In response, Mahmoud openly shared his blunt views about the US Flag and how his Muslim faith didn't allow his conscience to stand up for the same. "You can't be for God and for oppression.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has been speaking for years about his NBA career, his controversial stance against the national anthem in the 1990s, mental health and more.

ABDUL-RAUF: You know, I hear sometimes people say, hey, man, when you did it, it was tougher. I said, listen, we can always go back. They say, yeah, Mahmoud, but when you did it, it was tough.

Two decades before Kaepernick, Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem, calling it “a symbol of oppression and tyranny.” A new documentary explores that choice and its fallout.

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf #3 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles the ball up court against the Washington Bullets during an NBA basketball game circa 1991 at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland. Abdul ...

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, then Chris Jackson, with his fiance Kim House arriving in Stapleton Airport. He was in Denver to sign a 4-year 10 million dollar contract with the Nuggets.

Chris Jackson converted to Islam in 1991 and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf two years later. A former Baptist church member, Abdul-Rauf felt an instant connection after reading the Quran ...

Former NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf tells his story — both on and off the court — in the Showtime documentary 'Stand,' directed by Joslyn Rose Lyons.

Showtime Sports Documentary Films presents Stand, the feature-length documentary that explores the life of basketball prodigy Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf – born Chris Jackson in Gulfport, Mississippi ...

In the end, Abdul-Rauf averaged 29.0 points per game in his two seasons with LSU. He was one of the best offensive players in the game, averaging 47.4% from the field, 37.2% from the 3-point line ...

Mahmoud means elegant and praise worthy, and Abdul-Rauf means servant of Rauf the most kind. He still has Tourette Syndrome but is not on any drugs. “Oh, I very much have it,” he declared.

I suspect that in many respects, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf no longer lives in the consciousness of most sports fans, analysts, or announcers partly because of his ill-fated decision to sit during the ...