Hamed Haddadi

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Hamed Haddadi
حامد حدادی

Hamed Haddadi before a game in March 2009.
No. 15 – Sichuan Blue Whales
Position Center
League Chinese Basketball Association
Personal information
Born (1985-05-19) May 19, 1985
Ahvaz, Iran
Nationality Iranian
Listed height 7 ft 2 in (218 cm)
Listed weight 265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
NBA draft 2004 / Undrafted
Pro playing career 1999–present
Career history
1999–2002 Shahin Ahvaz (Iran)
2002–2007 Paykan Tehran (Iran)
2003 →Al-Nasr (United Arab Emirates)
2004 →Sanam Tehran (Iran)
2007–2008 Saba Battery Tehran (Iran)
2008–2013 Memphis Grizzlies
2008 →Dakota Wizards (D-League)
2011 Melli Haffari Ahvaz (Iran)
2013 Phoenix Suns
2013 Foolad Mahan Isfahan (Iran)
2013–present Sichuan Blue Whales (China)
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com

Hamed Haddadi (Persian: حامد حدادی‎, born May 19, 1985) is an Iranian professional basketball player. He plays at the center position and is 2.18 m (7'2") tall and weighs 265 lbs. Haddadi is the first Iranian to play in the NBA.[1]

Pro career

International career

Iran

Before officially playing for a professional Iranian team, Haddadi started his basketball stint with a hometown team of his known as Shahin Ahvez. His stint there would ultimately allow Haddadi played in the Iranian Basketball Super League with Paykan Tehran and Saba Battery. In August 2007, while still playing in Iran, he rejected a contract offer from the Serbian League team Partizan Belgrade.[2] In 2008, he won the Asian Club Championship.

During the 2011 NBA lockout, Haddadi signed a short-term contract with his hometown team, Melli Haffari Ahvaz.[3] During this period Haddadi received no salary from the team.[4]

During the 2013 offseason, Haddadi signed a short-term contract with Foolad Mahan Isfahan. During this time, he helped lead the team to win the 2013 FIBA Asia Champions Cup over the Al Rayyan basketball team in Qatar.

United Arab Emirates

In 2003, Haddadi was assigned by Paykan Tehran to play for Al-Nasr in the United Arab Emirates for a little bit. He would ultimately return with Paykan after his stint with Al-Nasr.

China

In September 2013, Haddadi signed with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association as the bonus foreign Asian player that's allowed to be on a CBA team.[5]

NBA career

Memphis Grizzlies

Before the 2004 NBA Draft, Haddadi declared himself eligible for the draft as an early entrant.[6] However, he went undrafted in the draft and therefore became a free agent who is free to sign with any NBA team.

Haddadi received offers from NBA teams prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics and stated he would sign with a team after the games.[7] Complications existed because of legal restrictions regarding business dealings between U.S. companies and Iranian citizens.[8][9]

On August 28, 2008, Haddadi signed with the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies as a free-agent. Haddadi scored four points in 17 minutes of action in his first NBA preseason game, an October 7, 2008 loss at the Houston Rockets.[10][11]

Haddadi averaged 1.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 9.7 minutes in six preseason games with the Grizzlies, and made his regular season debut on December 30, when he played 4 minutes in a loss against the Phoenix Suns, hitting both of his free throws and grabbing one rebound.[12][13]

On November 25, 2008, Memphis assigned Haddadi to the Dakota Wizards of the NBA D-League. On Tuesday, December 23, 2008, Haddadi was recalled by the Grizzlies.[14] Haddadi scored a then career-high 10 points, with 8 rebounds and a block in less than 10 minutes to key a 12–0 run in the 4th quarter, sparking the Grizzlies to a come-from-behind victory at the Golden State Warriors on March 30, 2009.[15]

On December 31, 2011, he re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies a one-year $1.3 million contract.[16] On April 17, 2012, Hamed came off the bench to score 8 points in 12 minutes and give the Grizzlies a boost to lead them to a victory over the rival Minnesota Timberwolves. On July 28, 2012, Haddadi re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.[17]

On January 30, 2013, Haddadi was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Rudy Gay as part of a three-way deal that sent José Calderón to the Detroit Pistons and Ed Davis, Tayshaun Prince, Austin Daye, and a second round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies.[18] However, Haddadi could not immediately report to the Raptors due to immigration issues.[19] He would never play a single game for the Raptors.

Phoenix Suns

On February 21, 2013, the Raptors traded Haddadi and a second-round draft pick to the Phoenix Suns for Sebastian Telfair.[20] During his tenure with the Suns, Haddadi decided to wear the number 98 as a tribute of sorts to his home nation's national telephone code.[21]

Haddadi did not play for the Suns until March 6, 2013, in a game against the Raptors, the team that Haddadi was first traded to. On March 9, 2013, Haddadi recorded 6 points, 3 blocks and a career-high 11 rebounds in 28 minutes off the bench, contributing to the Suns 107-105 win over the Houston Rockets. Two days later, Haddadi would record a NBA career-high 13 points along with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks in 18 minutes off the bench.

Despite gaining professional career highs in his short stint with the team, Haddadi was waived by the Suns on June 29, 2013.[22]

Iranian national team

Hamed Haddadi
Medal record
Men's basketball
Competitor for  Iran
Asian Games
Bronze 2006 Doha Team
Asian Championship
Gold 2007 Tokushima Team
Gold 2009 Tianjin Team
Gold 2013 Manila Team

Haddadi won a silver medal at the 2002 Asian Under-18 Championship and a gold medal at the 2004 Asian U20 Championship while playing on Iran's junior national teams. He won gold medals at the 2004 and 2005 West Asian Championships with the senior Iranian national basketball team.

Haddadi also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games and gold medals at the 2007 FIBA Asian Championship, 2009 FIBA Asian Championship, and the 2013 FIBA Asian Championship. He was also named the MVP of the latter three tournaments.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, he led the tournament with the highest average blocked shots per game and rebounds per game, the latter by a wide margin.

Haddadi was involved in a brawl in the 2009 William Jones cup against team Jordan, which was a vital game in the cup. It later led to the outcome of the championship where Iran won despite having a 6–2 standing while Jordan had a 7–1 record.

Haddadi led team Iran to back-to-back FIBA Asia championships, where they beat Jordan in the semifinals 77–75, and defeated tournament favorite and host China, 70–52.

Off the court

In September 2009, Haddadi hosted a weekend basketball camp for children on the campus of California State University, Northridge. The camp catered mainly to the Iranian American community, and coaches included Haddadi himself, his manager, Mayar Zokaei, Los Angeles Lakers (now New York Knicks) forward Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Peace), and Iranian professional basketball players Behdad Sami and Benny Koochoie, amongst others. The camp attracted over 100 children and was the first sports camp ever by an Iranian athlete in the United States.[23]

Haddadi also spearheaded the Hamed Haddadi Javanan Foundation, a charity organization formed with the intention of awarding college scholarships to student athletes across the nation.[23]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2008–09 Memphis 19 0 6.3 .484 .000 .600 2.5 .4 .1 .6 2.5
2009–10 Memphis 36 0 6.7 .387 .000 .737 2.1 .3 .0 .4 1.7
2010–11 Memphis 31 0 5.4 .517 .000 .652 2.2 .2 .1 .4 2.4
2011–12 Memphis 35 0 5.9 .542 .000 .692 2.0 .2 .0 .7 2.0
2012–13 Memphis 13 0 6.7 .333 .000 .500 1.8 .3 .1 .5 1.2
2012–13 Phoenix 17 0 13.8 .459 .000 .520 5.1 .5 .3 1.2 4.1
Career 151 0 7.0 .463 .000 .632 2.5 .3 .1 .6 2.2

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011 Memphis 9 0 3.4 .300 .000 .833 .9 .0 .0 .6 1.2
2012 Memphis 4 0 5.3 1.000 .000 .500 2.3 .3 .0 .5 1.3
Career 13 0 3.9 .417 .000 .750 1.3 .1 .0 .5 1.2

Honors

National team

Haddadi playing for Iran, 2010

Club

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Iranian playing in NBA scores with America
  2. ↑ "IRI - Remedial Tonic takes Iran's basketball to Beijing". FIBA. May 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  3. ↑ Hamed Haddadi joins Melli Haffari
  4. ↑ Interview with Hamed Haddadi – 5/18/2013
  5. ↑ Hamed Haddadi signs in China with Sichuan
  6. ↑ Fifty-Three Early Entry Candidates Withdraw
  7. ↑ "Iran's Haddadi to play in NBA". Press TV. October 25, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-26. 
  8. ↑ Adrian Wojnarowski, NBA teams seek clearance to sign Iranian, August 16, 2008
  9. ↑ NBA cleared to talk, deal with Hamed Haddadi, August 20, 2008
  10. ↑ http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies_sign_hamed_haddadi-080828.html
  11. ↑ Hamed Haddadi hits out at NBA legal counsel, August 19, 2008
  12. ↑ Grizzlies rookie Haddadi makes NBA debut
  13. ↑ Suns 101, Grizzlies 89 - Box score
  14. ↑ Grizzlies assign Hamed Haddadi to NBA Development League's Dakota Wizards
  15. ↑ Grizzlies rally to beat Golden State Warriors, 114-109
  16. ↑ "Grizzlies sign Hamed Haddadi". NBA.com. 2011-12-31. Retrieved 2012-01-01. 
  17. ↑ "Grizzlies re-sign Hamed Haddadi". NBA.com. 2012-07-28. Retrieved 2012-07-30. 
  18. ↑ "Grizzlies deal Gay to Raptors in three-team trade". NBA.com. January 30, 2013. 
  19. ↑ "Toronto Raptors trade Jose Calderon, Ed Davis to Memphis Grizzlies for Rudy Gay". TheStar.com. January 30, 2013. 
  20. ↑ "Suns Acquire Haddadi, Second-Round Pick". NBA.com. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-02-22. 
  21. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/hamed-haddadi-phoenix-suns-jersey-iran-international-telephone-190021735--nba.html
  22. ↑ Shannon Brown remains with Suns, Hamed Haddadi waived
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Haddadi camps brings hoops to Iranian-American community

External links

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