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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was among the players who could've had an illustrious NBA career. Abdul-Rauf was the third pick in the 1990 draft. He averaged 14.6 points and 3.5 assists per game, shooting on 44/35/91 splits in his NBA career, which lasted nine seasons.
He won the Most Improved Player award in 1993. Abdul-Rauf, formerly known as Chris Wayne Jackson, was among the few notable players to change his name after converting to Islam in 1993.
Abdul-Rauf could've had a longer career if not for his beliefs and bold methods of expressing his thoughts on the court. He only earned about $20 million during his NBA stint. Abdul-Rauf played overseas in Italy, Turkey, Japan and Russia and ended his professional career
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Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has a net worth of $5 million as of now. That's a relatively low number among NBA players with his talent. It could've been more if not for his off-court controversies.
Recapping Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf's off-court controversies and how they resulted in him losing millions
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem for several years after he changed his name. Here's what his reasoning was (via The Guardian):
“I’m a Muslim first and a Muslim last... My duty is to my creator, not to nationalistic ideology.”
Abdul-Rauf got suspended in 1996 for protesting against American oppression and tyranny. He came to a mutual understanding with the NBA, which allowed him to return to the league in 2000.
However, his tenure in the league didn't last long. Abdul-Rauf continued to stay put with his actions and spoke up about issues he felt needed to be brought up. Abdul-Rauf admitted that he lost millions due to that in an interview with The Guardian in 2022. Here's what he said:
“I lost millions because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. That personality, I don’t think, would have been any different. So, it’s possible that the NBA wouldn’t have been on the horizon for me...
"There are things I’m going to speak about whether a person likes it or not. Not with the intention of being ugly. Just with the intention of trying to be as true to myself as I can be. Some people don’t like that, and I get it.”
Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf remains one of the NBA's biggest 'what if' stories. He could've been potentially an All-Star caliber player, but Abdul-Rauf preferred to stick to his beliefs over making it big in the league, a choice that he has lived with.
