Zaid Abdul-Aziz (born Donald A. Smith; April 7, 1946) is an American former professional basketball player. He was known as Don Smith until he changed his name to Zaid Abdul-Aziz in 1976 after he converted to Islam.[1]
Abdul-Aziz converted to Islam during his time with the SuperSonics.[1] On September 18, 1972, his contract was bought by the Houston Rockets.[4] Abdul-Aziz had been the team's starting center prior to the 1974–75 season.[1][5] The Muslim holy month of Ramadan coincided with a Rockets training camp where Abdul-Aziz entered an anemic-like state due to his fasting.[1] He found himself unable to play and told the team's general manager that he was quitting the team.[1] Abdul-Aziz's father convinced him to return but he lost his position in the Rockets' line-up and never again played as a starting center in the NBA.[1] Abdul-Aziz played his final three years as a backup on various teams before he announced his retirement in 1978 at the age of 32.[1]
Later career
Abdul-Aziz coached the Saudi Arabia national basketball team.[2] He was an investor in the Seattle Smashers of the International Volleyball Association in 1978 and 1979.[6]
Abdul-Aziz studied chemical dependency at Seattle University and earned a state licence.[2] He worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in Seattle after his playing career.[2]
As of 2011, Abdul-Aziz lived in the Northgate neighborhood of Seattle with his Moroccan-born wife.[2] He has five children from two marriages.[2] Abdul-Aziz's son, Yusef Smith, played college basketball for the Seattle Pacific Falcons and professionally in Brazil.[2]
Abdul-Aziz was raised Catholic. He credits his religious awakening to a Milwaukee Bucks practice session where he was approached by teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and failed to explain a gold cross that he was wearing around his neck when questioned. Abdul-Aziz went to a Milwaukee library to learn about religions and borrowed a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, Bible, Quran and Torah. Abdul-Aziz stated: "everything pointed me to Islam. So the next year I became a Muslim."[7]
In 2006, Abdul-Aziz published a memoir, Darkness to Sunlight, which tells the stories of his basketball career, personal challenges, and spiritual journey.[7]
