Hamed Haddadi

Infobox NBA Player


name = Hamed Haddadi
caption =
position = Center
height_ft = 7
height_in = 2
weight_lbs = 254
league = NBA
team = Memphis Grizzlies
number = 15
birth_date = birth date and age|1985|05|19
birth_place = Ahvaz, Iran
nationality = IRN
highschool =
college =
draft = undrafted
draft_year = 2004
draft_team =
career_start = 1999
career_end =
former_teams = Shahin Ahvaz (1999-02)
Paykan (2002-03)
Al-Wasl (2003)
Paykan (2003-07)
Saba Battery (2007-08)
awards =

Hamed Ehsan Haddadi (PerB|حامد حدادی, born May 19, 1985 in Ahvaz) is an Iranian professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. [cite news | title=Grizzlies sign Iranian center Hamed Haddadi | url=http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies_sign_hamed_haddadi-080828.html| publisher=NBA | language = English| accessdate=2008-08-28] He plays at the center position and is 2.18 m (7'2") in height. Hamed is slated to become the first Iranian to play in the NBA and is currently the second in USA history to play professional basketball after Behdad Sami.

Pro career

In August 2007, Haddadi rejected a contract offer from the Serbian League team KK Partizan. [cite news | title=IRI - Remedial Tonic takes Iran's basketball to Beijing | url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/fibaEven/olymMen/p/newsid/24692/arti.html | publisher=FIBA | date=May 13, 2008 | first= | last= | accessdate=2008-05-13]

Haddadi received offers from NBA teams prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics and stated he would sign with a team after the games. [cite news | title=Iran's Haddadi to play in NBA | url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=26973&sectionid=3510211 | publisher=Press TV | date=October 25, 2007 | first= | last= | accessdate=2007-10-26] update after|2008|08|31Complications existed because of legal restrictions regarding business dealings between U.S. companies and Iranian citizens. [Adrian Wojnarowski, [http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/basketball/news?slug=aw-nbairan081608 NBA teams seek clearance to sign Iranian] , August 16, 2008] On August 28, 2008, Haddadi signed with the NBA club the Memphis Grizzlies as a free-agent. Haddadi has been linked to prominent entertainment and sports agent Mayar Zokaei.Haddadi scored four points in 17 minutes of action in his first NBA preseason game, an October 7, 2008 loss at the Houston Rockets. [http://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/grizzlies_sign_hamed_haddadi-080828.html] [ [http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=175647 Hamed Haddadi hits out at NBA legal counsel] , August 19, 2008]

Iranian national basketball team

He was one of the top players on the Iranian national basketball team at the FIBA Asia Championship 2007 in Japan.

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

Basketball clubs

*flagicon|IRI Shahin Ahvaz (1999 - 2002)
*flagicon|IRI Paykan Tehran (2002 - 2003)
*flagicon|UAE Al Wasl (2003)
*flagicon|IRI Paykan Tehran (2003 - 2007)
*flagicon|IRI Saba Battery Tehran (2007 - 2008)
*flagicon|USA Memphis Grizzlies (2008-present)

Achievements

* Iranian U18 National Team -02
* Iranian Superleague Runner-Up -04
* Iranian National Team -04-07
* Iranian U20 National Team -04
* Asian U20 Championships in Tehran (Iran) -04
* Asian Championships in Doha -05
* Tehran Cup Finalist -06
* Iranian Superleague Semifinals -06
* Asian Games in Doha -06 (Bronze)
* William Jones Cup Tournament -07
* Iranian Superleague Regular Season Runner-Up -08
* Iranian Superleague Finalist -08
* WABA Club Championships -08 (Finalist)
* Asian Club Championships -08 (Champion)
* Asia-Basket.com All-Asian Club Championships Honorable Mention -08
* Asia-Basket.com Asian Club Championships All-Asian Players Team -08

References

External links

* [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hamed_haddadi/ Player Profile] at NBA.com
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=3478 Player Profile ESPN.com]

Persondata
NAME=Haddadi, Hamed
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Professional basketball player
DATE OF BIRTH=May 19, 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ahvaz, Iran
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=