Says US is evil, propergating war
BY SCM CORRESPONDENT
FORMER NBA superstar Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has sparked international outrage after sensationally branding the United States “evil” and accepting an offer of Iranian citizenship live on air.
The 56-year-old basketball icon, who famously became a pariah in the 1990s for his refusal to salute the American flag, made the shocking claims during a broadcast on Iranian state media.
During a high-profile interview in Tehran, Abdul-Rauf didn’t hold back, launching a blistering attack on his home country while praising one of its fiercest adversaries.
”The US government is evil,” Abdul-Rauf told stunned viewers. “Wherever there is war, the US is involved.”
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the sporting world, the former Denver Nuggets point guard described the Islamic Republic as “the hope of the world.” The praise was met with an immediate, unprecedented offer from his hosts: full Iranian citizenship.
Without hesitation, the former athlete—who converted to Islam in 1991—accepted the proposal on camera, effectively turning his back on the country that made him a multi-millionaire.
This isn’t the first time Abdul-Rauf has courted controversy by biting the hand that fed him. In 1996, he became the original “kneeler” decades before Colin Kaepernick, when he refused to stand for the US national anthem.
He claimed the Star-Spangled Banner was a symbol of “tyranny and oppression.” After a brief suspension by the NBA, he reached a compromise where he would stand but close his eyes and offer a silent Islamic prayer (dua).
”I am a Muslim first and an American second,” he famously stated at the time—a sentiment he has now taken to the ultimate extreme.
Born Chris Jackson, Abdul-Rauf was a sensation at LSU before becoming a top-three NBA draft pick.
Despite suffering from Tourette’s syndrome, he became one of the greatest free-throw shooters in history.
However, his career in the US withered following his anthem protest, leading him to play in overseas leagues, including stints in Turkey and Japan.
His latest move to align himself with the Iranian regime—a government frequently at odds with the West over human rights and nuclear ambitions—marks the final chapter in his total rejection of the American dream.
Critics today slammed the move as “despicable,” with one social media user noting: “He’s happy to take the US dollars, but now he wants the Iranian passport. Good riddance.”
