‘A passion for basketball’: Man who died in Las Vegas blaze known as ‘Coach Abdul’

Abdusalem Adem, the 43-year-old husband and father who died in a house fire in southwest Las Vegas last week, was known for helping young men become skilled, headstrong, and well-rounded athletes. A week after his death, childhood friends, mentees, and basketball enthusiasts were mourning the loss of their beloved “Coach Abdul,” his brother, Ibrahim Adem, 48, and his daughters Anaya, 7, and Aaliyah Adem, 6.

Abdul, as he was known to his family and friends, coached youth basketball for over seventeen years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Around 2019, he founded a travel Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, Chosen Premier (formerly Chosen Few), of which his son, Alijah Adem, played as a founding member.

“He stayed playing ball,” said Shawn Oates, who befriended Abdul Adem in high school after Soloman Adem, Abdul’s brother, hired him at a local retail store. “Solo would go around bragging like, ‘I bet you can’t beat my little brother.’ Everyone knew Abdul was dedicated and talented inside and outside of basketball. He would go on to do so much in the community.”

Deeper than basketball

Darnesha Martin said she went to Von Tobel Middle School with Abdul and his sister Jemila. Every day, he would show up early to play basketball out front, Martin said.

“We knew he had a passion for basketball, even back then,” said Martin. As she and her classmates went their separate ways, attending different high schools and later starting their own families, Martin said she would still see Adem around.

“I would pick my son up from Bishop Gorman, and because Abdul always had tournaments there, we’d catch up in the parking lot,” Martin said. “He really mentored these kids — and it went deeper than basketball.”

Giali Chapman first met the Adem family through youth football when he was about seven. He remembered Abdul, who lived in Seattle then, flying to Vegas to watch Alijah play.

As years passed, Chapman and Alijah Adem grew closer as teammates and friends, and Abdul Adem started taking the two boys to train at the local 24-hour fitness center. Chapman said that by the time Abdul moved back to Vegas permanently, running hills and putting up shots with the father-son duo became routine, eventually leading to the inception of Chosen Few.

Chapman reminisced about basketball tournaments where Senait Adem, Abdul Adem’s wife, staffed the check-in table, and he choked up recalling the day he spent in the hospital when Aaliayh was born.

Senait Adem and her young son were also home when the fire broke out but survived by jumping from a third-story window.

“Abdul was a family man, so naturally, he was like a dad to me. He let me in his life and molded me into a man,” Chapman said. “That is why I hurt for Alijah.”

According to relatives, when the fire happened, Alijah was at Bowling Green State University, where he plays Division I basketball. He previously played for Spring Valley High School.

Kejuan Clark, who coaches varsity boys basketball at Mohave High School, also called Abdul Adem a positive influence in his life.

“Abdul was a mentor to me,” Clark said. “He set an example of what a husband and coach life balance should look like.”

Chapman and Clark both described Abdul Adem as humble and unapologetically himself.

“This man would show up to practice in these huge AND1 shorts, a Pro Club T-shirt, and Nike slides,” Chapman said. “And he would still demolish you on the court. He showed me what it meant to be comfortable in your skin.”

Chapman said that, to this day, he credits Coach Abdul’s persistence and connections with getting him a college offer to play basketball at Phoenix College.

“The thing about Abdul is that he did many things behind the scenes. He was loyal — even to the kids who didn’t have opportunities on their high school teams or college scouts looking at them. If not for him, I would not have gone to school.”

‘He never let me make excuses’

Chapman shared that he still struggles to accept Abdul’s passing and wishes he could tell him how much he meant to him one last time. One of the last times they spoke, Chapman told Abdul he was quitting basketball after a miserable freshman year in Arizona. He expected the confession to be met with disappointment.

“Instead, he told me he was just happy to see me,” Chapman said, adding that sportsmanship and hard work on the court were only a fraction of what Adem and his family stood for. “Among many things, he was a great businessman, so he offered to help me with my resume.” Eventually, Chapman decided he still wanted to play. He said Abdul never gave up on him.

“You don’t realize how important someone was to you until they are gone,” Chapman said, “It hurts not to be able to talk to him.”

Memorial services for the Adem family will take place on November 7, according to a GoFundMe page that was created to support Senait and other relatives with “medical expenses, funeral costs, grief support, ” and more. A morning service will be held at Central Church in Henderson, and the burial service will be held at Palm Mortuary in the afternoon.

“I am torn up about all of this,” said Chapman. “But if Abdul were here, he would be like, ‘So, what? You’re just not gonna work out now?’ He never let me make excuses.”

Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com.