By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

There are plenty of positives for a teenage athlete to have a famous parent, but there are also pitfalls, especially when that parent is a legend who played their game at the highest levels.

Still, Amir Abdul-Rauf has seen more ups than downs in being the son of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, who ranks as one of Mississippi’s all-time greats on the basketball court, under his given name of Chris Jackson.

Jackson was a prodigy at Gulfport High, and most fans still regard him as the best to ever play for the Admirals. That leaves some mighty big shoes for Amir to fill, but he just takes it in stride.

“It’s tough, but him being my dad my whole life, it’s part of it,” said Abdul-Rauf. “Every time people look at you, they see him. So wherever you go, it’s never just Amir, oh, that’s Mahmoud’s son or that’s Chris Jackson’s son.

“Fortunately, I’ve been able to make a name for myself. But it’s still going to be 10 times harder, because they still see him when they’re looking at me.”

On the court, Amir is a chip of the old block. He looks like his father, he’s pretty much the same size, 5-foot-10, and he’s got a similar game. 

He’s good with dribble penetration, either slashing to the basket or pulling up for mid-range jump shots, he’s deadly from 3-point range, and he’s a gifted passer who gets his teammates involved.

“I just try to stay true to what I’ve been doing to get the numbers I’ve been getting,” said Abdul-Rauf. “I just try to stay confident and be a leader for my team.”

So far this season, Abdul-Rauf is averaging 18 points per game for the Admirals, who improved to 6-7 after a 50-40 upset over Picayune this past Friday, a game in which he had a game-high 19 points.

Last season, Adul-Rauf was a complementary player, averaging 12 points per game for Gulfport, a senior-dominated team that finished 19-6. This year, as the only player with any significant experience, he’s emerged as the team leader.

Coming into the Picayune game, he’d had three consecutive 20-point games, scoring 26 against D’Iberville, 24 against Vigor (Ala.) and 21 last Tuesday at Petal. He also scored a career-high 33 points in a Region 4-7A victory over St. Martin earlier this month.

“He gives us scoring, obviously,” said first-year Gulfport coach Steve Hesser. “He’s the only guy who played varsity last year, so he’s got the experience we need with a young team, so there’s some leadership there.”

Amir is following in the footsteps as the leader of the Admirals just as his dad once did. Now 54, Jackson was a star for Gulfport in the late 1980s. As a senior in 1987-88, he averaged 29.9 points and 5.7 assists and was named to the McDonald’s All-America Game.

After his high school career, Jackson signed with LSU, where he played two seasons for the late Dale Brown from 1988 to 1990. 

In just his third game for the Tigers, he scored 48 points against Louisiana Tech. He later went for 53 points against Florida, then topped that with 55 points against Ole Miss, outdueling Rebel great Gerald Glass, who scored 53. Their combined 108 points is still a Southeastern Conference record for most points by two players in an SEC game.

He finished the 1988-89 season averaging 30.2 points per game, he was named SEC Player of the Year and was a first-team All-America selection. He repeated both honors as a sophomore in 1989-90 while averaging 27.8 points per game. His No. 35 jersey was retired by LSU in 2020.

After his sophomore season, Jackson declared for the NBA Draft and was selected with the third pick in the 1990 draft by the Denver Nuggets. He was a second-team All-Rookie selection in 1991.

His best seasons for the Nuggets were in 1992-93 and 1995-96, when he averaged 19.2 points per game both seasons.

He played six seasons for Denver, then was traded to the Sacramento Kings, and played two seasons for the Kings. 

In 1998, he signed a contract with Fenerbahce in Turkey, returned to the NBA for one season in Vancouver, then spent nine seasons playing overseas, finishing his playing career in Japan in 2011.

Jackson converted to Islam in 1991 and changed his name to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf in 1993.

Amir said he has learned plenty from Mahmoud in the time they’ve spent together, both on the court and in everyday life.

“The biggest thing he’s taught me is to always practice 10 times harder, because if you practice 10 times harder, the game’s going to be easier,” said Abdul-Rauf. 

“Always block the crowd out. Don’t listen to everything that’s going on in the crowd. Because at the end of the day, they paid to come see you play.”

Although his dad is well past his prime, Amir says Mahmoud still has plenty of skills left, often schooling the youngster in one-on-one contests.

“We do go one-on-one, and it’s crazy to say, but he’s still up in the series,” said Abdul-Rauf.

The Admirals are back in action this week hosting the 40th annual Admiral Hardwood Club Holiday Classic, beginning Thursday against Windermere Prep (Fla.), with the eight-team tournament continuing through Friday and Saturday. 

For one of the few times in the history of the event, Gulfport is the only “Southern Six” squad in the tourney. The long-time holiday classic will feature three other teams from the Magnolia State, this year, those being Raymond, Terry, and Olive Branch.

The other three spots this year are filled by Zachary (La.), Princeton (Ohio) and Marion (Ark.).