US Misses Shot at Iranian Superstar

Everyone knew these Olympics would be political. We knew the stadium-sized gap between the so-called Olympic ideals and the commercial feeding frenzy in Beijing would stagger the faint of heart.

But we are also now seeing, in the towering form of seven-foot-two- inch Hamed Ehadadi, the hypocrisy of a United States that will sing the praises of China and ruthlessly punish Iran, defining the "axis of evil" on an ethically bankrupt scale. Ehadadi plays the center position on Iran's national basketball team. In four Olympic games, he scored 16.5 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Most impressively, he dropped 21 on an Argentinian team loaded with pro talent. NBA front offices salivated and began to line up to talk about contracts. One of the teams interested in Ehadadi was the Memphis Grizzlies, where he could enhanced their already formidable team featuring explosive wingmen OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay. But then the State Department stepped in. "We have been advised that a federal statute prohibits a person or organization in the United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals," is how Yahoo! Sports quoted the NBA legal counsel.

David Stern and the league office followed suit, ordering all clubs to cease and desist talks with Ehadadi's people. The cowardice of Stern is really striking. He likes to sing the praises of the NBA's embrace of globalization. Players in China, who arrive in the NBA with a hometown fan base in the hundreds of millions are welcomed with open arms. Yet Iran clearly is just a bridge too far.

Ehadadi's story exposes how US sanctions can affect the life of an individual, not to mention how it can serve to isolate and humiliate an entire country. It also shows how these sanctions are more likely to affect ordinary--even those of the seven-foot-two variety--people first.

Iran has seen its international standing and national psyche severely tarnished all at the whims of US foreign policy. Remember that Iran was a nation that came out in support of the United States after 9/11 and even offered intelligence support against what they saw as a common enemy--Al Qaeda. In response to this gesture and before the election of the bogeyman Ahmedinejad, Bush and the neocons isolated Iran with a vengeance. They had dreams of quick victory in Iraq and a colony in the oil rich gulf. That didn't quite work, so we are left with Seymour Hersh reports about imminent war and the petty punishments of people like Ehadadi.

Iran's assistant coach Mehran Hatami said, "I am sure he (Ehadadi) will play there this season because he has been great (at the Olympics). He is a talented player. He is OK for beginning in the NBA. After practicing a few years, you will see that he will be one of the great players."

I agree, but he will have to be offered the chance to make that a reality. Given our country's bellicose policy towards Iran, that window of opportunity appears to be as closing faster Usain Bolt.

Comments (13)

1. If the Iranians would just start selling us cheap goods (maybe oil)...

   the Right would happily look the other way at their dictatorship.

   Posted by Maskdelta at 08/19/2008 @ 4:04pm

2. Ehadadi can always go through a third party. Sort of like blackballed oil from axis countries on the international market. No problem. He'll reach the NBA.

   Posted by Sorelish at 08/19/2008 @ 4:17pm

3. How is punishing a potential NBA player "hurting" the government of Iran or influencing them to give up their nuclear program?

   This is another example of Bush's wrong-headed approach to foreign policy that seems to be more about vengeance and personal dislike for the country than getting Iran to do what he wants.

   Posted by Metteyya at 08/19/2008 @ 5:00pm

4. Well, Dave, conversely, NOT following the laws of the land makes one a "striking....hero"?

   Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/19/2008 @ 8:13pm

   Associated Press WorldstreamApril 9, 2007 Monday 9:55 PM GMT

   Halliburton completes oil field projects in Iran

   Posted by frosty zoom at 08/19/2008 @ 10:29pm

5. The level of ignorance in <b>Frosty Zoom</a> comment is frightening. It shows why criminals like Rice and Bush and the rest of them are wrecking the world.

   But I will five the benefit of the doubt that Frosty Zoom is not a bigot, but a weird Satirist!!!

   Posted by Naj at 08/20/2008 @ 08:10am

6. What is so special about the NBA? If we have Guantanamo'ed our justice system, Abu-Garabed our military, Uranium-from-Niger'ed our intelligence services, etc. why not Ehdadi'iaze the NBA?

   You would think if we demean the state department by a crass display of small-mindedness, people around the world would lose respect for us. Like Russia would go invade Georgia. Ya, right!

   For a reality check on Iran, see http://www.bibijon.org/iranimage/

   Posted by BiBiJon at 08/20/2008 @ 10:29am

7. Posted by 2HAPPY at 08/19/2008 @ 8:13pm

   Frosty has a point there. Why is Halliburton still giving the Iranian GOVERNMENT money. But we have to ruin this one NBA players dreams.

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/20/2008 @ 12:11pm

8. Posted by lvliberty1 at 08/20/2008 @ 1:11pm

   How many people are coming into the NBA with 0 training though. This guy hasn't had professional training so I think the point is if he got that what could he do?

   Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/20/2008 @ 1:34pm

9. But I will five the benefit of the doubt that Frosty Zoom is not a bigot, but a weird Satirist!!!

   Posted by Naj at 08/20/2008 @ 08:10am

   sorry for any confusion.

   the people of persia are as fine as any on this planet.

   the rice, the music, the poetry.......

   Posted by frosty zoom at 08/20/2008 @ 9:27pm

10. This guy hasn't had professional training so I think the point is if he got that what could he do?

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/20/2008 @ 1:34pm

    plus, like he's 19 foot 3 or something.

    Posted by frosty zoom at 08/20/2008 @ 9:28pm

11. Posted by frosty zoom at 08/20/2008 @ 9:28pm

    Doesn't even have to run accross the court. Just stretches out his arm and drops the ball in.

    Posted by Cccomfo1 at 08/21/2008 @ 03:58am

12. Zirin should admit there's little difference between ostracism of Iranian athletes and what Carlos and Smith called for in one part of their famous Olympic protest: ostracism of South African athletes.

    Twentysomething jocks shouldn't be punished for immoral actions of their governments. This should be true whether we're talking about Iran, South Africa 40 years ago, or for that matter the United States.

    If Zirin is going to stick to this post's position, he should think twice before glorifying the black fists.

    Posted by R_Johnson at 08/21/2008 @ 04:38am

13. Ideology not reality seems to underlie Zirin's position on Ehadadi, and leads to misguided, if not silly, conclusions. Stern a coward? What is he supposed to do? Ignore the law? No, he'll do what he has been doing: work quietly, behind the scenes to create exceptions. Just as Stern succeeded in having the Iranian team practice against NBA Summer League squads in Salt Lake City last month, he'll work behind the scenes on an exception for Ehadadi. But Zirin prefers public confrontation, not because he's interested in Ehadadi as an individual or wants to help him enter the NBA, but because he wants to publicly embarrass what he perceives to be a misguided Administration.

    According to our omniscient columnist, Iran's international standing and national psyche have been negatively affected simply because of "the whims of US foreign policy." As if Iran didn't contribute to that standing by imposing a theocracy on an unwilling populace, ignoring UN requirements on its nuclear program and by financing terrorist organizations like Hizbollah -- long before the lunatic Ahmedinejad took office in a rigged election where moderate candidates were not allowed to particiapte. And US isolation of Iran began long before the Bush Administration -- or was Zirin asleep between 1979 and 2001?

    While Zirin is quick to deride the hypocrisy of the US government's stance on Iran (and he should have mentioned Cuba, while he was at it, an even worse case), Zirin ignores the likely hypocrisy of Iran: support the US after 9/11? provide intelligence? Perhaps for public consumption, but in a two-faced way. Zirin willfully ignores how Al Qaeda supporters entered Afghanistan via Iran's eastern borders after 911.

    Is intellectual honesty too much to ask from Zirin?

    Posted by Ruben0527 at 08/22/2008 @ 7:18pm