HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Jorge Sierra

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.”

That success, with the team no longer in the player development business and using a short rotation (no bench player averages more than 17 mpg in Memphis), probably isn’t helping Haddadi’s cause. Also hurting him early in his NBA career is the brutal transition he’s had to go through. Unlike most international prospects, Haddadi didn’t see much real competition before joining the league and is still playing the price for it.

“Everything goes so fast,” Haddadi said. “Here everybody can run, shoot and jump. In Iran, if you were good at one of those things, you were not good at the others. It’s difficult for me.”

While basketball is a booming sport in Iran, the domestic league is leaps and bounds behind what you’ll find in Europe, for example.

“The league was not very competitive at all,” said former Clipper Josh Moore, who played for a club called BEEM at the northeastern Iranian city of Babol. “A large majority of the players were casual fans at best and viewed the league as a glorified men’s league that was trying to go legit, so there was a big gap between the teams that were very bad and the ones that were competitive.”

A stint in Europe may have eased the transition for the likeable Haddadi, but he passed on playing there when given the chance. The 7-foot-2 center, whose English is as much a work in progress as his game, says he received an offer from Serbian powerhouse Partizan Belgrade three years ago.

“They called me and said they wanted me for one year,” Haddadi. “But I answered no because I wanted to focus on the Olympic Games in Beijing and wanted to practice with the National Team. It worked well for me because I played pretty good at the Olympics and Memphis signed me.”

The Beijing outing indeed proved to be key for Haddadi’s NBA hopes. He led the Olympic tournament in rebounds and blocked shots and was able to display his skills in front of a large audience.

Moore, who played against him during his time in Iran, wasn’t surprised by Haddadi’s impressive performance.

“He has a great amount of natural skill and potential,” Moore said. “I would compare him to Dirk Nowitzki skill-wise, with enough heart to get dirty around the basket - which Dirk doesn’t have. He has great footwork and, for some reason, a natural feel for the game.”

NO BIG CELEB BACK HOME

For all the attention he commands in the U.S. even while not getting much playing time, Haddadi is far from a household name in Iran, a soccer-crazed country where the rest of sports don’t get nearly as much attention.

“In fact, I’m a bigger star here than I am in Iran,” said Haddadi. “There, it’s all about the football players. You see the TV or the newspaper and it’s all football. They know me, but I’m not on that level. And I’m cool with that.”

Haddadi, who has another guaranteed year left on his contract with Memphis, will have a chance to increase his profile back home next September when he plays at the World Championships in Turkey with Iran. In Beijing, the current Asian Champions went 0-5 and lost their games by an average margin of 28.1 points.

It might be a tall task, but the Iranian giant believes things will be different this time around.

“We have a good team,” Haddadi. “We have six or seven players that can play well. We share the ball and we know each other because we’ve played together six or seven years. We can make some noise.”

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Former NBA players try to extend their careers overseas all the time. It’s almost a non-story at this point. What you don’t see so often is a guy that’s pretty much been off the radar for six years resurface in a small town club across the pond. That’s exactly what Michael Dickerson, of Rockets and Grizzlies fame, is doing.

The former Arizona Wildcat signed with Palencia Basket of Spain last month and has been playing his first official games since February 2003 there. The team, now in the Spanish second division, had a 5-11 record upon his arrival and is relying on Dickerson’s star power to avoid relegation to the third division – although with not much success so far.

Rumors about a potential comeback in Spain first appeared last fall, when Dickerson was visiting his cousin Josh Fisher and started practicing with Gran Canaria, the club where Fisher plays in the Spanish ACB, usually considered the best league in Europe.

Now the comeback is complete. Dickerson, prematurely forced to retire at 28 due to hamstring and groin injuries, is back and happy to be playing – even if on a small stage, away from the bright lights of the NBA.

“It’s a great opportunity, ” the 6-foot-5 swingman said. “I always wanted to play here. It’s a challenge. I wanted to have fun playing basketball again. After retiring, those were difficult times for me personally, but I’m enjoying the chance to play professionally again.”

Unlike others, Dickerson, who averaged 15.4 ppg in five NBA seasons, at least had the chance to sign a big contract before the injuries caught him. In one of his last big moves in Memphis, GM Billy Knight gave him a six-year, $43 million contract extension before the start of the 2001-02 season. The money, though, didn’t make retirement any sweeter.

“It didn’t make it easier at all at the time,” Dickerson said. “It doesn’t really mean anything to me.”

Dickerson, a man of deep spirituality (especially for NBA standards), has used part of that money to travel around the world. He’s been all around Europe and has also spent time in India and Tibet. Still, the player who was supposed to be Pau Gasol’s perimeter sidekick in the first years of the Grizzlies franchise in Memphis, always found the time to exercise and stay in shape in case the opportunity to return to the basketball courts came up.

Gasol and Dickerson ended up playing together in just 10 games, but that was enough for Dickerson to notice the big man from Spain was something special.

“He was talented,” Dickerson said. “A big man that can shoot and pass the ball… There are not many players like that in the NBA. And he was doing that already at a young age. I knew if he kept getting better and better, he’d become an All-Star.”

According to Dickerson, who’s still in touch with fellow Wildcat NBAers Mike Bibby and Jason Terry, his time in Europe may not be over when his playing days come to an end.

“I’d like to stay here in Spain or some other place in Europe and create an individual training facility or a tranining camp where I can coach kids and help the kids develop their basketball game.”

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Former Rockets guard Von Wafer is close to leaving Olympiakos and returning to the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, one source told HoopsHype.com. Wafer’s European agents are working today to rescind his contract with the Greek powerhouse. The 6-foot-5 guard could soon afterwards join the Grizzlies for the rest of the season, the source said.

Wafer’s departure is apparently of mutual agreement. Wafer was due to make $2 million with Olympiakos this year but the team’s coach, Greek legend Panagiotis Giannakis, wasn’t playing him for the last few games. Management didn’t want to have that type of investment sitting on the bench, according to the source, so both sides decided to come to a quick resolution.

Wafer had his best season in the NBA last year with averages of 9.7 ppg and 1.8 rpg.

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Free agent guard Thomas Gardner will sign a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and compete for a roster spot with them at training camp, the agency Mark Termini Associates Inc informed HoopsHype.com.

This would be the third stint with an NBA team for Gardner, who has previously played with Chicago and Atlanta, where he tooks part in 16 games last season.

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What does it mean for you to play for the Mexican National Team?

Earl Watson: For me it’s bigger than just basketball. My grandfather who came over here from Mexico, I don’t think in his wildest dreams in his journey to the United States of America would have thought his grandson would go to UCLA and then to the NBA. For him to actually have the courage to take that step to go to another country… That for me is an amazingly strong thing to do. And that created opportunities for me generations later… Playing for Mexico is for me a way to give back all that appreciation to that part of my family. I never had a chance to meet my grandfather because he passed away when my mom was 20. But this is a way to represent a piece of him and I’ll do that in any way I can.

Who’s prouder about you playing with Mexico? You or your mother?

EW: Oh, my mom is extremely excited. Extremely excited by this opportunity. Just to see it happen is great for her. Her father was her everything. Doing this for him is the ultimate gift I can give her.

Do you know any of your teammates?

EW: I know Eduardo Najera because I played with him in Denver. That’s actually how it came up. We were talking one day and the subject came up and he was like, “Your mother is Mexican?!”

So it’s all his fault.

EW: Yes, yes, it’s all his fault. And you know, talking with my people and my agency, there were questions because it was a free agency year. Then Indiana came up and put so much faith in me. What I don’t wanna do is get injured. But also, what I wanna do is having the honor of representing the country of Mexico because it’s a privilege. At the same time, it’s also a honor to play in the NBA and be a part of the Pacers.

Aside from Najera, do you know any of the players?

EW: Lorenzo Mata, who played for UCLA, is also on the team. I’ve known him for a while. There’s a couple of players that I saw on the team that I saw playing in Vegas.

Do you speak any Spanish?

EW: I speak a little bit of Spanish. When I go to Mexico, and I go to Mexico a lot, I understand quite a bit.

So when you’re with the team, what’s going to be the main language? Because a lot of players are actually Mexican Americans…

EW: We’re probably going to speak Spanglish (laughs). A little bit of both. But you know, basketball is going to be the main connector. Language is important for the little details, to get the strategy across. But when you’re on the court? Basketball is basketball.

You recently signed with the Pacers. What was the team’s main selling point for you in order to sign with Indiana?

EW: That they wanted to win right now. They are committed to building a championship team. There’s a sense of urgency there. They want players to be accountable on and off the court. That creates responsability and accountability. For me, that’s exactly what I was looking for at this point of my career. I think we have a strong enough team to make the playoffs this coming season. Not five years from now or three years from now. Right now. Besides, it’s a great team and a great organization with a great tradition. I was a fan of the team before, when they had Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Reggie Miller and others. They got close to winning a championship. And I’m a fan of basketball and a fan of teams that win. Larry Bird, Coach O’Brien… It’s just so many people involved. And they have a great young nucleus… But it’s a young nucleus with a lot of experience.

You looked like a good fit for some of the contenders. Did you hear from them?

EW: I just came to this decision kind of quick. The other teams came in late. The thing is, I connected with the people in the Pacer organization so quickly… It was actually the team that I thought was going to draft me. I didn’t think Seattle was going to draft me. Seattle had to pick before before Indiana, but all along I thought I was going to Indiana. It’s kind of like a reuniting of the beginning.

Was last season tough for you, having to go back to the bench after starting most of the times the previous year?

EW: I just think the Oklahoma situation was a unique situation. It was a transition period. The way it was going, there were indications… Losing Ray Allen, losing Rashard Lewis, losing Luke Ridnour, losing Delonte West, losing Kurt Thomas, losing Joe Smith… You see it coming. If they let Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis leave, there’s only going to be a snowball effect your way if you’re not part of the new transition. It’s just business. It was never personal for me. It was a great experience. You learn a lot from your toughest moments. Your learn a lot about yourself and other people. But you move forward and you stay professional! Always stay professional! Something good has to happen if you do things the right way. Everything worked out the way I wanted it to work out. I’m in a great situation. It’s was all worth to go through that to get to this point.

You saw Kevin Durant in practice every day the last couple of years. What kind of player do you see him becoming?

EW: I think he can be a Top 5 player in the NBA.

There were even comparisons with LeBron James a few days ago. Do you think he can get to that level?

EW: I don’t think you can compare KD to LeBron – the same way you can’t compare LeBron to Kobe. They are all great players, but they are all unique and different. Players in the future will be getting compared to Kevin Durant. He will make his own mark and have his own path.

Do you have the feeling that you have been backing up players at the point guard position that really were not better than you?

EW: As a young player, you can get caught up into that. But from where I come from… I come from Nate McMillan and Gary Payton in Seattle. Then I go to Jerry West and Hubie Brown. In college I played with Baron Davis. I have like a very strong foundation of basketball principles. Your learn the game, your learn the business, you pick up the knowledge and soak it up. Now I’m with Larry Bird. It’s been a great basketball journey for me being around the greats and learning from them. As a young player, you can get caught up into that. But at the end of the day, it’s about winning. When you see teams like the Spurs bring Ginobili off the bench… It’s not a big deal. When you see Jason Terry come off the bench, it’s for a reason. It’s for strategy. I try not to get caught up into that. If you’re winning and it works, great. If you’re losing, you just wait and see what happens.

Of all the teams you’ve played for, where did you feel more comfortable? Was it Memphis under Hubie Brown?

EW: Absolutely, because of the way he spoke the game. Because of his passion, his knowledge of the game. The way he communicated and talked were both unique. And it was specific for each player. That’s what I loved about him. He didn’t have plays for Mike Miller that he had for Shane Battier. Or James Posey. Or Bonzi Wells. Everyone had their unique style of playing, but he made them do it within a team concept using their individual skills. It was amazing how he managed the details of the game. We also had Jerry West there. We have those two guys at the same time, which was amazing.

What went wrong with the Grizzlies and Hubie Brown? Why it had to end?

EW: I think I told Coach this, “The only thing I regret is not being born earlier to have a chance to play for you my whole career.” He was the type of coach that just captured the moment and captured the team. He took the ego out of the team. It all became about the team. Talking to him, a lot of times I had memories of talking to Coach Wooden. I once asked Coach, “What was the common thing about all of your championship teams?” And Coach said, “The common thing was that no one cared who got the credit.” Everyone bought in. I will always remember that. I was like 18 or 19 when I asked him that.

And with Hubie Brown it was the same. Hubie Brown would always say, “No one will ever ask you how many points you scored. You know why? Because you’re winning games, chap!” He was very similar to Wooden, but he was at a time in his life where he couldn’t give his all. It was a time where he gave all he could and turned the organization in the right direction. I think he left everything good, with the team winning and having a foundation to it.

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Former Spur James White could soon sign a contract with Chinese club Xinjiang Guanhui, agent Bill McCandless told HoopsHype.com.

“Unless there is a trade involving one of three NBA teams with whom we are in contact, he will accept a lucrative six-month deal in China,” McCandless said. “Memphis, Atlanta, and Indiana had the most late interest. One of these three was willing to make a financial commitment, but it was and remains conditioned on moving a player. If that does not happen, then James will play in China.”

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Spanish guard Juan Carlos Navarro has surprised the NBA with his decision to return to FC Barcelona, the club he grew up with. Navarro’s move is pretty unusual considering he left a lot of money on the table last year to sign with the Grizzlies and that he was bound to get a good contract in the league this summer after a brilliant season with Memphis in which he averaged 10.9 ppg and was named to the All-Rookie 2nd Team.

So why did Navarro choose to re-join his former team?

“It all started when he returned to Spain for holidays after the NBA season came to an end,” Navarro’s agent Alex Saratsis told HoopsHype.com. “In his mind, there was no doubt he was going to sign a contract with an NBA team for coming years, but things started to change when FC Barcelona got in touch with us. They were willing to make a great economic effort to bring him back and besides Navarro was thrilled to see that Chichi Creus (a former Spanish player recently named GM of FC Barcelona) was running things. I was in Barcelona last week for Navarro’s birthday and that was when negotiations really heated up. They made two offers to us and the second one was one Juan Carlos couldn’t refuse.”

Reports out of Spain suggest Navarro’s contract is for five years and $15 million euros (around $23 million), making him the best paid player in the history of FC Barcelona’s basketball team.

Although free agents can’t negotiate with NBA teams till July 1, Saratsis gauged the interest in his client around the league. And from what he was hearing, there was big money waiting for him in the NBA also.

“They were not flat out telling me what kind of contract Navarro could get, but you could feel there was a lot of interest from five or six teams especially, Memphis included,” Saratsis said. “We were looking for a contract between $4.5 million and the mid-level exception and from what they were saying, I think it was doable. The names of Jason Kapono, Matt Carroll and Kyle Korver (all of them making more than $4.5 million per season) were often brought up when discussing what kind of role and contract he could get.”

With Navarro bolting for Spain, the Grizzlies get yet another bad break following a dismal season in which they got heavily criticized around the NBA after dealing Pau Gasol for little value. Memphis acquired the rights to Navarro from the Wizards last summer in exchange of a future first-round pick. Now they will have nothing to show for it. But there’s additional bad news for the Grizzlies: Marc Gasol, whose rights they obtained from the Lakers in the February trade, may join La Bomba in Barcelona.

“Juan Carlos understood that there was a possibility of playing with Marc in Barcelona and if that came to fruition, he would be thrilled,” according to Saratsis. “The basketball project of the team was very important to him. It was never about money for Navarro. He gave up money to play in the NBA.”

The question is, why give the NBA a try and then return to Europe after just one season – especially after proving he belonged in the league?

“Well, now he can at least say to himself that he was able to play there, that he was good enough to succeed in the NBA,” Saratsis said. “At one point, he thought he would never get a chance to play there and proving himself that he could do well in NBA was big for him.”

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