Walt Hazzard

After starring at Philadelphia's Overbrook High School, Walt Hazzard played collegiate basketball at UCLA, but when he started there it was not the legendary basketball power it would later become. He had a big hand in that reputation getting its start, as he was the star of the team when they won their first NCAA title in 1964. For his efforts he was named All-American that year. After the 1964 Olympics, Hazzard joined the [Los Angeles Lakers] and played with them for three seasons. In 1967 he was traded to the [Seattle SuperSonics] where he had his best year, averaging 23.9 points per game, and playing in the NBA All-Star Game that year Hazzard played in the NBA through the 1974 season, ending up in Seattle after several seasons with [Atlanta], Buffalo, and [Golden State]. His career NBA record had him averaging 12.6 poiunts and 4.9 assist per game.

During his career, he embraced the Islam faith and played his last seasons under the name, Mahdi Abdul-Rahman, although he later returned to using his birthname as he felt the Islam name cost him professionally. Hazzard later became a coach, first coaching at Compton College and Chapman College near LA, before spending four seasons as head coach at his alma mater, 1985-88. He later served as a West Coast advance scout for the Lakers and was a special consultant for them.