Zaid Abdul-Aziz facts for kids
Abdul-Aziz with the Iowa State Cyclones during the 1967–68 season
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1946 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| High school | John Jay (Brooklyn, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Iowa State (1965–1968) |
| NBA Draft | 1968 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall |
| Selected by the Cincinnati Royals | |
| Pro career | 1968–1978 |
| Career history | |
| 1968–1969 | 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 | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 4,557 (9.0 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 4,065 (8.0 rpg) |
| Assists | 601 (1.2 apg) |
Zaid Abdul-Aziz, born Donald A. Smith on April 7, 1946, is a former American professional basketball player. He was known as Don Smith until 1976. That year, he changed his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz after becoming a Muslim.
Abdul-Aziz was a star player for the Iowa State Cyclones in college basketball. He was then chosen by the Cincinnati Royals as the fifth overall pick in the 1968 NBA draft. He played for ten seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for teams like the Royals, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Houston Rockets, Buffalo Braves, and Boston Celtics. Abdul-Aziz was also nicknamed "The Kangaroo."
Contents
Zaid Abdul-Aziz: A Basketball Journey
College Basketball Career
Zaid Abdul-Aziz played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones. He played there from 1965 to 1968. In 1968, he was named the Big Eight Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year. He was also chosen three times for the first-team All-Big Eight Conference. His jersey number 35 was later retired by Iowa State Cyclones. This is a big honor for a college player.
Playing in the NBA
The Cincinnati Royals picked Abdul-Aziz as the fifth player in the 1968 NBA draft. During his first year, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. In 1970, he was traded again, this time to the Seattle SuperSonics. At first, he was not happy about this trade. But he soon started to play very well with the SuperSonics.
His Best Season and Challenges
Abdul-Aziz had his best season in 1971–72. He scored an average of 13.8 points and grabbed 11.3 rebounds per game. However, his season was cut short when he became sick with pericarditis. This is a condition that affects the heart.
While playing for the SuperSonics, Abdul-Aziz became a Muslim. On September 18, 1972, his contract was bought by the Houston Rockets. He was the team's starting center before the 1974–75 season.
Ramadan and Career Change
The Muslim holy month of Ramadan happened during a Rockets training camp. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Abdul-Aziz's fasting made him feel very weak. He felt unable to play and told the team's general manager he was quitting. His father convinced him to return to the team. However, he lost his starting position and never played as a starting center again. Abdul-Aziz played his last three years as a backup player for different teams. He retired from basketball in 1978 when he was 32 years old.
Life After Basketball
After his NBA career, Abdul-Aziz became a coach. He coached the Saudi Arabia national basketball team. He also invested in a volleyball team called the Seattle Smashers in 1978 and 1979.
Personal Life and Faith
As of 2011, Abdul-Aziz lived in Seattle with his wife. He has five children from two marriages. His son, Yusef Smith, also played college basketball and professionally in Brazil.
Abdul-Aziz grew up as a Catholic. He shared that his journey to Islam began during a Milwaukee Bucks practice. His teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, asked him about a Christian cross he was wearing. Abdul-Aziz realized he couldn't explain it well. This led him to visit a library in Milwaukee. He borrowed books on different religions, including the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Quran, and Torah. He said, "everything pointed me to Islam. So the next year I became a Muslim."
In 2006, Abdul-Aziz wrote a book about his life called Darkness to Sunlight. It shares stories about his basketball career, personal challenges, and his spiritual journey.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Stats
| 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 | |
Playoff Stats
| 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 | |
See also
In Spanish: Zaid Abdul-Aziz para niños
