Tariq Abdul-Wahad
Encyclopedia
Tariq Abdul-Wahad is a French
former professional basketball
player.
Saint-Jean was born near Paris
from parents who were natives of French Guiana
. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam
in 1997. He is the first player to be born and raised in France and play in the NBA
. Tariq first played college basketball
at the University of Michigan
, but later transferred to San Jose State
, and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings
in 1997
. He was known as a defensive specialist, but his playing time was restricted in later seasons due to injuries. He only played in 236 out of a possible 788 games. In the whole 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons Abdul-Wahad was on the Dallas Mavericks
' roster on injured reserve, as he was permanently unable to play. He was released by Mavericks on 28 September 2005, during training camp prior to the 2005–06 season. In November 2006 Italian
team Climamio Bologna
invited Abdul-Wahad to a try out, but he was not signed.
His No. 3 jersey was retired by San Jose State in 2002, however the banner hanging in the Event Center Arena
refers to him as Olivier Saint-Jean, the name he used while in college.
Abdul-Wahad's peak year as a pro was with the Sacramento Kings in the lockout-shortened 1999 NBA season, when he was a starter for the team. They pushed the Utah Jazz
to the brink of elimination but lost in the fifth and final game of the series.
| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 59 || 16 || 16.3 || .403 || .211 || .672 || 2.0 || .9 || .6 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 49 || 49 || 24.6 || .435 || .286 || .691 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .3 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Orlando
| 46 || 46 || 26.2 || .433 || .095 || .762 || 5.2 || 1.6 || 1.2 || .3 || 12.2
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Denver
| 15 || 10 || 24.9 || .389 || .500 || .738 || 3.5 || 1.7 || .4 || .8 || 8.9
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Denver
| 29 || 12 || 14.5 || .387 || .400 || .583 || 2.0 || .8 || .5 || .4 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Denver
| 20 || 12 || 20.9 || .379 || .500 || .750 || 3.9 || 1.1 || .9 || .5 || 6.8
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Dallas
| 4 || 0 || 6.0 || .000 || – || .000 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .3 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Dallas
| 14 || 0 || 14.6 || .466 || .000 || .500 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .4 || .2 || 4.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 236 || 145 || 20.4 || .417 || .237 || .703 || 3.3 || 1.1 || .8 || .4 || 7.8
|}
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 5 || 5 || 19.8 || .455 || .000 || .813 || 3.8 || .8 || .8 || .8 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–03
| align="left" | Dallas
| 8 || 0 || 9.9 || .300 || .000 || .875 || 2.8 || .9 || .0 || .0 || 3.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 13 || 5 || 13.7 || .381 || .000 || .833 || 3.2 || .8 || .3 || .3 || 5.2
|}
Otters women's basketball team announced the hiring of Abdul-Wahad as an assistant coach.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
former professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Saint-Jean was born near Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
from parents who were natives of French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in 1997. He is the first player to be born and raised in France and play in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. Tariq first played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, but later transferred to San Jose State
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
, and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
in 1997
1997 NBA Draft
The 1997 NBA Draft took place on June 25, 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the Celtics had the second worst record in the 1996-97 season and the best odds of winning the lottery with two picks, the Spurs, usually a model of winning and consistency, lost David Robinson to an injury early...
. He was known as a defensive specialist, but his playing time was restricted in later seasons due to injuries. He only played in 236 out of a possible 788 games. In the whole 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons Abdul-Wahad was on the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
' roster on injured reserve, as he was permanently unable to play. He was released by Mavericks on 28 September 2005, during training camp prior to the 2005–06 season. In November 2006 Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
team Climamio Bologna
Fortitudo Bologna
Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna is an Legadue Basket professional basketball club that is based in Bologna. It's currently sponsored by Conad.-History:...
invited Abdul-Wahad to a try out, but he was not signed.
His No. 3 jersey was retired by San Jose State in 2002, however the banner hanging in the Event Center Arena
The Event Center Arena
The Event Center Arena is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena, on the main campus of San José State University, in downtown San Jose, California. The Event Center was built in 1989 and is home to the SJSU Spartans men's and women's basketball teams....
refers to him as Olivier Saint-Jean, the name he used while in college.
Abdul-Wahad's peak year as a pro was with the Sacramento Kings in the lockout-shortened 1999 NBA season, when he was a starter for the team. They pushed the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
to the brink of elimination but lost in the fifth and final game of the series.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 1997–98
| align="left" | Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 59 || 16 || 16.3 || .403 || .211 || .672 || 2.0 || .9 || .6 || .2 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998–99
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 49 || 49 || 24.6 || .435 || .286 || .691 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 1.0 || .3 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 46 || 46 || 26.2 || .433 || .095 || .762 || 5.2 || 1.6 || 1.2 || .3 || 12.2
|-
| align="left" | 1999–00
| align="left" | Denver
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
| 15 || 10 || 24.9 || .389 || .500 || .738 || 3.5 || 1.7 || .4 || .8 || 8.9
|-
| align="left" | 2000–01
| align="left" | Denver
| 29 || 12 || 14.5 || .387 || .400 || .583 || 2.0 || .8 || .5 || .4 || 3.8
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Denver
| 20 || 12 || 20.9 || .379 || .500 || .750 || 3.9 || 1.1 || .9 || .5 || 6.8
|-
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 4 || 0 || 6.0 || .000 || – || .000 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .3 || .0
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Dallas
| 14 || 0 || 14.6 || .466 || .000 || .500 || 2.9 || 1.5 || .4 || .2 || 4.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 236 || 145 || 20.4 || .417 || .237 || .703 || 3.3 || 1.1 || .8 || .4 || 7.8
|}
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 1998–99
1999 NBA Playoffs
The 1999 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1998-99 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs by defeating the eighth-seeded Eastern Conference champion New York Knicks four games to one...
| align="left" | Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 5 || 5 || 19.8 || .455 || .000 || .813 || 3.8 || .8 || .8 || .8 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2003–03
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| align="left" | Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
| 8 || 0 || 9.9 || .300 || .000 || .875 || 2.8 || .9 || .0 || .0 || 3.1
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 13 || 5 || 13.7 || .381 || .000 || .833 || 3.2 || .8 || .3 || .3 || 5.2
|}
Assistant coach, Cal State Monterey Bay women
On July 21, 2011, the Division II Cal State Monterey BayCalifornia State University, Monterey Bay
California State University, Monterey Bay is a small public university in the California State University system on the site of the former U.S. Army base Fort Ord, on the Central Coast of California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.CSUMB was founded in 1994 with...
Otters women's basketball team announced the hiring of Abdul-Wahad as an assistant coach.