IRI - Marsh happy to be in Germany

TEHRAN (Iranian Basketball) - American basketball players have long been leaving the United States to continue their playing days. Most of them are in their early 20s and get their first taste of a foreign culture following a career in college.

Many head to South America, Europe, Asia or wherever else the bouncing basketball takes them.

But more and more are now taking the chance to play in Iran. One such player is former Tulane University playmaker Waitari Marsh.

The first American to play for an Iranian club was Eddie Washington in 2000. Marsh last season was one of some 35 Americans earning their basketball salaries in a country many of their compatriots look down upon because of political issues between Washington and Tehran.

But the Chicago point guard, who was All-Conference USA Third Team in 2003 and later in the year signed on with Iranian Super League team Sanam Tehran, played three years in Iran. He led Sanam to the 2005 league championship and became one of the most well-known and liked Americans in the country.

Looking to improve his basketball career, however, Marsh has since arrived in Europe with German BBL club Walter Tigers Tubingen. He was helped onto the team by American forward Jamaal Davis, who played with Marsh last season at Iranian club Pegah Hamedan.

PA Sport's David Hein caught up with Marsh after a German league match to discuss what it was like being an American living and playing basketball in Iran.

Welcome to Germany. You went to Iran straight out of college and this is your second stop outside the United States. What are your thoughts about being in Europe, and Germany in particular?

Marsh: As far as living, it's a lot easier. It's a lot closer and similar to home. I like the country of Germany. The fact that we can basically have unlimited Americans makes it a whole lot easier as well. The competition is a whole lot tougher. It's a great league and a great place to be and improve my basketball skills and my career.

Where would you place Iranian basketball compared to German basketball and perhaps college ball.

Marsh: The continent of Asia, period, is not viewed as nearly as close as the European leagues. The European leagues outside of the US are probably the top leagues. Greece, Italy, France and Spain and others are great. But I think Germany probably ranks right up there with the top leagues in Europe.

At the end of your time in Iran things began getting a bit tough since Hamedan is quite far from Tehran and you were spending nearly all your time on the milk factory club's compounds. How nice is it to actually be in Europe, where you wanted to be in the first place?

Marsh: If I could have done it all over, this is where I definitely would have come straight out of college. I'd probably be a lot further along in terms of my playing in Europe. But everything happens for a reason, and I had a great experience in Iran. Hopefully I won't have to go back and can further along my basketball career while I'm here.

Why do you say hopefully you won't have to go back?

Marsh: You never know what can happen between now and next year. I would hope to get a better offer to come back here and play. But whatever happens, I just want to be better for next year. You never know what can happen between now and next year, that's why I said that.

Iranian players, coaches and officials have been vocal about how important you and some of the other Americans who played in Iran were in the development of basketball in the country. Is that something you set out to do, or were you just trying to lead by example?

Marsh: More leading by example, that's how I am. I'm not too vocal. I try to be as vocal as I can. That's not really my character, so I always try to lead by example. Iranian players were willing to learn. They asked questions, they observed and picked up different things. They were eager to learn.

What would you say is the best part of Iranian basketball?

Marsh: They're competitive. They compete. I don't care what the circumstances are, they play hard. I would have to say their competitiveness.

And the worst part?

Marsh: The worst part is that the league is not viewed as a high calibre league. Nobody really takes the Iranian league seriously. They don't think there are any good players there. So the league isn't taken as serious as the European leagues.

Do you think that's fair?

Marsh: I think so. The best players if they're not in the NBA generally do come to Europe. But there are some good players in Iran. They have some players that can definitely play outside of Iran. There's not as many good players or good teams. But they definitely have a few very good players.

What do you think was the biggest struggle about being in Iran?

Marsh: Definitely the living conditions. Being in an Islamic republic, there were a lot of restrictions in the lifestyle. They don't really live as freely. There's no freedom of speech there. You can't really socialise as you like. So it was definitely an adjustment for me when I first got there. But I adapt to my surroundings and being that I had two good guys around me made it a lot easier - with Calvin (Warner) being there my first two years and then Jamaal (Davis) last season.

You and Andre Pitts are considered two of the Americans most widely-known or associated with Iranian basketball.

Marsh: That has to do with the length of time we spent there and our success there. Jamaal came into the situation where he wasn't on one of the top teams. But I think we did good for what we had to work with. They know he can play there. But me and Andre came into two good teams. I won a championship and he won a championship. So that's definitely a reason why we are viewed kind of the way we are there.

Was it tough being there for three years?

Marsh: I can kind of survive any where if I have something to give me the peace of mind to get me through. Then I can make it through anything. I think if you can play in Iran, can live there, I think you can survive anywhere in the world almost. I learned a lot while I was there. I got a lot of discipline because I really didn't have much of a social life outside of basketball. So you were really 110% focused on basketball. So it was good for me in that regard. It's just something I had to do I think.

You played college basketball at Tulane in New Orleans and I know you still live in Louisiana. Were you still there when hurricane Katrina hit a couple years ago?

Marsh: I was in Baton Rouge, that's where I live. I left about a month after the hurricane hit. But I was in Baton Rouge when it came - that's an hour away so we didn't get anything bad.

But from your time at Tulane and being still down in the region, I'm sure you know a lot of people in New Orleans. Did you have anybody hard hit?

Marsh: It was devastating. I had a lot of friends who lost homes. The school was destroyed in some parts. It's just going to be a long process. They still haven't recovered from Katrina. They're taking it day-by-day. God bless them and hopefully everything will turn out for the best for them.

It must have been hard leaving everybody behind and then a bit strange going to, of all places, Iran?

Marsh: It was tough. But like I said, it was something I had to do. It was something I loved doing. I would almost go anywhere in the world to play basketball because it's what I love to do.

I read somewhere that your mother said she was happy that you were going to Iran, is that correct?

Marsh: Well I grew up in the inner-city streets of Chicago, which is by no means one of the safest places in the world. In that regard, she felt I could face more harm and danger in the streets of Chicago than while I am in Iran. So, Iran might be a safer place than the environment that I grew up in.

If somebody said, Waitari we want you back. What would bring you back to Iran?

Marsh: That's hard to say. I don't have a problem going back to Iran. Honestly, if I didn't feel I was going into harm's way, there wouldn't be a problem for me to go there and play basketball. Like I said, I had no problems and the people were good to me. I have no hard feelings or anything bad about the Iranian people. The main thing that would take me back to Iran is if the European experience didn't work out and all else failed and I had to go back. Then I'd definitely go back and play.

Americans have only been in Iran for five or six years, what's the biggest thing that they have brought to Iranian basketball?

Marsh: Just the attention. You tell somebody that you went to Iran to play basketball and it's almost shocking that they even play basketball there. All my friends I tell them that I'm in Iran playing basketball and they didn't even know there's a league there. From that standpoint, it made the news and ESPN the Magazine - the fact that they have a league there and that Americans are there playing. I think we just really brought attention to the league.

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