Denver Nuggets: 15 best draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
Back when he was known as Chris Jackson, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was one of the greatest players in LSU Tigers basketball history. The sharpshooter from Gulfport, Mississippi was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and two-time consensus All-American in 1989 and 1990 for the Bayou Bengals. Denver made a wise choice in selecting him No. 3 overall in the 1990 NBA Draft.
As a rookie, Jackson averaged 14.1 points and 3.1 assists per game in 22.5 minutes per contest. Jackson would make the NBA All-Rookie second team in 1990-91. After a sophomore slump in 1991-92 where he averaged just 10.3 points per game, Jackson would rebound marvelously in his third year in the league. He would take him NBA’s Most Improved honors in 1992-93 when Jackson averaged 19.2 points, 4.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per contest.
That same year Jackson would legally change his name after having converted to Islam two years prior. From then on, he was known as Abdul-Rauf. He would play three more seasons with the Nuggets through the 1995-96 NBA season. Twice he would lead the league in free throw percentage.
In 1996, Abdul-Rauf would be traded to the Sacramento Kings for Sarunas Marciulionis. This was shortly after he began refusing to stand during the playing of the United States national anthem. This led to him being essentially blackballed by the NBA. Abdul-Rauf would only play three more NBA seasons after being traded from the Nuggets. He would play overseas until 2011.