Official Arsalan Kazemi Rips Pac-12 a New One Thread

[Naap]

i read in twitter before the game that he needs like 10 rebounds to break some record from Duncan ...

[Ghermez Agha]

He really made a very good impression this year, I'd like to see him stay in college for another year so he could develop a bit more before entering the draft and he would definitely be selected next year if he enters, does anyone know if he is planning on entering or not?

[Masoud_A]

He really made a very good impression this year, I'd like to see him stay in college for another year so he could develop a bit more before entering the draft and he would definitely be selected next year if he enters, does anyone know if he is planning on entering or not?

He is entering the draft this summer.

[irani8perspolis]

Arsalan Kazemi mix

[TM4LIFE]

Official Arsalan Kazemi Rips Pac-12 a New One Thread

It seems Iranians with the initials AK are pretty successful in sports

[ShahHouman]

http://deadspin.com/arsalan-kazemi-o...ium=socialflow

Arsalan Kazemi, Oregon's Iranian-Born Glue Guy, Was Subjected To A Whole Lot Of Racism In His Time As A Student-Athlete

Arsalan Kazemi was Oregon's hustling forward and best rebounder this season, averaging nearly a double-double and shooting almost 60%. He was also, according to USA Today, "the first Iranian to recieve a scholarship to play Division I basketball," and boy, did he hear about it.

Immediately upon his arrival in the U.S., visa in hand, Kazemi was detained for questioning:

A little more than two weeks [after obtaining his visa], he landed in the United States, where he was held several hours for questioning. Kazemi's ultimate destination was North Carolina and The Patterson School. Immigrations officials wondered, however, why he'd flown to Houston (it was to spend a few days with Anthony Ibrahim, a family friend). "They asked me, 'What are you doing here? Are you a terrorist? Are you trying to harm the country of the United States?' They asked me a bunch of questions like that, but I guess that's their job," he said.
Kazemi chose to attend Rice for college, where for three seasons he was one of the team's best players, and where, over the same period, he, two of his teammates and an assistant coach were allegedly mistreated and taunted with racial epithets by the university's athletic director. Kazemi resisted speaking to the press about the incidents, but Sports Illustrated saw the complaint Kazemi filed with the NCAA [emphasis added]:

In his hardship waiver, Kazemi claimed that [athletic director Rick] Greenspan routinely made insulting remarks based on ethnicity and religion to him, two other players (Oraby and forward Ahmad Ibrahim) and a former assistant coach (Marco Morcos) during his three years at Rice. Oraby averaged 6.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game at USC this past season, while Ibrahim bypassed his three remaining years of eligibility to turn professional and play in his native Lebanon.

Morcos, an Egyptian native whose contract was not renewed after last season and recruited all three players, has filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) alleging discriminatory remarks and a hostile work environment at Rice, according his lawyer, Aaron Pool.

...

In Kazemi's waiver request, he claimed that Greenspan told Marcos to "recruit more terrorists" on multiple occasions. He also alleged that when talking in Arabic to another player that Greenspan asked if they were having an "Al-Qaeda meeting."

When Morcos wore a traditional Middle Eastern gown as part of a team function for Halloween, Kazemi alleged in the waiver request that Greenspan told the assistant, "All you need is a backpack and you are ready to bomb the school." On multiple road trips, Kazemi claimed that Greenspan directed airport security to thoroughly search the bags of him, Oraby and Ibrahim because of their Middle Eastern heritage.

Kazemi also accused Greenspan of telling him and other players in January 2012, "We only need one more guy to complete the Axis of Evil."

Another time, Kazemi alleged he was talking in a foreign language to another player and Morcos when Greenspan walked by and told them, "Stop speaking in this language because you could be plotting against us."
Kazemi further contended that repeated requests to deal with the situation went ignored by Ben Braun, then and now the head coach at Rice, and that the school failed to make accommodations for his religion. Rice spokespeople categorically and emphatically deny the allegations, but the NCAA granted Kazemi and his teammates the exception and let them transfer without taking a redshirt year.

In its profile, USA Today wrote that Kazemi faced heckling in his three years at Rice:

At road games in those first three seasons, Kazemi occasionally was taunted because of his nationality. Among other things, he has occasionally been called a "terrorist" by opponents' fans.
Kazemi told USA Today "he hasn't heard too many catcalls this season," but if that was the case, it's because he tuned them out. In February, The Daily Emerald, an Oregon student newspaper, got its hands on a PDF sent out to the University of Washington student section by one of its members. A few suggested techniques for getting under Kazemi's skin:

-The fact is this guy is from Iran, and there is something highly intriguing and terrifying about that. Our best advice would be to not look him directly in the eye.

*Ahmadinejad is watching!

-He speaks Persian.

*Use Google, and explore the Persian language, make him feel at home with some taunts from his native tongue
"Highly intriguing and terrifying" is an oddly self-aware description of a standard racist view of people that aren't white. From officials at the Houston airport, to administrators at Rice, and fans of the other team every time he stepped on a court, Arsalan Kazemi dealt with people calling him a terrorist (and worse) since he arrived on our shores. He told USA Today that he "doesn't hate Americans," so we congratulate him on being among the most merciful people in the country.

[Sports Illustrated/USA Today]

[radin119]

^i actually dont believe this

[Hosseini]

Arsalan is going to shine in the NBA. This is really huge, so happy for him

[tashakor]

^i actually dont believe this

Believe it my friend, it's a reality. This is Texas after all.

The stuff said to him I hear all the time, from friends, co-workers, bosses....but its always in humor. There was one instance when I took it seriously that was in high school during ramadan me and a few others bs'ed that we were fasting so we don't run our laps during Phys ed. and the substitute teacher was like "are you guys terrorists or something?"

These things happen all the time here in California, in a place like Texas I am not one bit surprised.

[persianbruin]

So proud of our boy for his stellar college basketball career. as for the 45 rebounds, I thought it would be best to ask himself. I was sure he knew the answer. It is top 10 NCAA alltime and he just passed Tim Duncan in that list.

By the way I don't know how many of you caught this after the game Rick Pitino a basketball god for those of you who are too young to know, out of all people stopped arsalan to say something during the handshake line at the end of the game. I was dying to know what he said because you could see in Pitino's eyes that it was full of praise. So I asked him and he said he told me that I am a great player!

Pitino is just one of many iconic basketball figures who has noticed AK. We should all be so happy for him and as Iranians we should all be thrilled that we have such player representing us not just because of his basketball skills but more so because of his personality and character. Everybody that knows him admires him. He is mature beyond his years and has a great heart.

I have a funny feeling that he will be drafted by the heat!

I saw Pat riley present at all of his games in Vegas. Then I saw Pat riley present in the first two NCAA games in San Jose. After that I told him he was gonna be a heat. The humble guy that he is, he was like, yeah right! whatever! but then again he was also present at their last game. AK doesn't take me seriously when I say this, so I am sure you guys don't either! lol but mark my words, if he is not picked up earlier, the heat will pick him up to replace udonis Haslem. If you think about it what AK brings to the table is a perfect fit for the heat and as a laker fan, I would not be happy but as an AK fan, I'll be jumping up and down if he gets drafted by the heat.

Last but not least, the article that shahouman has posted, I don't like to talk about it. It is a very sensitive issue. If you guys remember like 6 months ago when some of you kept asking why is it that he got the waiver, I kept trying to divert the situation by saying the reason is not important. The reason was never meant to come out. Some reporter must have been snooping left and right to get this but all I am going to say is that again Arsalan is a man of high character. He doesn't lie.

Best of luck to our boy in DA league!

On a separate note, congrats to the great Kobe Bryant for passing wilt. One could only imagine, where he would be on that list if he didn't have to defer for the first 8 years of his career. In four years he will be the alltime leading scorer.

[EKBATAN]

WOW NICE! beating Tim Duncans' record



i think he can end up in a good team like heat or lakers easily if he doesnt get drafted in the top 20

[princeofpersia1]

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/...er-career.html

[EKBATAN]

http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/...er-career.html

Sick stats!

[Under Lahaf]

So proud of our boy for his stellar college basketball career. as for the 45 rebounds, I thought it would be best to ask himself. I was sure he knew the answer. It is top 10 NCAA alltime and he just passed Tim Duncan in that list.

By the way I don't know how many of you caught this after the game Rick Pitino a basketball god for those of you who are too young to know, out of all people stopped arsalan to say something during the handshake line at the end of the game. I was dying to know what he said because you could see in Pitino's eyes that it was full of praise. So I asked him and he said he told me that I am a great player!

Pitino is just one of many iconic basketball figures who has noticed AK. We should all be so happy for him and as Iranians we should all be thrilled that we have such player representing us not just because of his basketball skills but more so because of his personality and character. Everybody that knows him admires him. He is mature beyond his years and has a great heart.

I have a funny feeling that he will be drafted by the heat!

I saw Pat riley present at all of his games in Vegas. Then I saw Pat riley present in the first two NCAA games in San Jose. After that I told him he was gonna be a heat. The humble guy that he is, he was like, yeah right! whatever! but then again he was also present at their last game. AK doesn't take me seriously when I say this, so I am sure you guys don't either! lol but mark my words, if he is not picked up earlier, the heat will pick him up to replace udonis Haslem. If you think about it what AK brings to the table is a perfect fit for the heat and as a laker fan, I would not be happy but as an AK fan, I'll be jumping up and down if he gets drafted by the heat.

Last but not least, the article that shahouman has posted, I don't like to talk about it. It is a very sensitive issue. If you guys remember like 6 months ago when some of you kept asking why is it that he got the waiver, I kept trying to divert the situation by saying the reason is not important. The reason was never meant to come out. Some reporter must have been snooping left and right to get this but all I am going to say is that again Arsalan is a man of high character. He doesn't lie.

Best of luck to our boy in DA league!

On a separate note, congrats to the great Kobe Bryant for passing wilt. One could only imagine, where he would be on that list if he didn't have to defer for the first 8 years of his career. In four years he will be the alltime leading scorer.

welcome back!!!! you were missed!!!

[radin119]

So proud of our boy for his stellar college basketball career. as for the 45 rebounds, I thought it would be best to ask himself. I was sure he knew the answer. It is top 10 NCAA alltime and he just passed Tim Duncan in that list.

By the way I don't know how many of you caught this after the game Rick Pitino a basketball god for those of you who are too young to know, out of all people stopped arsalan to say something during the handshake line at the end of the game. I was dying to know what he said because you could see in Pitino's eyes that it was full of praise. So I asked him and he said he told me that I am a great player!

Pitino is just one of many iconic basketball figures who has noticed AK. We should all be so happy for him and as Iranians we should all be thrilled that we have such player representing us not just because of his basketball skills but more so because of his personality and character. Everybody that knows him admires him. He is mature beyond his years and has a great heart.

I have a funny feeling that he will be drafted by the heat!

I saw Pat riley present at all of his games in Vegas. Then I saw Pat riley present in the first two NCAA games in San Jose. After that I told him he was gonna be a heat. The humble guy that he is, he was like, yeah right! whatever! but then again he was also present at their last game. AK doesn't take me seriously when I say this, so I am sure you guys don't either! lol but mark my words, if he is not picked up earlier, the heat will pick him up to replace udonis Haslem. If you think about it what AK brings to the table is a perfect fit for the heat and as a laker fan, I would not be happy but as an AK fan, I'll be jumping up and down if he gets drafted by the heat.

Last but not least, the article that shahouman has posted, I don't like to talk about it. It is a very sensitive issue. If you guys remember like 6 months ago when some of you kept asking why is it that he got the waiver, I kept trying to divert the situation by saying the reason is not important. The reason was never meant to come out. Some reporter must have been snooping left and right to get this but all I am going to say is that again Arsalan is a man of high character. He doesn't lie.

Best of luck to our boy in DA league!

On a separate note, congrats to the great Kobe Bryant for passing wilt. One could only imagine, where he would be on that list if he didn't have to defer for the first 8 years of his career. In four years he will be the alltime leading scorer.

just curious, how did you become such good friends with arsalan up to the point where you follow him around to all his games?