Zaid Abdul-Aziz
Cincinnati Royals | |
1969–1970 | Milwaukee Bucks |
---|---|
1970–1972 | Seattle SuperSonics |
1972–1975 | Houston Rockets |
1976 | Seattle SuperSonics |
1976–1977 | Buffalo Braves |
1978 | Boston Celtics |
1978 | Houston Rockets |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Career NBA statistics | |
Points | 4,557 (9.0 ppg) |
Rebounds | 4,065 (8.0 rpg) |
Assists | 601 (1.2 apg) |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Zaid Abdul-Aziz (born Donald A. Smith; April 7, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player. He was known as Don Smith until he changed his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz in 1976 after he converted to Islam.[1]
Abdul-Aziz starred for the
Playing career
Abdul-Aziz played
Abdul-Aziz converted to Islam during his time with the SuperSonics.[1] On September 18, 1972, his contract was bought by the Houston Rockets.[4] Abdul-Aziz had been the team's starting center prior to the 1974–75 season.[1][5] The Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincided with a Rockets training camp where Abdul-Aziz entered an anemic-like state due to his fasting.[1] He found himself unable to play and told the team's general manager that he was quitting the team.[1] Abdul-Aziz's father convinced him to return but he lost his position in the Rockets' line-up and never again played as a starting center in the NBA.[1] Abdul-Aziz played his final three years as a backup on various teams before he announced his retirement in 1978 at the age of 32.[1]
Later career
Abdul-Aziz coached the Saudi Arabia national basketball team.[2] He was an investor in the Seattle Smashers of the International Volleyball Association in 1978 and 1979.[6]
Abdul-Aziz studied chemical dependency at Seattle University and earned a state licence.[2] He worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in Seattle after his playing career.[2]
NBA career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968–69 | Cincinnati | 20 | – | 5.4 | .419 | – | .286 | 1.6 | .2 | – | – | 1.9 |
1968–69 | Milwaukee | 29 | – | 28.9 | .363 | – | .642 | 13.0 | 1.1 | – | – | 11.0 |
1969–70 | Milwaukee | 80 | – | 20.5 | .434 | – | .643 | 7.5 | .8 | – | – | 7.4 |
1970–71 | Seattle | 61 | – | 20.9 | .441 | – | .739 | 7.7 | .7 | – | – | 10.9 |
1971–72 | Seattle | 58 | – | 30.7 | .429 | – | .720 | 11.3 | 2.1 | – | – | 13.8 |
1972–73 | Houston | 48 | – | 18.8 | .397 | – | .735 | 6.3 | 1.1 | – | – | 8.7 |
1973–74 | Houston | 79 | – | 31.1 | .459 | – | .804 | 11.7 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 10.9 |
1974–75 | Houston | 65 | – | 22.3 | .437 | – | .783 | 7.5 | 1.3 | .6 | 1.1 | 9.7 |
1975–76 | Seattle | 27 | – | 8.3 | .467 | – | .552 | 2.8 | .6 | .3 | .6 | 3.2 |
1976–77 | Buffalo | 22 | – | 8.9 | .338 | – | .767 | 4.1 | .3 | .1 | .4 | 3.8 |
1977–78 | Boston | 2 | – | 12.0 | .231 | – | .667 | 7.5 | 1.5 | .5 | .5 | 4.0 |
1977–78 | Houston | 14 | – | 9.6 | 426 | – | .750 | 2.5 | .5 | .1 | .1 | 3.9 |
Career | 505 | – | 21.8 | .428 | – | .728 | 8.0 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.0 | 9.0 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1970
|
Milwaukee | 7 | – | 11.7 | .579 | – | .800 | 3.7 | 0.6 | – | – | 4.3 |
1975
|
Houston | 6 | – | 11.3 | .387 | – | .400 | 2.8 | 0.5 | – | – | 4.3 |
1976
|
Seattle | 5 | – | 12.0 | .700 | – | .727 | 4.2 | 0.4 | – | – | 7.2 |
Career | 18 | – | 11.7 | .529 | – | .500 | 3.6 | 0.5 | – | – | 5.1 |
Personal life
As of 2011, Abdul-Aziz lived in the Northgate neighborhood of Seattle with his Moroccan-born wife.[2] He has five children from two marriages.[2] Abdul-Aziz's son, Yusef Smith, played college basketball for the Seattle Pacific Falcons and professionally in Brazil.[2]
Abdul-Aziz was raised Catholic. He credits his religious awakening to a Milwaukee Bucks practice session where he was approached by teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and failed to explain a gold cross that he was wearing around his neck when questioned. Abdul-Aziz went to a Milwaukee library to learn about religions and borrowed a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Quran and Torah. Abdul-Aziz stated: "everything pointed me to Islam. So the next year I became a Muslim."[7]
In 2006, Abdul-Aziz published a memoir, Darkness to Sunlight, which tells the stories of his basketball career, personal challenges, and spiritual journey.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Burton, Austin (April 2, 2014). "Zaid Abdul-Aziz and the challenge of being a Muslim athlete". Seattle Times. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Raley, Dan (March 19, 2011). "Where Are They Now? Ex-Sonic Zaid Abdul-Aziz". Seattle P-I. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
- ^ "Centennial Moments: Zaid Abdul-Aziz". Iowa State Cyclones. December 19, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "Sports News in Brief". The New York Times. September 19, 1972. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Rogers, Thomas (December 28, 1974). "Abdul-Aziz, Center For Rockets, Retires". The New York Knicks. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Raley, Dan (March 23, 2011). "Where Are They Now? IVA venture undermined by Olympic boycott of '80". Seattle P-I. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ a b Burton, Austin L. (April 3, 2014). "Former NBA star Zaid Abdul-Aziz found sunlight after darkness". Ummah Sports. Retrieved December 22, 2022.