Jaber Rouzbahani
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jaber Rouzbahani (b. 1986) is an Iranian basketball player from Isfahan. He is notable for his large size with a height of 7 feet 5 inches tall (height has alternately been given as 7'3" or 7'4"), 260 pounds, with an 8-foot wingspan. He has played on the Iran National Basketball team for three years, and played with them in the 22nd FIBA-Asia Championship games in Harbin, China, where the team reached the Quarter Finals [1]. Outside Iran, he is most famous for attempting to enter the National Basketball Association in the 2004 NBA Draft. He was not selected and currently has not been selected by any NBA team. If he was ever drafted into the NBA would be first Persian to do so.
He has been playing basketball since he was 14. He played for the local team of Isfahan's Zob Ahan in Iran. He played at the 2003 World Junior Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece where he averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 blocks per game. [2] He is currently living in San Francisco, California to train with a personal trainer. He hopes to make the NBA more popular in Iran and hopes to create a positive connection between Iran and the western world. He is seen as a very good underrated player who has a lot of potential with his raw game although he still has some weaknesses.
[edit] Strength and weaknesses
He has a huge frame and (8 foot) wingspan, with a great shot blocking potential. Has a soft touch out to 12-15 feet. He is said to be competitive, have great potential and a great attitude. He will go hard to the basket even when being pushed around or fouled. In terms of the NBA, there is a language barrier with other player. He has somewhat raw skills, with a lack of fundamentals. He has been working on a hook shot for the past three months. Running the court, he has below average mobility, on a similar level to Gheorghe Muresan. He can get up and down the court fairly well, but starting and stopping take time for him.
