CALIFORNIA (USA) - Aaron Geramipoor has not played in a FIBA Asia Cup for Iran yet, but it's definitely on his to-do list. The up-and-coming big man for Team Melli took the time to sit down and talk live on the @FIBAAsiaCup Instagram account about his  FIBA Basketball World Cup experience, qualifying for the Olympics, and playing alongside legendary teammates.

How have you been? Where are you right now?

I'm home right now in [California] with some family, social distancing. We're on lockdown over here, so just trying to do my part and stay at home. Hopefully, all of this will pass soon in the next couple of months, fingers crossed.

Let's just start off the bat! You're pretty new to playing in Asia, playing in the region. Would you mind just giving a quick introduction to yourself?

I'm Aaron Geramipoor. I'm a center from Iran. I just joined the national team, I had my debut in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019. You're going to hear a lot more about me once this pandemic passes, and the FIBA Asia Cup starts up! That's me, keeping it brief.

During this time right now, have there been any hobbies you recently picked up or any skills you've been trying to build up in particular?

Well, in my back garden, I put up a hoop, so I've been working on just like close-range shots and working on my from. Nothing major because it's on concrete, so I can't really do anything special. But I've been working on my ball handling. That's one of the things I've been trying to improve because I have been able to handle the ball previously, but I just never had the confidence. So that's something that you need is you know some round ball, and you can improve on it. So that's what I'm focusing on right now.

Anything off the court you've been picking up like the cooking or stuff like that?

I am cooking every day like everyone else! But to be honest, nothing special, just enjoying time with family. You don't really get this time, the fact you have around loved ones, and you have no obligation to go anywhere or do anything is a blessing or a hindrance, I guess.

Speaking of your family, your path to playing on the Iran national team - we don't know saying if it's unorthodox is the right term - but it's been all over the place. Like you were born in born in Britain, right?

Yeah.

So yeah, just tell us about that: your heritage, your upbringing, and playing in the States.

As you said, It's not the normal path, but that's kind of the beauty of it. It's not the same path everyone takes get to the national team. It's is a different one that is unique to me.

I mean, I played when I was 16 in the CEBA with Gran Canarias Academy. From there, I got a scholarship in the States for four years at Seton Hall. Then, obviously, my pro career stretched through four continents. Then, me, my agent, my family, and the Iranian Federation, we were working on getting my paperwork so that I can represent the Iran national team. As you know, I did represent the Great Britain national team, so once we finally did that, I got that out the way. It's been a smooth road since, and it just goes to show what happened in the World Cup.

You mentioned that you were playing youth in with Spain, right? So you went through a lot of basketball cultures playing in Spain, playing at Seton Hall in the States. Just how difficult is it to adjust different kinds of basketball cultures at such a young age?

I mean from English-style to Spanish-style, it was a big change. When I was a kid, there were so many fundamentals you had to go over again with so many other different kinds of things you have to do to adjust to playing at the Spanish level.

Then, once I conquered that, I went to the States, and that was a different level there as well. They are a lot more focused on speed, agility, power, dominance. So I had to add that into my game. At the moment, I've got so many types of basketball in me that I've learned through playing in different countries. It was a changing dynamic for me, but I've always managed to do it. Thankfully!

Speaking of playing in the States, playing at Seton Hall, they were doing pretty well this year, right? Did you follow their season?

Yeah, I check in on them now and again. I wouldn't say I'm one of those diehard guys checking in every game because I'd be lying. But I do check in with them now and again, especially on tournament time just to see how they are doing. They were going to go to the NCAA Tournament and obviously the Big East and all this got canceled due to this virus. I feel bad for the seniors, even though I don't know them, but I'm sure they'll have opportunities to play pro or in the States wherever without needing the exposure of those tournaments.

You mentioned playing in South America in Argentina.

Yeah, San Lorenzo was my previous team in Argentina.

How was that, playing there?

Yeah, it was fun! It was only a short span. I signed in January, then played a few games, and then this pandemic kicked off. Then I returned home and just waiting for further instructions.

It looks fun! So you played with Dar Tucker, who plays for the Jordan national team, right? How was he as a teammate?

That's my guy! He's a good guy. I met him - actually, I bumped into him - playing in the World Cup. We played a friendly before the World Cup tipped-off. It was us, Jordan, Nigeria, and I think Poland and we bumped into each other. We exchanged numbers, and it was cool.

Then I remember my agent saying to me, 'Hey, you're going to go to San Lorenzo. There are a few Americans,' and he dropped his name, so that was nice to go somewhere where you know somebody. It was fun, yeah. Me and Dar used to crack up all the time. On the court, we obviously played together a lot. We knew each other's games. Pick and Roll with him was fun!

You guys have any back and forth like 'I'm playing for Jordan, you're playing for Iran'?

(laughs) No, nothing like that.

Well, maybe in the future, when you play against each other in a big game, hopefully it will come up.

You were saying that you guys played in an exhibition tournament before the World Cup, and then you played in the World Cup itself in China. How was that feeling, playing on the biggest stage of basketball?

To be honest, it was nothing shy of unbelievable. I've never been to a World Cup before this one. A lot of the veteran players told you how it was, but sometimes they add fuel to the fire and blow it up bigger than it was supposed to be, in some cases.

But when I got there, and I realized the amplitude of everything, it was like 'Wow.' Then to kick that off and playing against other great teams like Puerto Rico, Tunisia, and Spain in our first group. It was super fun.

How did it feel playing for Iran for the first time as well there?

Like I said, man, unbelievable. It was just an honor to represent the country of Iran. It's an honor to represent my father's homeland and the Iranian Federation, props to them. They're a bunch of gentlemen. They helped me with the process and all the administrative matters. Then obviously the guys in the team which I'm good friends with. They really did help me throughout the line as well.

You mentioned playing against the world's best teams like Puerto Rico and Tunisia. Of course, the big game was against Spain. You were right there against the world champs. You almost had it! We don't mean to bring this up to bring back bad memories but that was a really good game and we think Asia was just really rooting for you guys. Only guide us through your feelings through that game a bit.

So, we lost by a few points to Puerto Rico and that was a hit for all of us but we took it on the chin. Then we played Tunisia and we played a good game but they pulled it out of the bag and they ended up winning the game. A lot of people on social media and fans that you walk past in the World Cup, they didn't really have any hopes for us. None of them supporting us like 'You are going to get blown out' and 'Just pack up and go home.'

Nobody listened to them. Our head coach Mehran Shahintab was the one who lit the fire underneath the veterans and us; they followed it down the line. Everyone was just amped up for the game. We were really close to pulling off a great win, but it only shows the potential of the team from the veterans who have represented around for many years to the young guys and myself being my first year. It just shows the potential in the talent from top to bottom. We were there.

 

Talking about veterans there, specifically Hamed Haddadi: How was it playing with him? How is he as a teammate?

It's great. Yeah, Hamed's a great guy. I'm good friends with him. The World Cup experience just made us even closer than brothers. Not only off the court when he was laughing. Joking, travelling and having fun but on the court, I learned so much from him. He's one of those guys that is just highly talented in many ways and he's not shy to help other guys out. If you need anything, if you need any advice, if you need any assistance, he's always there to help you out.

During practice, we talk all the time because we play the same position. He always gives me pointers saying 'Make sure you look for this' or 'This is the best way to attack their defense' and 'If they do this try this.' We were just going back and forth and obviously we competed which was always fun, me and Hamed going up against one another. Great guy. True general on and off the court. I look forward to our next tournaments in Asia Cup next year and obviously the Olympics.

Any fun stories that you can share on a public platform like this with Hamed or any of the other guys on the team actually from the World Cup?

Just traveling with the guys. From bus trips to plane rides to trains to whatever it was to get us where we needed to go. We just had fun, and knowing what the World Cup was going towards, it was the pinnacle of our summer journey. All of this was just enjoying the ride in the meantime with those guys.

(laughs) That's the only story I can share with you guys.

Some fans are just coming in here to say Hi. They're really enthusiastic about Iran heading into the future, especially after you guys qualified for the upcoming Olympics through the World Cup. How did that feel playing for the first time in the World Cup and being a part of getting them to the next big stage in the Olympics?

It's hard to describe, just being a part of that special group of guys that managed to do something like this. It was just - what's the word -amazing. That's the first part. To answer the second part, like going forward with these guys in the Olympics, I think it's only going to get better. Debuting in my first appearance with Iran in such a massive tournament in such magnitude, there was some pressure, but when the ball goes up for tip, all of that goes out the window.

You got a taste a bit up playing against Asia Cup opponents, but like you mentioned in the exhibition games with Jordan. At the World Cup itself, you played against the Philippines. How do these games against Asian teams feel for you? How excited does that make you for future opportunities are playing in this in this competition, the Asia Cup, that you haven't played it yet?

I can't wait to be able to play in the Asia Cup finally! It's a milestone that I want to take off my list. In the next event, I'll make sure I'm there.

Playing against, for example, one of the teams, Philippines, at the World Cup, I know we ended up winning the game, but they gave us a run for our money. We were up at a time by maybe 10 points, and they brought it back close. They hit a couple of threes unexpectedly, and we called the time-out.

(laughs) At the time, we were panicking, but you know we regrouped, and we came out. We practiced what we put into play, and we ended up getting the win, but it was a great game. The Philippines' fans, I got to hand it to them. At the World Cup, they were crazy. Good crazy, but they  were fun. They made the game that much more fun, you know?

We have a question here from a fan, @jus_griff: What's your mindset going into a game, especially representing a country?

It's just pure focus. I put my headphones on from getting on to the bus to taking them off before the pre-game meeting before we go out and put our jerseys on. I'm just focused on the game at hand. The scouting report that was put in front of us, only focusing on the other team's weaknesses. Not to mention the camaraderie between teammates and things like 'this guy likes to shoot,' 'this guy likes to drive,' 'this guy likes to cut.' You just have think over these things. It's a state of mind.

A lot of people will be like, 'I will just focus, just concentrate.' They stay like laissez-faire. But once it's coming to a game, you kind of train yourself to have that mindset that sets you head and shoulders above the standard person. Being an athlete, that's one of the things you have to you know focus on. It's like shopping for your tools.

You mentioned putting on your headphones before games. Give us a preview of your playlist just a bit. What's the first thing you put up?

My playlist crazy; it goes up and down. I've got Future and Drake. They're the chunk of it, but then I can switch to 90s old school dance tracks to get me going. Then I've got a couple of country songs to you know to get the calm before the storm.  I go old school with Tupac, Biggie, N.A.S. That's my playlist. It's crazy. You wouldn't know where to start, but for me, it's perfect.

Another question: What's your favorite cheat food post-game?

Ah, @javii_jav, my friend! Postgame, it's got to be something sugary. Something sugary. Definitely, chocolate, candy bar, it has to be. That's my go-to.

We were talking about the Asia Cup earlier. You haven't played yet, but you are expecting to be playing. Who are some opponents like which teams or which players that you are looking forward to play against? Like maybe the defending champs Australia or New Zealand, China, Japan?

To be honest, you took answer out of my mouth. The defending champs, Australia, I look forward to playing against their team. Like you said Japan, China and New Zealand. I don't really go for specific players to go head-to-head with, but I do look forward to whoever I'm going to compete with at that time for that team. Hopefully, I get to come up against those teams in the near future, and we'll see what happens.

I know you said you don't like to go into any specifics, but are there any players in the past in Asia that you might have wanted to go up against?

I would have liked to go up against Yao [Ming]. That would have been fun. If I wasn't a kid, of course. It was the age I am now, and Yao was in the same age range, that would have been fun. Because I play against Haddadi in practice and they're very similar. Going head-to-head, battling, competing is great. Going up against another big with that same kind of talent would be just as fun for me.

Now, talking about the future for the Iran national team. Guys like and and Mike [Rostampour] coming from what seems like a different talent pool for Iran. Guys who went through the NCAA system. What are your thoughts and feelings about being a part of that new wave along with the wave that are groomed in Iran as well?

Like I said, it's a privilege to represent my father's home country of Iran. Being one of those new players in the new wave, as you said, coming in like Mike, we don't take this task lightly. We know we've got a job to do. We know we've got a country to represent. We know the standards of basketball in Iran are high as they are. So we've got to maintain that level, if not exceed previous levels. But we do our best.

The level of basketball in Iran, it's the right level as you know with how many times they've won the championship in the past. For the guys that have taken as those levels, I thank them. For the guys are coming up with myself, we know the bars are set high so we're definitely going to do what we can to keep elevating the country with the style of basketball or level of basketball.

I just want to run another question with you about your teammates. You mentioned playing with Hamed and he's plays in the same position  as you, so you learn a lot. How about a guy like Samad [Nikkahbahrami] who's a wing scorer? What kind of stuff do you learn from him as a guy who has a lot of experience as well but doesn't really play the same position as you?

The list is endless when you play with guys like that. I know he doesn't play the same position as me, but we have a lot in common. We played a lot of the pick and roll together. When I pass it in a post, he's always on either the opposite side of the same side with me, ready to spot up. We always talk about the where we like it in plays like I like it low post or you know the high post and rip through. He likes it in this area, and we'd obviously talk about different stuff. You come to an agreement where we both are at our best potential; we're both getting the ball in areas where we can score and be effective. That's one of the things, and just even off the court, he's just a stand-up guy like Hamed. Very, very similar.

He knows that we are the next phase of players to come through, so he's just telling us the ropes and giving us the experience. Telling us his past games he's played in and how it happened and how things turned around. Having a guy like that with so much wisdom with so much experience to pass it down to the rest of the team is one of those blessings in disguise. When we're in tough games, he always steps up as well as Hamed to kind of rally the troops and gets ready.

A fan here asking you to have some more dunks on the rim in the future, so we're looking forward to that!

Just talk about the fans here in Asia a little bit. The fans in Iran. Just a shout out to basketball in Asia, in general, to close things out.

The fans in Asia, they're great. The games I've played in already, the fans showed up, and they were fantastic. As players, we really appreciate that and that helps us bring the best basketball out of us. If I've had the opportunity to play in front of, thank you. For the fans, I'm going to play in front of, I look forward to it and I hope you do, too.

I played in Iran, the Super League, obviously. Practicing with the national team and stuff, fans came out to the games, came out to the practices. They were great. It gives you that extra kind of push, the Iranian fans, to perform because not only do you have to perform yourself to win. You have kids that are in sum showing up. You have families always on Instagram, messaging me saying 'Hey, good luck' or commenting on my stuff, like my stuff. You're representing them; you play for them. So I'd like to thank those fans and all the other people that message me. I don't get back to all of you, but I do see a majority of your messages. I do appreciate that.

(laughs) Hopefully, I get the time during this lockdown to reply to each of you, but there's a lot. I mean my inbox, at the moment, it felt like a couple of 100s. Maybe I use this time to get cracking on that list.

Just one last question, since it popped up here before we close out. From @purejoyball: Any advice to the next generation of basketball coming up?

I would advise them to work with people who care. People who are ex-players that have been through the process. Those are very humble and very trustworthy guys. Willing to do any counter to push kids to the next level, to get into teens, and then obviously teens to grown men. Those jumps are huge. Just working with those guys, it will really help you. You can do a lot of stuff on your own, everybody can, but to be successful, you're going to need help from someone, somewhere. I'd advise you to don't waste your time and really work with clubs, external trainers, people like that we really want to help you.

Just stay focused as well. There's a lot of distractions these days that could take you off the path. Myself being an athlete growing up, there were a lot of distractions. Friends doing this, friends doing that. There's a point where you have to mature, and you have to tell yourself 'If I want to do this and I want to continue to go to the next level, I've to make sacrifices.' I'd just advise those players to keep their heads on all the time. Work hard. Listen to your family. Listen to your close friends. I wish you the best of luck.

FIBA