This name change occurred after a lifetime of questions were answered.
Taquan Dean (1983-2016)
He was born in an environment where people around him faced early death. His mother experienced childbirth and his father was not present. The man he thought was his father went to prison.
Pinero would eventually pursue a basketball career starting with connecting with his friend’s uncle who was well-known in the basketball world. He would eventually get signed to notable teams around the world, such as the Pheonix Suns, Socar Petkim of Turkey, and the Hoops Club of Lebanese Basketball League.
Taqwa Pinero (2016-)
| Etymology | Change | Commemorative | Homophone | Religious | Etymology | ||
| Taquan | khan+Juan? | – | Yes | Yes | Taqwa | (Arabic) conscious of God | |
| Dean | (English) | Yes | Yes | – | Pinero | (Spanish) surname of his biological father |
After discovering that a man named Anthony Pinero was his real father through DNA testing, and his conversion to Islam, he changed his name.
Sources
- (Image Attribution) Elemaki. “Dean Taquan.” Wikipedia. 2008/09. CC BY 3.0.
- “I changed my name from Taquan Dean to Taqwa Pinero: This is why”. Hoopshype.com.
- “Taqwa Pinero.” Wikipedia.