BEIRUT (Lebanon) - Shahrdari Gorgan would want to bring home no less than the gold as they try their luck once more in Season 2 of the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL).

Back in the inaugural competition, the team from Iran fell short of winning the West Asia League title after bowing to Al Riyadi in the best-of-3 Final, and wasn't able to pull off a deep run in the Final 8 as it crashed out of the Group Phase - a result that surprised many, being a touted as a favorite.

But hope springs eternal, as the saying goes, and the upcoming FIBA WASL season could be an opportunity for the squad to achieve the success that proved elusive last time.

History

Shahrdari Gorgan were established in 1969 and has since become a staple in the local basketball scene. After a few years in Division One, the ball club was among the pioneers of the Iranian Super League in 1998, which would become the country's premier hoops league.

They won their first national championship in 2021, and would go on to lord over the two seasons that came after. Gorgan are currently the league's reigning three-time champions.

Emblem

Gorgan underwent a major logo change back in 2020. From its classic green and white with a red symbol, the ball club went with a more modern-looking seal featuring black, red, and white.

Homecourt

Gorgan play their home games at the Gorgan Eagles Castle, although they utilized the famed Azadi Basketball Hall in Tehran for FIBA WASL games in Season 1. That won't change in Season 2.

Path to FIBA WASL

Gorgan booked themselves a flight back to FIBA WASL after conquering the 2022-23 Iranian Super League. They swept Kalleh Mazandaran in the best-of-3 Finals to complete the three-peat as well.

Players to watch

It will practically be an all-new Gorgan team in the upcoming FIBA WASL season as the club signed up established names during the offseason following the departure of star scorers Mohammad Jamshidi and Behnam Yakhchali, as well as veteran guard Perry Petty and Sajjad Pazirofteh.

They now have the Arsalan Kazemi and Amir Gholizadeh, previously of the ZobAhan Isfahan side which Gorgan beat in Season 1's WASL-West Asia League Semis. They also have another national team standout Sina Vahedi to provide the needed floor generalship.

Reinforcing them, meanwhile, will be former NBA big man Norvel Pelle, who played for Lebanon back in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut. He'll be sharing duties together with ex-Orthodox Amman swingman Darrin Dorsey, Will Cherry, and Anthony Miles.

FIBA