Shareef Abdur-Rahim facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Abdur-Rahim on Sister Circle in 2019
Personal information
Born	(1976-12-11) December 11, 1976 (age 48) Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
High school	Joseph Wheeler (Marietta, Georgia)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
College	California (1995–1996)
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies
Pro career	1996–2008
Coaching career	2008–2010
Career history
As player:
1996–2001	Vancouver Grizzlies
2001–2004	Atlanta Hawks
2004–2005	Portland Trail Blazers
2005–2008	Sacramento Kings
As coach:
2008–2010	Sacramento Kings (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Star (2002) NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997) Third-team All-American – AP, NABC (1996) Pac-10 Player of the Year (1996) First-team All-Pac-10 (1996) Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (1996) First-team Parade All-American (1995) 2× Mr. Georgia Basketball (1994, 1995)
Career NBA statistics
Points	15,028 (18.1 ppg)
Rebounds	6,239 (7.5 rpg)
Assists	2,109 (2.5 apg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  United States Summer Olympics Gold 2000 Sydney Team FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 1994 Santa Rosa Team

Julius Shareef Abdur-Rahim (born December 11, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He is currently the president of the NBA G League. People often called him Reef. Before this, he worked for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was also the general manager of the Reno Bighorns, a minor-league team.

Abdur-Rahim played as a forward and center during his career. He became a top player at Joseph Wheeler High School in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia. He then played for the California Golden Bears in college. After one year, he joined the 1996 NBA draft. The Vancouver Grizzlies picked him third overall. He became the team's star early in his NBA career. Abdur-Rahim also played for the United States men's national basketball team. They won the gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2001, the Grizzlies traded him to the Atlanta Hawks. He made his only NBA All-Star appearance with the Hawks in the 2001–02 season. He was traded again to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004. He then signed with his last team, the Sacramento Kings, in 2008.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim played many games without reaching the playoffs. He played 744 games before making his first and only playoff appearance in 2006. He retired from playing basketball in 2008 due to ongoing right knee injuries.

Early Life and College Career

Shareef Abdur-Rahim is the second oldest of twelve children. His parents are Aminah and William Abdur-Rahim. Shareef's first name means "noble," and his last name means "Servant of the Most Merciful One." He is a devoted Muslim. He values his parents' guidance and their teaching to "remember how you came on all your accomplishments and stay humble."

Many of Abdur-Rahim's family members played basketball. His brother, Muhammad, played at the University of Detroit. His younger brother, Amir, played at Southeastern Louisiana University and later coached. Shareef started playing competitive basketball at Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. There, he was named "Mr. Basketball" twice. He led his school to a state championship in 1994 when he was a junior. In his senior year, he averaged 31 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game.

Abdur-Rahim went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. He had a high GPA of 3.5. At California, he averaged 21.1 points per game (ppg) and 8.4 rebounds per game (rpg) in 28 games. He was the first freshman in Pac-10 history to win the Conference Player of the Year award. He was also named Third Team All-America by the Associated Press. He set new freshman records for points, scoring average, field goals, and free throws. After one year, he decided to leave college and enter the 1996 NBA draft.

Professional Basketball Career

Vancouver Grizzlies (1996–2001)

The Vancouver Grizzlies picked Abdur-Rahim third overall in the 1996 NBA Draft. Only Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby were picked before him. He quickly made a big impact for the Grizzlies. He became the team's top scorer, averaging 18.7 points per game. He also averaged 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. On January 11, 1997, Abdur-Rahim scored 37 points, a season high. He finished third in voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He was also chosen for the All-Rookie First Team. In his first season, he led the team in scoring 33 times and in rebounding 23 times.

For the next few seasons, Abdur-Rahim was the most important player for the Grizzlies. In his second year, he averaged 22.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. The next season, he improved even more with 23.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. On February 17, 1999, he scored a career-high 39 points. Despite his great efforts, the Grizzlies usually finished near the bottom of their division. In the 2000–01 season, Abdur-Rahim averaged over 20 points for the fourth straight season. He was among the top 20 players in 13 NBA statistics. He again led the Grizzlies in points and rebounds per game.

Atlanta Hawks (2001–2004)

On June 27, 2001, Shareef Abdur-Rahim was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. This trade brought him back to his hometown. Fans were excited about him playing with Jason Terry. Even though the Hawks had a 33–49 record in the 2001–02 season, Abdur-Rahim played very well. He even scored a career-high 50 points in one game. His strong play earned him a spot in the NBA All-Star game that season.

In his second season with the Hawks, Abdur-Rahim reached another milestone. On December 28, 2002, he scored his 10,000th point. This made him the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to reach that many points. For the 2002–03 season, Abdur-Rahim, Glenn Robinson, and Jason Terry were a high-scoring trio. They averaged 57.9 points per game together. However, the Hawks still did not make the playoffs. Abdur-Rahim played in almost all of the Hawks' games that season. He averaged 19.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Hawks' General Manager decided to make big changes, and Abdur-Rahim was traded the next season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2005)

On February 9, 2004, Abdur-Rahim was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. He played two seasons with them. His impact was not as big as in his earlier years. He averaged 16.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in the 2003–04 season. In the 2004–05 season, he averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds. After the 2004–05 season, Abdur-Rahim became a free agent.

In 2005, he almost joined the New Jersey Nets. However, he failed a physical exam because of scar tissue in his knee. The trade was stopped. Abdur-Rahim said he did not want to be a Net. He felt his knee was not a problem and had never caused him to miss a game. Two days later, New Jersey canceled the trade.

Sacramento Kings (2005–2008)

Abdur-Rahim with the Sacramento Kings in 2006

On August 12, 2005, Abdur-Rahim signed with the Sacramento Kings. In his first season with the Kings, he started 30 of the 72 games he played. As a starter, he averaged 16.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He shot well from the field and the free throw line. The Kings made it to the 2006 playoffs. This was Abdur-Rahim's first time playing in the postseason. He had played the second most games in NBA history (744) without making the playoffs before this.

In his second season with the Kings, Abdur-Rahim often played as a sixth man (a key player who comes off the bench). However, the Kings did not make the playoffs that year. Abdur-Rahim averaged 9.9 points per game. The 2007–08 season was his last. He played only six games because of his ongoing knee injury. He announced his retirement on September 22, 2008. The next week, he joined the Sacramento Kings' coaching staff as an assistant. On October 7, 2010, he became the assistant general manager for the Kings. He later became the team's director of player personnel. He left the team in September 2014.

National Team Career

Before joining the NBA, Abdur-Rahim was a top player for the USA team. He led them in scoring and rebounding at the 1994 COPABA Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Argentina. He averaged a double-double (double digits in two stats) with 16.8 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. He also averaged 1.6 blocked shots per game. He helped the American team win all 8 of their games and earn the gold medal. This also qualified them for the 1995 FIBA Junior World Championship. The next year, he was part of USA Basketball's 1995 Junior Select Team. They won against an International Select Team in the first Hoop Summit Game.

While playing for the Grizzlies, Abdur-Rahim was chosen to join the USA Men's basketball team. He replaced an injured Grant Hill. This team included NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Tim Hardaway. They won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Coaching and Executive Roles

Sacramento Kings

On October 2, 2008, Abdur-Rahim became an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings. Later, on October 7, 2010, the Kings announced him as their assistant general manager.

Reno Bighorns

On August 29, 2013, Abdur-Rahim was named the new general manager of the Reno Bighorns. This team is part of the NBA's minor league system.

NBA G League President

Abdur-Rahim also worked as the associate vice president of basketball operations for the NBA. On December 11, 2018, he was named the president of the NBA G League. He took over from Malcolm Turner.

Personal Life

Shareef Abdur-Rahim is married to Delicia. They have two children: a son named Jabri and a daughter named Samiyah. Their son, Jabri Abdur-Rahim, was a highly-rated high school basketball player. He committed to play for the Virginia Cavaliers. He later transferred to the University of Georgia and then to the Providence Friars.

Abdur-Rahim started his own foundation, called the Future Foundation. This foundation helps young people in Atlanta who are at risk. It provides after-school programs and other support. Abdur-Rahim also appeared on an episode of The Jamie Foxx Show with other NBA players. After retiring from basketball, Abdur-Rahim went back to college. He graduated from U.C. Berkeley in 2012 with a degree in sociology. He also earned an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business in 2016.

Shareef's brother, Amir, passed away on October 24, 2024, at age 43.

Abdur-Rahim is mentioned in the song "The Quickening (The Wreckoning Part II)" by the group Latyrx. This song is from their 1997 album The Album.

See also

In Spanish: Shareef Abdur-Rahim para niños