Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Here is the information about Walt Hazzard:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Walter Raphael Hazzard Jr. (later changed his name to Mahdi Abdul-Rahman after converting to Islam)
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Deceased (born April 15, 1942 – died November 18, 2011, aged 69)
  • Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware
  • Height: 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m)
  • Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 3 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 11 (US)
  • Number: Wore #42, #11, and #33 during his career
  • Position: Point Guard
  • High School: Overbrook High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • College: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • NBA Draft: 1964, 1st Round, 1st pick overall by the Los Angeles Lakers
  • Teams Played For: Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle SuperSonics, Atlanta Hawks, Buffalo Braves, Golden State Warriors
  • Championship Rings: 0 (but won an NCAA Championship in 1964 with UCLA)
  • Kids: Yes, Hazzard had children, including his son Yakub Abdul-Rahman, who also played basketball.
  • Siblings: Not publicly documented

Player Archetype / Play Style

Walt Hazzard’s player archetype was that of a poised playmaking lead guard, the kind of backcourt organizer who could control tempo, trigger the fast break, and balance scoring with smart table-setting. At 6-foot-2, he was not oversized, but he played with strong ball-handling, quickness, and the composure to run an offense efficiently. Offensively, his primary role was as a floor general who could create for teammates, push pace, and still score when needed, while defensively he fit best as a competitive perimeter guard who used effort and instincts rather than sheer size to stay involved. His overall play style blended control, passing vision, and transition spark, which made him a catalyst-type guard more than a pure volume scorer.

Sources:

UCLA Athletics — Walt (Mahdi Abdul-Rahman) Hazzard (1984) – Hall of Fame
Los Angeles Times — Walt Hazzard dies at 69; former Bruins basketball star and coach
Basketball-Reference — Walt Hazzard Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more