Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell

Demetrius "Hook" Mitchell, also known as Waliyy Abdur Rahim (born September 10, 1968) is a former streetball player from Oakland, California. He was well known among San Francisco Bay Area basketball players in the late 1980s, but in spite of his considerable talents, he did not reach the National Basketball Association (NBA). Among the NBA players who grew up with Mitchell, and now speak of his talent with great admiration, are Brian Shaw, Antonio Davis, and All-Stars Jason Kidd and Gary Payton Many have suggested he had the ability to become one of the greatest NBA stars of all time. He attended McClymonds High School and played for local college teams, but is best known for his dominance in local streetball tournaments. Mitchell was listed in Complex magazine as #10 on a list of the "20 Greatest Basketball Players to Never Play in the NBA."

Mitchell grew up in the Lower Bottoms in West Oakland, living at least for a time across from South Prescott Park. According to his childhood friends, Mitchell had an unstable home as a child, and was driven to the streets by a longing for community. He described the challenges of resisting drug dealers as a child, while his family struggled financially. He played for McClymonds High School, along with Antonio Davis, in the 1980s. His academic struggles initially prevented him from attending college; he excelled in local 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, and would impress audiences by dunking over cars.

He played one season for Merritt College and two seasons at Contra Costa College. The highest level he reached was playing for what was then known as Cal State Hayward, though he later conceded that he had not enrolled as a student. The playground basketball star's descent into drugs and crime destroyed any chance he had of becoming a professional athlete. In 1999, he was convicted of armed robbery of a video store; he spent the next five years in prison, during which time he converted to Islam, changed his name to Waliyy Abdur Rahim, and competed in prison games. Much of the footage for the documentary Hooked was shot during visits with him in prison.

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