Iranian basketball great Haddadi joins Esteghlal
Former Iranian international center Hamed Haddadi has joined Esteghlal in the Iranian Basketball Premier League.
The 40-year-old’s contract will run until the end of the ongoing top-flight season.
Esteghlal dominated the first half of the season, completing a clean sweep of 10 victories – including an 80-70 away win against second-placed Tabiat in their most recent outing – to sit atop the table with 20 points.
Widely regarded as the greatest Iranian basketball player of all time, Haddadi – a former NBA player with the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns – returned to the Iranian league with Palayesh Naft Abadan in January 2024 after four years with China’s Sichuan Blue Whales.
A three-time FIBA Asia Cup champion with Iran and a four-time MVP in the competition, the 7-foot-2 center retired from international duty following the country’s final outing at the previous FIBA World Cup against Lebanon in September 2023.