Owner Akram Abdul, who said he is a …

Owner Akram Abdul, who said he is a casual basketball fan, didn’t recognize the 6-foot-9-inch forward when he came to the store in September. “It is great that he came in here, but I don’t know him. He never mentioned to me that he is a player,” Abdul said. “Once a coach from the New York Knicks came in twice. I told him, ‘Whatever you take, consider it free. It was a pleasure to have him in the store.’ … But this Pelicans player didn’t even mention it to me.”