Tariq Abdul-Wahad Highlights Mix

Tariq Abdul-Wahad (November 3, 1974) is a French former professional basketball player.Tariq was born near Paris from parents who were natives of French Guiana. He converted to Islam in 1997. He is the first player to be 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. On July 21, 2011, the Division II Cal State Monterey Bay Otters women's basketball team announced the hiring of Abdul-Wahad as an assistant coach.