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Shareef Abdur-Rahim was born December 11, 1976, in Atlanta, Georgia. The first son of William and Aminah Abdur-Rahim, Shareef has ten siblings. Affectionately known as “Reef” to family and friends, he attended Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia where he led his varsity basketball team in two consecutive state basketball championship appearances.

Abdur-Rahim’s basketball prowess led him to the University of California, Berkeley. During an impressive freshman year he was named third team All-American, led all freshmen scorers in the NCAA, led his team and the Pac-10 Conference in scoring, and became the first freshman in Pac-10 history to win Player of the Year honors. Selected as the third overall pick in the 1996 Draft, Abdur-Rahim left the University of California, Berkeley after one year to pursue a professional basketball career in the NBA.

He immediately impacted the league and became the leading scorer for the Vancouver, Grizzlies. Averaging 18.7 ppg and a total of 1,494 points, he ranked second among rookies and 26th overall in the NBA. In his second year, his scoring jumped to 22.3 ppg and he ranked sixth overall and second among small forwards in the NBA. Gradually increasing his performance statistics, Abdur-Rahim further solidified his status as an elitist in the NBA by his selection to the 2002 All-Star Team and 2000 Olympic Men’s Basketball Team who later went on to win the gold medal in Sydney, Australia.

Talented on and off the court, Abdur-Rahim has shown that other interests of life exist outside of professional basketball. Owner of Abdur-Rahim Enterprises and founder of Future Foundation, he incorporates his ideals regarding social responsibility into his for-profit and non-profit ventures. Abdur-Rahim Enterprises has invested in various redevelopment and expansion projects within Metro-Atlanta communities, while Future Foundation provides enrichment and educational programs that empower youth and communities. “We provide a learning center for at-risk youth in East Point, the part of Atlanta where I grew up”. It’s a chance for kids to get help with their homework, a place for them to go for a lot of things. “There was nothing like that for kids when I grew up,” he says. “I want the kids in Atlanta today to have that opportunity.”

As a result of his community activities, Abdur-Rahim was a finalist for the 2002 Fannie Mae Foundation Home Team Community Service Award. In 2001, he received the NBA’s Community Assist Award for his “Rebound America” program. Abdur-Rahim established “Rebound America” to encourage NBA players to raise funds for victims of the September 11th attacks on America. The group raised a total of $212,275.00, including $69,600.00 from Abdur-Rahim. He was also named one of the “Good Guys” in sports by Sporting News.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim is married to Delicia Abdur-Rahim and they have two children, Jabri and Samiyyah.