Thursday, August 27th, 2009 at 5:35 am  |  27 responses

Haddadi: ‘I’m a star’

Iranian international Hamed Haddadi says he is a star of the Memphis Grizzlies but the NBA team leaves him on the bench and off the court most of the time.

“Grizzlies’ officials don’t let me show my abilities. I have done my best every time I was called up to play for my team, but I don’t know why they don’t trust me,” added Haddadi, who was the first Iranian basketball player to make it to the NBA.

“I want to play regularly for the Grizzlies; nevertheless I will have to change my team now since I am a star of the team but sitting on the bench,” he told the Mehr News Agency in an interview at the MNA offices on Monday.

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  • http://www.lkz.ch Darksaber

    Wow, what wonders a good showing at the recent Asian championships can do to his self esteem. So you scored and defended well against inferior comp. though being the tallest guy on the court all tournament long, then beat china in the finals (without Yao or any semblance of outside shooting, AND Yi was your defender) and you are the man? Ok then, Hamed.

  • Mark

    The story is more believable that it’s one of the worst teams in the NBA sitting their “star”.

  • http://myspace.com/2grownup2beshownup Jack

    Yeahhhhhhh, you right Hamed. I hear kush is a tradition after the Asian C-ships, here’s the proof.

  • Shamwowin on em

    Are you crazy? dude has talent he even had a few good games for memphis when they gave him a chance. He should be the first bigman off the bench but instead they drafted hasheem thabust.So i hope he does get traded to a team that gives him a real chance

  • gatorhator

    and plus you gotta take into account that this interview was translated..i mean its the iranian news theres no way they did this interview in english

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    “I’m a star! That what my mummy always said! And mothers always know best!”

  • http://www.mynameinblue.blogspot.com Hisham

    You an be star of some minor league team if you want

  • http://www.mynameinblue.blogspot.com Hisham

    wow great typing

  • http://www.manutd.com Zaal

    I don’t take comments by foreign players too seriously because it could always be an inaccurate translation. And even if he did say it in English, that’s prolly his 3rd language at best.

  • http://allanzuss@yahoo.com Mendel

    they dont trust you or like you.

  • cmoneys

    he is way better then hasheem thabust

  • boy sanchez

    Nice one Hursty! :)

  • COLT6

    This is a joke, right? Haddadi is a 7″2 behemoth here in Asia but he has dull as ditchwater post moves. All he does is camp in the paint, swat some shots, dunk some putbacks and receive nifty dimes from #7 PG Kamrani (good) and the real star #14 Nikkah Bahrami ({ver good). No Hamed, you are not a star, son. What the hell are you smokin’?

  • http://Www.lkz.ch/basket Darksaber

    Bahrami is amazing. He was true Mvp of Fiba Asia this year

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    Is it wrong that somehow Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” came into my head when I first read this?

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    Also, I would like it known that my mental imagery of Haddadi involves him wearing Barry Manilow’s clothes. Just because.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com Blinguo

    ^You sound crazier than me and my bad jokes today Hursty.
    -
    Neutron star maybe.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    I’m going to co sign on Zaal’s comment. Something was definitely lost in translation on this one. No way this kid thinks he’s a star on the Grizzlies. Still, OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay should be happy. If Haddadi is a star then they’ve just been elevated to superstar status in Memphis by default.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com Hursty

    Blinguo – that was almost coherent! jks mate.
    I put it down to the happy/silly endorphines the body produces when it is over tired. 7 hours sleep over 48 hours (3 two nights ago, 4 last night).
    And seriously, something MUST have been lost in translation… babel.

  • http://hibachi20.blogspot.com Blinguo

    Yes, even the unfunniest youtubes get a boost from lack of sleep. I was on the same schedule you said 3 & 4 the last few days but got about 9 the next night. Moving back to normalcy.

  • http://slamonline.com/ niQ

    It’ll be even harder to get playing time now that Thabeet is on the team.. But what he says is true. I remember the team picked him up and was wondering how he would do in the league, but the coach RARELY (and I mean RARELY) put him into games.

  • sam

    i swear haddadi is borats retarded son that escaped from the basement…

  • wtf

    WTF? yao would have taught your ass

  • http://slamonline.com Spaceship Jay

    This feels….. Borat-ish.

  • luv2ball

    What he meant to say was “I am a star when I go to the D-league” I average a double double in the D-league and then I have to play behind Marc Gasol!

  • Josh D

    He’s right he’s really good when he plays for Iran

  • A.Z.92

    yes ….,,,,, you are the best player in asia…

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