Halftime Hype

Hello Hamed, goodbye Hasheem. When news broke out that Memphis' Hasheem Thabeet was headed to the D-League, many spent their time pondering how a #2 pick in the draft could go from the penthouse to the outhouse so rapidly. Others wondered if the Grizzlies' fate would've differed had they chosen a different draft pick (i.e. Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Jordan Hill, Demar DeRozan, etc.). However, not very many, it seems, focused on the new backup center, Hamed Haddadi. Hamed, the first Iranian player in the NBA, is to Iranians what Omri Casspi is to Israelis. From HoopsHype:

It’s a rag-to-riches tale.

Kid plays soccer in a poor country, turns to
basketball at 13, doesn’t even have shoes at the beginning, but ends up
excelling to the point that he’s called to play pro ball in America.

That’s the story in brief of Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi, who became
a trivia answer last season as the first Iranian ever to make it into the NBA.

One year and a half later, though, Haddadi has done little to be
remembered for anything else.

Stuck behind All-Star Zach Randolph,
double-double machine Marc Gasol and shot-blocking rookie Hasheem Thabeet,
Haddadi’s playing time has actually gone down a notch this season – 4.8 mpg, 0.9
ppg, 1.6 rpg – compared to the last one, where he averaged 2.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg and
0.6 bpg on just 6.3 minutes per game.

“I’m not happy that I’m not
playing,” Haddadi said. “But I’m happy that I’m in the NBA and winning games.”

Currently in his sophomore season in the league, Hamed's had an interesting journey to his destination as backup center. Interestingly enough, issues arose prior to his arrival in the NBA. The teams had to "seek clearance" to sign him, due to legal matters related to his home country, Iran. Before he stepped on American hardwood, the hype was there. The 7-footer - 7'2" to be exact - scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in an Olympic game vs. Manu Ginobli's Argentine team. What's more, this Iranian center averaged double figures in the Olympics! In the Beijing Games, he was averaging 16.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. Nevertheless, nothing can compare to the rigors of the National Basketball Association.

Despite multiple offers, including one rumored to have come from FC Barcelona (crazy to think that Hamed Haddadi could have been playing with Ricky Rubio), Haddadi signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. After mere months, Haddadi was demoted to the Dakota Wizards of the Developmental League. Within a month, though, he was called back. Regardless, even to this point, Hamed hasn't received very many minutes. In fact, at one point, Hamed made his Facebook status (written in his native Persian language, of course) "I'm tired of not playing." Furthermore, earlier this season, Clippers broadcasters were suspended for making fun of his appearance, among other things dubbing him "Borat."

Finally, more playing time is in sight. With Hasheem Thabeet temporarily gone, Marc Gasol will be replaced by... Hamed Haddadi. Hopefully he can make the best of his playing time and who knows, maybe one day the "first Iranian player in the NBA" will be more than a "trivia answer."