NBA superstar Stephen Curry is arguably the best shooter ever. It is safe to say Curry has revolutionized the game of basketball with his shooting prowess over the years. Now, almost every team is trying to emulate what the four-time champion and the Golden State Warriors do best. But most fall short. However, there have been some great shooters who created the platform for someone like Curry to thrive in the future. While we remember names like Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Ray Allen, and even Dell Curry, we forget some. One such player was Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.

Two-time All-American with LSU, Abdul-Rauf was selected as the 3rd overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 1990 NBA draft. He was one of the best shooters at the time and won the MIP award in 1993. But his NBA career came to a shocking end in 1998 and the former guard believes he was blackballed.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf on being blackballed

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf opened up about his NBA career during a recent interview with Andscape. During the interview, he talked about being blackballed. After the MIP award in 1993, Abdul-Rauf had one of his best seasons in 1996. He averaged 19.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game and was one of the best players for the Denver Nuggets. But he sparked some controversy when refused to stand for the National anthem and called the U.S. flag a symbol of oppression in the same season.

Trending

Possible Shohei Ohtani Ban From MLB Has Shaq Questioning $700 Million Contract

April 16, 2024 05:20 PM EDT

7’4 Victor Wembanyama, Accused of Disrespecting Knicks Star, Gets MVP Shout-Out From Unbothered Jalen Brunson

April 19, 2024 02:58 PM EDT

After Nike, Sha’Carri Richardson Follows Lebron James Footsteps In Historic Partnership With Sprite

April 19, 2024 01:40 AM EDT

Is Dawn Staley Married? Details on South Carolina Coach’s Love Life and Special Bond With Lisa Boyer

March 16, 2024 06:41 PM EDT

Why Is Gabbie Marshall Not Invited to the 2024 WNBA Draft Despite Graduating From Iowa?

April 13, 2024 06:21 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

He was then traded to the Sacramento Kings the next season and was out of the league after just three years. Abdul-Rauf “definitely” believes he was blackballed. “I literally shied away because I don’t want to be reactionary,” Abdul-Rauf said. “And I’m thinking about things and I’m processing and I’m looking at patterns. And I know that we have a system of laws that don’t always apply, but we do have a system of laws.” 

Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Hollywood’s Jonah Hill and the Rest of the Sporting World Pay Tribute to Kobe Bryant

He added, “They can’t come out and say, ‘We are firing him because of X, Y, and Z.’ Because now there’s a lawsuit and there’s millions and millions of dollars at stake. So sometimes what they do is, ‘Well, let’s diminish his minutes.’ ”

The sharpshooter noted that it was really hard for him and his family after his NBA career came to an end.

Stephen Curry compared to Abdul-Rauf

In 2016, legendary coach Phil Jackson compared Stephen Curry to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. Only the Golden State Warriors superstar has a better free throw percentage than Abdul-Rauf.

WATCH THIS STORY – Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Stars that Lit Up NBA All Stars Weekend in 2022

Furthermore, legendary shooter Reggie Miller once admitted Abdul-Rauf had one of the best shooting touches ever during a podcast. But the way his career ended was unfortunate.