October 04-2013
Hamid Haddadi will be playing in China this season.
The website Asia-Basket reports that Haddadi has signed a contract for $1.3 million to play the season with the Sichuan Blue Whales, a team that was just promoted to the top league, the Chinese Basketball Association.
After Haddadi, 28, was released by the Arizona Suns over the summer, the New York Knicks reportedly considered hiring him. He went to New York and worked out with the team in August. But, eventually, New York’s interest waned.
The next report said Haddadi was signing with an Iranian team. That has turned out to be erroneous.
The money is much better in China. But Haddadi is also likely to get much more playing time in China than he would with any American team.
That was his one complaint about life in the National Basketball Association; he only saw a few minutes of play at a time and spent most of his time on the bench for his five years in the NBA.