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Hamed E. Haddadi ( born May 19, 1985) is an Iranian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He plays at the center position and is 7’2″ (2.18 meters) tall and weighs 265 lbs. Haddadi was the first Iranian to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he debuted in 2008.Before the 2004 NBA draft, Haddadi declared himself eligible for the draft as an early entrant. However, he went undrafted in the draft and therefore became a free agent who is free to sign with any NBA team.Haddadi received offers from NBA teams prior to the 2008 Summer Olympics and stated he would sign with a team after the games.[6] Complications existed because of legal restrictions regarding business dealings between U.S. companies and Iranian citizens.
