University to play college basketball for the Tigers.
His nine-year NBA career, spent with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Grizzlies, was marked by an appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest as well as by one of the most accurate free-throw shooting records ever. Considered one of the greatest free-throw shooters in the history of the game, Abdul-Rauf missed the all time free-throw shooting NBA season record by only a single miss in the 1993–94 season. He sparked controversy for refusing to stand for the national anthem, and calling the Flag of the United States a symbol of oppression. After his NBA career, he played in multiple leagues around the world.
Abdul-Rauf was born in Gulfport, Mississippi the son of Jacqueline Jackson. He was raised in a single-parent family, along with his two brothers,Omar and David. His childhood was characterized by poverty, as there was times that he and his brothers were not able to have proper nutrition. Abdul-Rauf missed the Fourth grade and, later on, he was placed in special education classes. He suffered from a moderate form of Tourette syndrome, a condition that went undiagnosed until he was 17. Abdul-Rauf managed to overcome difficulties to become a basketball prodigy for Gulfport High School. In his senior season in high school he averaged 29.9 points and 5.7 assists per game and was called up to the McDonald's All-American Game. He was also named Mississippi Mr. Basketball twice, in 1987 and 1988.