Tariq Abdul-Wahad
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| Position | Shooting guard, Small forward |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Nationality |  France |
| Born | November 3, 1974 Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne, France |
| College | Michigan, San Jose State |
| Draft | 1997 - 1st round (11th pick) by the Sacramento Kings |
| Pro career | 1997–present |
| Former teams | Sacramento Kings 1997-1998, Orlando Magic 1999-2000, Denver Nuggets 2000-2001, Dallas Mavericks 2001-2005 |
Tariq Abdul-Wahad (born November 3, 1974 in Maisons-Alfort, Val-de-Marne, France) is a French professional basketball player.
Abdul-Wahad was born with the name Olivier Michael Saint-Jean in France from parents who migrated from French Guiana. He changed his name to Tariq Abdul-Wahad after converting to Islam. He is the first player to be born and raised in that nation and play in the NBA. Tariq first played college ball at the University of Michigan, but later transferred to San Jose State, and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1997. He is known as a defensive specialist, but his playing time has been restricted in recent seasons due to injuries and has only played in 236 out of 788 games. In 2005 Abdul-Wahad was on the Dallas Mavericks' roster on injured reserve but was released during training camp prior to the 2005-06 season.
His No. 3 jersey was retired by San Jose State in 2002, however the banner hanging in the Event Center Arena refers to him as Olivier Saint-Jean, the name he used while in college.
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Categories: 1974 births | Converts to Islam | Dallas Mavericks players | Denver Nuggets players | French basketball players | Living people | Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players | Natives of Ile-de-France | Orlando Magic players | Sacramento Kings players | San José State Spartans men's basketball players
