Biography

Mahdi Abdul-Rahman (born Walter Raphael Hazzard Jr.; April 15, 1942 – November 18, 2011) was an American professional basketball player and college basketball coach. A 6'2" point guard, he won the 1964 NCAA championship with the UCLA Bruins and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. In the same year, he won a gold medal for the United States at the Tokyo Olympics. Hazzard played for five NBA franchises over a ten year career and was named an All-Star in 1968. After his playing career, he became a college coach, including a position as head coach for UCLA from 1984 - 1988.