Protest Cost Him His Career. Still, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Urges On The Protesters
Nearly 24 years ago, basketball star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf knew he had to stand up for his beliefs, even if it was going to cost him his NBA career.
And it did cost him his career.
Abdul-Rauf ― who was known as Chris Jackson before he converted to Islam in 1991 and later changed his name ― was a talented shooter who in 1994 had a free throw percentage of 95.6, the second-highest in NBA history.
But it wasn’t his near-perfect free throws that drew him into the spotlight. In 1996, over the course of several games, the Denver Nuggets player chose to either sit quietly or wait inside the locker room during the national anthem. There was a host of issues that led to Abdul-Rauf’s protest. He said mostly that the flag, to him, had become “a symbol of oppression” that contradicted his Muslim beliefs. His actions went largely unnoticed until a reporter asked why he was seated. When the news of his protest spread, Abdul-Rauf’s position was met with swift punishment from the NBA and the American people.
The NBA suspended him for one game and he subsequently lost over $30,000 in wages until he agreed to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Commentators fiercely debated Abdul-Rauf’s views, questioned his patriotism, and scolded him for being ungrateful.
He and the basketball league quickly reached a compromise that allowed him to stand and pray with his head down during the anthem. But the damage was done. Abdul-Rauf’s playing time dropped and though he’d dominated the season at just 29 years old, once his contract expired he was weeded out of the NBA.
Like many activists before and after him, Abdul-Rauf paid a stiff price for sticking by his principles. There were no hashtags or social media campaigns ― for or against him ― but he had more enemies than supporters. Abdul-Rauf moved on to play abroad before he retired in 2011. Over 20 years later, he doesn’t regret a thing.
HuffPost spoke to Abdul-Rauf from his Atlanta home...
