On Monday, many international basketball media were reporting on the anticipated matchup between Grizzlies’ center, Hamed Haddadi, the NBA’s first Iranian player, and Kings forward Omri Casspi, the first Isreali-born player in the league. What HASN’T been reported on, however, is the fact that Haddadi was a no show for the game. I was in attendance on Monday in Sacramento, and quickly noticed that Haddadi was not present. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, as Hadaddi is frequently on the inactive list for Memphis. I figured he stayed home for the road trip. Last night, though, I was at Oracle Arena for the Grizzlies’ game against the Golden State Warriors, and Haddadi WAS present. SO, does this mean he was told to stay away from Arco Arena?
Did Iranian Government officials send this guy to yank Haddadi off the court?
By
cali4dre
chappy81
dyslecix
mceezy
Doin Work 
November 6th, 2009 at 9:08 am
mceezy
I’ve longed maintained that the moment that sports and politics there’s bound to be trouble. The only time where I was in full agreement with such a situation wherein former tennis great Arthur Ashe protested the ‘US support’ of the South African apartheid regime.
Considering the legacy of the US at the time I thought it abhorrent that they’d have continued diplomatic relations with the country.
In this case of Hamed Haddadi and that of Omri Casspi it may well be clearly a case wherein pressure was brought to bear on players by their respective governments. It’s not as if we’ve not seen this sort of scenario before. Who can forget the tit for tat boycotts of the 80’s between the US and Russia at consecutive Olympics ? Need one say anything more on the subject ? And the two countries weren’t even in conflict in sense of being at war. However, between Israel and Iran, these two countries are equally on the edge at any given moment in terms of a conflict. Never mind the inane rants of the Iranian President Ahmadinejad. His opposite number in Nethanyu is similarly a nutcase with his posturing .
So at the end of the as they say ….what’s new ?
Alan Parkins
November 6th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Yeah, it’s definitely nothing new. I remember the case of the judo guy from the 04 Olympics who sat out the gold medal match or something like that b/c his opponent was from Israel. I guess I thought the more interesting part was how no one reported on Haddadi being absent from the Kings game, but on the bench against the Warriors.
November 6th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
mceezy
It wouldn’t surprise me if Ahmadinejad essentially said to Haddadi through someone from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard ‘………….you play you die. Play two we kill your whole family’
He hasn’t got much choice has he ?
What do you think’ll happen to the Browns’ Eric Mangini ? That whole thing is unraveling like a ball of wool.
Dropped this piece on it all .. click on link to view.
Oh What A Web Weave ….
Alan Parkins