One of the main perks for Americans to play in Iran and admittedly another of the reasons why some Americans continue to return: is the pay.
Good Money For Americans
American players earn between 60,000 and 200,000 dollars for about six months of action - a salary very few ballers from the Motherland of Basketball could earn outside the NBA - even in Europe, which has a higher quality of play than Iran.
"Yeah, sure the money is good. But so few players want to come to Iran so our clubs have to pay that money," said Samad Bahrami.
Americans Help Iranians Earn More Too
But Iranian star Hamed Hadadi said that the Americans' higher salaries actually helped Iranians as well, since he and other top Iranian talents can also demand more money.
Still, Americans must realize that upon their return to the United States they could face a fine of up to 50,000 dollars by the Treasury Department for playing professional basketball in Iran - considered as a violation of U.S. sanctions against providing services to the rouge nation.
Iran Government Backs Many Iranian Clubs
In light of all the political bickering, however, it seems that much more ironic that many of Iran's top corporations and government ministries sponsor the 16 Superleague teams. In fact, two of the most successful clubs belong to the Iranian Defense Ministry.
Still, the Iranian Basketball Federation's goal is simple - to improve its players. And the federation sees signing American players as the easiest way of doing that. An American, Gary LeMoine, was even hired in December 2000 to coach the Iranian national team - a move which didn't even last one full year.
NBA TV and 50 Cent In Teheran As Well
But young Iranian basketball players are just like young American players. They grow up watching NBA TV and idolizing NBA superstars like Dwyane Wade and Kevin Garnett or playing pickup basketball with rap and hip-hop acts like 50 Cent blaring from the radio.
When asked what he would tell an American thinking about coming to Iran, Iranian national team sharp-shooter Aidin Nikkhah Baharami, Samad's older brother, said: "Come and you'll have a great experience. Maybe the Iranian government has a problem with the U.S. government. But I know the people in Iran love American people. Just come and find out."
Fatal Car Crash For Iranians
Aidin Bahrami made that comment about one year before he died in a tragic car crash with his fiancée in December 2007. Aidin and Samad were expecting to play a critical role in Iran's chances at the 2008 Olympics.
The Iranian national team has already said it will dedicate its performance in Beijing to Aidin and it will do everything in its power to make him proud.
Unfortunately for fate, Iran did not face off against the United States in going winless in five games at the 2008 Olympics. Too bad since it was courageous Americans like Washington, Pitts and Marsh which helped Iran even make the Summer Games in the first place.
Americans Help Iran to Olympics, Americans Teach Fundamentals To Iranians
