The first player born and raised in France to compete in the NBA, Tariq Abdul-Wahad (formerly Olivier Saint-Jean) was a prolific scorer at San Jose State who was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the first round (11th overall) of the 1997-98 NBA season. Abdul-Wahad officially changed his name from Olivier Saint-Jean on November 10, 1997. Tariq means "morning star" in Arabic and Abdul-Wahad means "servant of the one God." Abdul-Wahad, a defensive specialist, has been on three other teams as well including the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks

2001-02:
Averaged 5.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 0.83 spg in 18.4 mpg overall in 24 games (12 starts all with Denver)…Appeared in four games with Dallas but did not score…placed on the injured list on 3/5/02 with a sore left knee and did not play the remainder of the season (23 games)…Scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench at New Jersey on 2/17 while with Denver…Scored in double figures six times…Activated from the injured list on 2/1/02 after missing 31 games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on 11/24/01…Was placed on the injured list on 11/23/01

2000-01:
Played in just 29 games, averaging 3.8 ppg and 2.0 rpg ... Made 12 starts ... Scored in double figures three times ... Was placed on the injured list on 3/3 and underwent a tonsillectomy on 3/5 ... Missed the final 23 games of the season ... Missed 38 games overall due to injury ... DNP-CD 15 times ... Missed three games (12/12-12/16) due to the flu and was placed on the injured list on 12/20 (until 1/15) with peritonsillar abcess ... Scored a season-high 15 points and three blocks in 29 minutes vs. Golden State on 11/2 ... Grabbed a season-high seven rebounds vs. Golden State on 11/2 ... Had a season-high four assists vs. Dallas on 11/6 ... Collected a season-high three steals vs. Phoenix on 11/4.

1999-2000:
Missed 22 of the final 23 games and 24 overall with an injured left wrist suffered on 2/24 at Houston ... Was placed on the injured list on 3/24 with a sprained left wrist and had arthroscopic surgery on 3/31 ... Appeared in just 15 games with the Nuggets, averaging 8.9 ppg and 3.5 rpg ... Scored in double figures seven times with Denver ... Scored 17 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots in 35 minutes vs. New Jersey on 3/1 ... Logged 46 minutes vs. Minnesota on 2/15 ... Was acquired on 2/1 from Orlando along with Chris Gatling and a first-round draft choice in exchange for Ron Mercer, Chauncey Billups and Johnny Taylor ... (w/Orlando): Scored in double figures 30 times, including four games of 20+ ... Scored a season-high 23 points at Toronto on 1/12 ... Grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds at New Jersey on 12/30 ... Started all 46 games for the Magic ... Led (or tied) the Magic in scoring 10 times and led (or tied) the team in rebounding eight times ... Posted two double-doubles.

1998-99:
Averaged 9.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.0 apg and 1.02 spg in 24.6 mpg with Sacramento, helping the Kings reach the NBA Playoffs for only the second time since 1986 ... Started in all 49 regular season games in which he saw action ... Led the Kings in scoring and assists twice, and in rebounding once b

• Tariq changed his name from Olivier Saint-Jean on November 11, 1997
• His first name, Tariq, means "morning star" and his last name, Abdul-Wahad, means "servant of the one God"
• Is one of seven foreighn-born players in Nuggets history
• Through the Tariq Abdul-Wahad Foundation, he hosted a developmental camp for 20 of France's top young basketball players at Notre Dame College in Belmont, Calif., 2001
• He played on the French National team during the summer of 1998 and helped France earn a bronze medal in the 2000 summer Olympics
• He and his wife Khadijah have two children
• His mother, George Goudet, played pro basketball in France
• Speaks fluent French, Spanish and English
• Enjoys spending time with family, studying religion and visiting museums
• Was an Art History major at San Jose State