Team USA Notebook: United States, Iran at Peace on Basketball Court

ISTANBUL -- Two nations with a longstanding contentious relation met on the basketball court for the first time in a significant competition.

But that didn't mean much to the participants.

"I didn't realize it really until after the game,'' big man Kevin Love said when asked about any possible significance attached to his American team facing Iran on Wednesday at the World Championship, a game it won 88-51. "We were just so focused on winning the basketball game. ... (The Iranian players) were getting knocked down. We were getting knocked down, and we helped each other up. At the end of the day, it was just basketball. I'll let CNN talk about that stuff.''

Team USA center Tyson Chandler said he will "leave politics to the politicians.'' And Iran guard Mahdi Kamrany said, "It was a normal game. For me, it was just very normal.''

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There was one difference than from previous games Iran played. The normally scantily clad dancers who perform during timeouts wore long pants since it is considered inappropriate for women in the conservative Islamic nation of Iran to have exposed skin in public. An Iranian journalist said the gesture was done as an act of respect for the Iranians in attendance, many of whom had been looking away during performances by the dancers.

As for relations between the U.S. and Iran, the journalist, who asked not to be identified, said the NBA is not seen at all in the nation.

"We can't even watch NBA games (in Iran),'' said the journalist. "They put a filter on so you can't get it on television or the Internet.''

Iran does have an NBA player in Memphis center Hamed Haddadi. But fans in his country can't watch him play.

Haddadi Called Out of Shape

Haddadi is averaging 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in Iran's four games. But an Iranian assistant coach isn't too impressed.

"When Haddadi is in shape, he's one of the best,'' said Mehran Hatami. "But he's certainly not in shape.''

Hatami said it didn't help Haddadi that he played so little with the Grizzlies last season. The 7-foot-2 Haddadi averaged just 1.7 points in 6.7 minutes over 36 games.

"With his team, he didn't play much,'' Hatami said. "He needed more (time). It would be better.''

Hatami also said Haddadi, who had some injuries, is out of shape due to having missed a lot of practice time earlier this summer with the national team. Haddadi did play 34 minutes against the Americans, but he had his worst game of the Worlds, shooting 7 of 22 for his 19 points and grabbing just five rebounds.

Granger's Tweets

Team USA forward Danny Granger is making more news using his hands on his keyboard than using them for anything on the basketball court.

Granger, the team's 12th man, got some attention when he tweeted on Tuesday, "im dying over here.... how come nobody in europe wears deodorant? guess they didn't get the memo." Later, he tweeted, "smellin like dead donkeys ... no joke."

Granger later deleted the tweets and posted, "i was not reffering to the people for all you people who are having a fit!! i actually like turkey" and "im from new orleans and it smells the same way so relax!!! talk about a post gone bad!"

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said he had not heard about Granger's tweets until told about them by FanHouse. Colangelo stressed it's important for Team USA players to show respect for the nations they visit.

"First of all, I think we always have to show people respect,'' Colangelo said. "It doesn't matter where you are or who you are.''

Tank Job?

Greece and Russia meet Thursday in a game in which it is an advantage for neither team to win.

The winner will claim the No. 2 seed in Group C. But it might be far better to finish No. 3.

The No. 2 seed in Group C likely will face defending champion Spain, which has unexpectedly lost two games and likely will be the No. 3 seed in Group D, in the round of 16. If that game is won, next up likely would be Team USA, which has clinched the No. 1 seed in Group B, in a quarterfinal.

The road likely would be much easier for the No. 3 seed in Group C. So stay tuned to see if Greece and Russia try to out-tank one another Thursday.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson