Great Ramadan Hoops

[al Furqaan]

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/20/sp...the-bulls.html

Olajuwon Slakes His Thirst By Dominating the Bulls
Published: Monday, January 20, 1997


A depleted Hakeem Olajuwon was still enough to lead the Houston Rockets over the Chicago Bulls.

Olajuwon, who didn't drink liquids during the game because of his religious fast, had 32 points and 16 rebounds as the Houston Rockets finished with a 19-2 run to defeat the Bulls by 102-86 today.

The victory snapped Chicago's nine-game winning streak, as well as Houston's four-game losing streak against the Bulls, dating to 1994.

Olajuwon, a Muslim, is observing Ramadan, a period of fasting that includes no liquids between sunrise and sundown.

''I had some rice and also chicken and hoped that would stay with me,'' Olajuwon said. ''The hunger was not there, it was the thirst. I tried not to think about it. The thing is to control your desire.''

Olajuwon's fast didn't slow him down against the Bulls. Olajuwon played the entire third quarter and after taking a brief rest, returned to help put down Chicago's final charge. He played 39 minutes.

''We have a team that can beat them, but you have to pay the price,'' Olajuwon said. ''This is just one game but this is satisfying. We knew we could play with them. This is character-building for this team.''

Clyde Drexler had 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his 23d career triple-double.

Michael Jordan, who had 26 points, gave the Bulls their first lead since early in the first quarter when he drove for the basket with 7 minutes 12 seconds to play and drew a foul from Sam Mack. Jordan sank both free throws and a technical foul called on Rockets Coach Rudy Tomjanovich, who thought Jordan should have received the foul.

That gave Chicago an 84-83 lead, but Olajuwon made four straight free throws to start the Rockets' charge in the last six minutes.

''That technical really fired us up,'' Drexler said. ''That happens in games sometimes. You never know what's going to set a team off. That certainly did for us.''

Kevin Willis, starting for the injured Charles Barkley, followed with a basket, and Mario Elie hit a 3-pointer for a 92-84 lead, while the Bulls faded. Both Elie and Olajuwon had 8 points during the final run.

''They played well down the stretch,'' Jordan said. ''We just didn't execute and they did. Mario Elie made a big 3 that put them into a rhythm that we could not find. We just couldn't get into position to control the ball game.''

Bill Wennington scored 14 points for the Bulls, but Scottie Pippen was only 2 of 14 from the field and finished with 5 points.

[al Furqaan]

Abdur-Rahim's 50 Send Hawks Soaring


November 24, 2001

Shareef Abdur-Rahim became the first NBA player this season to reach 50 points in a game.

Abdur-Rahim reached a career-high as the Atlanta Hawks overcame an 18-point deficit for a 106-99 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night at Atlanta.

The Hawks, who beat Boston, 92-85, Wednesday, won two games in a row for the first time this season. They trailed, 82-72, at the end of the third quarter, but Jason Terry helped them finish the comeback, scoring 13 of his 15 points in the final period.

"The groove I was in, I felt like something good was going to happen," said Abdur-Rahim, who scored 10 points in the final period. "Either they were going to double me and I'd find one of my teammates, or I was going to score."

The 50-point mark was reached nine times last season. This season's high mark of 44 points was shared by Washington's Michael Jordan, Orlando's Tracy McGrady and Denver's Nick Van Exel.

While his previous career-high game featured 16 free throws, he did the bulk of his work from the field this time. Abdur-Rahim shot 21 for 30 from the field and eight for eight from the line.

"The nice thing about it is we got that effort in a win," said Hawk Coach Lon Kruger. "It's a great effort. The help was there, and Shareef made up whatever play he needed to finish."

Abdur-Rahim became the first Hawk player to score 50 points in nearly 10 years. Dominique Wilkins was the last to do it.

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/nov/24/sports/sp-7829

[AsifTheManRahman]

Where in the second article does it say he was fasting?

[One World]

Exactly was my question, then I got it, the thread title does not say about fasting and as those hoops are happening in Ramadan worth posting I guess.

[AsifTheManRahman]

Well if he wasn't fasting, what's the point? He's not the only one to ever score fifty points on a well-fed stomach in a single NBA game.

[ialbd]

are sportsman nowadays capable of pulling this off? Probably not... and you can 'blame' it on a lot of things....

Sulley Muntary (the Ghana midfielder in Inter Milan) is reportedly playing while fasting. But there is all kinds of controversy on the table, from his performance while fasting to the manager's (Mourinho) decision to not let him play for long.....

but I have heard about Hakeem Olajuwon's achievement before.... and its truly outstanding. His faith in himself was exemplary...

[Tigers_eye]

Facts: Hakim fasted and played through all home games during fasting months. Away games he had provision because he was traveling. Same with Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (played for denver nuggest now retired - Previously known as Chris Jackson). He was one of the purest shooter I have ever seen (90%+ FT in career). All these players specially MARauf is a hero.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sport...bate_3-14.html

Some stuff of "The dream"
http://www.answers.com/topic/hakeem-olajuwon

[Rabz]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
Olajuwon, a Muslim, is observing Ramadan, a period of fasting that includes no liquids between sunrise and sundown.

''I had some rice and also chicken and hoped that would stay with me,'' Olajuwon said. ''The hunger was not there, it was the thirst. I tried not to think about it. The thing is to control your desire.''

Did he mean he had some rice and chicken for Sehri??
Or am I just misreading it?
From his statement and the writer's oblivion, it sounds like he refrained himself from taking liquid but had rice and chicken during the fasting period.

I'm sure the case is not that, but its just that quality of the article is not wholesome.
Its a little misleading but oh well, i'm not trying to make a fuss about it.

[Beamer]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Facts: Hakim fasted and played through all home games during fasting months. Away games he had provision because he was traveling. Same with Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (played for denver nuggest now retired - Previously known as Chris Jackson). He was one of the purest shooter I have ever seen (90%+ FT in career). All these players specially MARauf is a hero.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/sport...bate_3-14.html

Some stuff of "The dream"
http://www.answers.com/topic/hakeem-olajuwon

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Rauf refuse to stand up during the national anthem being played prior to the game? Or, was it Shareef Abdur Rahim? One of them for sure. It created a mini controversy at that time.

[Beamer]

Originally Posted by ialbd
are sportsman nowadays capable of pulling this off? Probably not... and you can 'blame' it on a lot of things....

Sulley Muntary (the Ghana midfielder in Inter Milan) is reportedly playing while fasting. But there is all kinds of controversy on the table, from his performance while fasting to the manager's (Mourinho) decision to not let him play for long.....

but I have heard about Hakeem Olajuwon's achievement before.... and its truly outstanding. His faith in himself was exemplary...

Mourinho got some flak from the muslim community of Italy for saying that. He blamed it on the media people for hyping his quotes, and in typical Mourinho response to the media folks, he said " If I die, you are responsible for it"...lol..

[al Furqaan]

hakeem was a complete faster...i remember that 97 game, it was the afternoon NBA on NBC (the good ole days). the chicken and rice was his sehri. no water or gatorade during the games.

as for the shareef match, that game started after iftaar, so technically he wasn't fasting. however, he was fasting during the day, and the original nba.com recap mentioned ramadan i think. i remember his rookie year, TNT, kept mentioning ramadan during the grizzlies-jazz lineup one night. that was back when ramadan was a little known quantity in the west. now it seems everyone knows its a fasting period if nothing else.

ATMR, very few players have scored 50 in NBA games with protein supplements, and non-fasting. to do it just hours after breaking fast - that too in the first week of ramadan when ur body is not used to it - is a big feat. heck, scoring 50 is a big feat even for non fasting players. only 9 50+ games in the 2000-01 season. 82 games played per season per team, 29 teams, at least 5 players per team = 11890 player games at bear minimun not including the subs. 9 50+ games --> 0.076 % occurrence rate. test triple centuries are probably more common than that.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Beamer
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Rauf refuse to stand up during the national anthem being played prior to the game? Or, was it Shareef Abdur Rahim? One of them for sure. It created a mini controversy at that time.

it was rauf, the former chris jackson.

after the controversy, he resumed standing but i think he used to say a prayer rather than focuse on the stars and stripes.

[Beamer]

You are right Al..Imagine that in these days? That min-controversy would have been a full fledged national security matter in FOX and their ilk..

[AsifTheManRahman]

Originally Posted by al Furqaan
as for the shareef match, that game started after iftaar

OK, now I see why it might be significant.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Beamer
You are right Al..Imagine that in these days? That min-controversy would have been a full fledged national security matter in FOX and their ilk..

dug up an SI article, God bless google!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...81/2/index.htm

he resumed against MJ and Bulls, Jordan said "he's a good kid, i might not agree with his beliefs, but i'm glad he stuck by it".

i think white people were way to touchy on the subject. the one bulls fan mentioned how abdur-rauf couldn't possibly be "oppressed" since he made $3 million a year. as if he wasn't earning it. the real money is behind the owners who's incomes are more than all the combined employees of the team, players and coach's included. the players make millions, because they rake in hundreds of millions. you're basically getting one dollar for every 100 u bring into the economy. i guess most white patriots don't understand economics (i don't either, but i know that much) and while their experts at circular logic, circular flow is several notches above their cranial capacity.

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Beamer
Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Rauf refuse to stand up during the national anthem being played prior to the game? Or, was it Shareef Abdur Rahim? One of them for sure. It created a mini controversy at that time.

be brave and click some of the links once in a while. It was there and explained. HHS.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: A battle of wills between the National Basketball Association and one of its star players ended today. It was a struggle that stirred up strong feelings about religion and patriotism. Tom Bearden begins our report.

TOM BEARDEN: Twenty-seven-year-old Mississippi-born Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, is a five-year NBA veteran. Formerly known as Chris Jackson, he changed his name in 1991 after converting to Islam. Abdul-Rauf is one of the Denver Nuggets' best players, averaging 19.6 points per game. He leads the league in free throw percentage, making 93 percent of his foul shots. Unlike his teammates, Abdul Rauf has not stood during the National Anthem for the entire season. Most of the time he didn't come onto the court until the opening ceremonies were over. But his actions escaped widespread public attention until this week. Reaction was immediate and overwhelmingly negative.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I think it's ridiculous! I respect his religious beliefs, but he should also respect the fact that he lives in a country greater than any other, and it's a matter of standing out of respect.

TOM BEARDEN: Two days ago, Abdul-Rauf said his Muslim faith prevented him from worshiping at any nationalistic ceremony.

MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF, Denver Nuggets: (March 12) It's a belief, and I won't compromise my beliefs. And that's my stance on it. I didn't--I didn't intend to make it a public issue, but it's, it's at that level now. But I won't waiver in my decision. The Supreme Court even issued it's constitutional to burn the flag, so why give me a problem for not standing? I come to play basketball, so watch me play basketball. I think because I'm in the public, the public eye, I'm visible, it's easy to target.

TOM BEARDEN: Abdul-Rauf's comments about what the American flag stands for drew the most ire.

MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF: It's also a symbol of oppression, of tyranny, so it depends on how you look at it. Uh, uh, I think this, this country has a long history of that. If you look at history, I don't think you can argue the facts.

TOM BEARDEN: The NBA suspended Rauf without pay yesterday on the grounds that League rules require players to stand in a dignified manner during the playing of the National Anthem. Abdul-Rauf's actions have drawn qualified support from teammates and other NBA players, but Houston Rockets center Hareem Olajuwon, also a Muslim, said his understanding of Islamic teaching was different.

HAKEEM OLAJUWON, Houston Rockets: (March 13) In general, Islamic teachings require every Muslim to obey and respect the law of the countries they live in. You know, that is--that is Islamic teachings. You know, to be a good Muslim is to be a good citizen, to be an example. If you worship none but God--well, you expect the flag--you expect, the, you know, the honor America, but not worshiping it--that must be distinguished between worshiping and respect, you know.

TOM BEARDEN: But today, Rauf said he would stand for the National Anthem at future games.

MAHMOUD ABDUL-RAUF: Am I sorry for it? No. Do I feel I'm wrong for doing what I did? No. Uh, this is what I believe, and, and I'm not wrong for the stance that I took, and in no way am I compromising, but I'm saying I understand and recognize that there is a better approach, and in Islam, it says if there's something, uh, you honor, it's, it's about honoring a contract and making decisions, but after making a decision, if you see that which is better, you do that, and I understand that there is something better.
CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Abdul-Rauf said he would pray while standing for the National Anthem. After his comments today, the NBA lifted its suspension. The case has opened a window on a growing phenomenon in America, African-Americans practicing Islam. For some insight into that, we turn to Dr. Aminah Beverly McCloud, a professor of Islamic studies at DePaul University in Chicago. Dr. McCloud, there seems to be a range of opinion within the Islamic community about the conflict between religion and patriotism. What explains that?
DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD, DePaul University: (Chicago) I think it's because of individual interpretation and individual expression within religion itself. There is a great deal of diversity, umm, spanning ethics, spanning nationalities, and just very individualistic a how people understand what they are supposed to do Islamicly and also how they read and interpret how they are to express themselves as Muslims.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Is there anything that is unique to the African-American interpretation of Islam?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Well, I think that the African-American interpretation is one that's done by conscious choice. There are--Islam has been in America since the beginning of the century. And while there are Muslims who have come through the generations, there are always Muslims moving--I mean, individuals moving into Islam. And, therefore, by conscious choice, they're looking to be very reasonable and rational about what they're going to do, what they're not going to do in a society that's largely secular.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: How many African-Americans practice Islam today?
DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Well, the estimates have gone from a million, one point five million, all the way to four point five million. It depends upon who you ask, which scholar is doing the research.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: But is there a growing--is there a sense that whatever the number is between that one and four point five million or whatever, that the numbers are growing?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Definitely, definitely growing.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Within a recent period of time?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: I would say probably since the 60's. There's been a decade kind of increment, but in recent years, there has been phenomenal growth.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Hmm-hmm. Abdul-Rauf converted when he was about 22. I think that was in 1991. Is the pull strongest among the younger people, younger African-Americans?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: I would think it is. Uh, in talking with people across the country on the East Coast and on the West Coast, there seems to be between eighteen- and twenty-five-year-olds the greatest amount of conversion.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Is it to any particular branch of Islam, or--

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Most are converted to Sunni Islam.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: And what does that mean? What's the difference?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: There are two major branches of Islam. One is Shi'a Islam. The other is Sunni Islam. And they are historically different, philosophically different and have developed over the centuries a little bit different. Uh, the main core of Islam, prayer, fasting, making the pilgrimage to Mecca, the attestation that there is no God but God belongs to all the groups, but how they understand history, how they understand the treatment of their communities differs.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Is there anything distinct about Sunni that you can tell us briefly to understand perhaps this appeal to African-Americans?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Well, I think on the face of it one appeal is that it is the first Islam that has come to the United States. I don't know that African-Americans would convert in larger number to Shia Islam, although some have.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Is one more conservative than the other, or is there--I mean, how can you establish the difference?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Well, Shia Islam is historically ethnically, has grown to be historically ethnically kind of particular. It's bases now are in Iran and although there are Shia Muslims who live all over the world, it's more ethnically specific than Sunni Islam.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: And they differ from Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, is that right?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Well, Farrakhan's Nation of Islam and the movements he's making to accommodate the group toward more, a more orthodox Islam, when and if he does that, it would probably fall under the category of Sunni Islam.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: But right now, there's a distinct difference between the Sunnis, the Shia's, and the Nation of Islam?

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Yes.


CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Well, Doctor, thank you for joining us.

DR. AMINAH BEVERLY McCLOUD: Thank you.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Now for some thoughts from our regular essayist, Roger Rosenblatt, who's been listening in to our discussion and who has followed the Abdul-Rauf case. Roger, you've been listening to all of us and following the case, as I just said. What do you see through the window you're looking through?

ROGER ROSENBLATT: Well, the window I'm looking through is not the specific religious window, Charlayne, as much as it is the one that when such events occur as this, they're always equally infuriating and instructive and in some way exhilarating. The idea that someone can, and I think the League should have allowed him, apart from this compromise that they worked out, that someone can protest the flag, can say things bad about the country, umm, is the, is the strength of the country. We only really know that this class document, the Constitution, was tested when somebody like Abdul-Rauf comes along and says, well, I don't really share your beliefs, and I'm not going to share your traditions, and I'm actually going--going to insult you directly. It's the nature of the insult, oddly enough, proves the strength of the symbol.


CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: So you're saying that sometimes the worst brings out the best in--

ROGER ROSENBLATT: That's exactly right.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: --Americans.

ROGER ROSENBLATT: And actually, the demonstration of the worst shows what, what the quality of the best is. Our Constitution is really a class document. Our democracy is a class form of government. If everybody followed the rules all the time, we would never know it. But every once in a while, a Roseanne comes along to denigrate the "Star Spangled Banner," or there's, as there was a few years ago, an exhibit in a Cleveland Museum where people have to walk on the flag in order to look at the museum, and people rightly get furious at this, because we love the country, and we love what it's--those things symbolize.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: So you see this much more in that context than say Mohammed Ali refusing to serve in Vietnam because of his religion or Sandy Koufax refusing to play on, was it Yom Kippur?

ROGER ROSENBLATT: Yes.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: On opening day of the World Series.

ROGER ROSENBLATT: Exactly. They just shifted a day for Koufax, and the League would work this out, right. I see it as yet another demonstration, because, after all, Abdul-Rauf added to his expression of wanting to retain his religious beliefs, that he felt that the flag was a symbol of an oppressive government. That obviously gets under people's skin; we get very angry, and rightfully angry, when we hear that, but when we hear it and allow somebody to say it, allow somebody, as long as he doesn't do harm to anybody else, hold onto his beliefs, however unpalatable they are, however unattractive they are, then we know how strong we are.


CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: In brief, is this just a blip on the media landscape, or is this part of the cultural landscape changing that we're going to see in coming years, weeks, years, months?

ROGER ROSENBLATT: I don't know if it's a blip or something big. I think every once in a while we have these things. If we had them all the time, there'd be something to question in our Constitution and in our form of government.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Right.

ROGER ROSENBLATT: I obviously don't think there is.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: Right.

ROGER ROSENBLATT: But every once in a while, something like this will happen. When it does, it's instructive.

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT: All right. Roger, thank you for joining us.

ROGER ROSENBLATT: Thank you, Charlayne.