Mostafa Hashemi, "A Man for All Seasons"

His exemplary performance both on court and the bench prompted me to interview him on his own record and Iran's basketball at large. Here are excerpts of the interview:

Q. In the capacity of coach which year was your best in the past seven years?
A. All of them were good. What is certain is that 2004 was the toughest. Over the years Saba has signed many good players, both local and foreign. I would say it is the best team in the league. Getting the better of Saba seemed impossible back then.

Q. Weren't Saba and Sanam of equal caliber back then?
A. As I said, Saba was in much better form as far as players were concerned.

Q. In 2007 you came in first with Mahram. Were you any better than Saba?
A. No. In the most optimistic assessment we were as good as they were.

Q. What made you opt for coaching a basketball team? How long do you intend to stay on the job?
A. Well, I am in love withy basketball. Naturally I want to remain involved as much as I can. I don't know how long I will stay on the job. Even if I quit coaching I would give a shot to executive positions. If I managed to work my way up the ranks of the Basketball Federation, I would be at its helm someday.

Q. What are the strengths and weaknesses of our basketball?
A. In light of the fact that our league has been quite dynamic, has paved the way for recruitment of better and better foreign players and its organization has become better by the year, I would say the league is on the right path. Besides, efforts are underway to further improve it.

Q. You mean the pace of progress has been satisfactory?
A. Yes. If it weren't satisfactory we wouldn't win Asian titles. One big advantage associated with Iran's basketball is that we have the best of coaches. Technical and academic aspects aside, Iranian coaches are in love with their job and impart that feeling to their players. That means players develop an in-depth love for the game as they move on. That in turn results in flexibility and better tactics on the part of players which is something quite uncommon elsewhere. We teach players how to win. We never humiliate them.

Q. You're saying that the progress Iran's basketball has made is mainly thanks to the efforts of local coaches. Why was it that in the past few years which saw many foreign coaches in the Iranian league the national team did not achieve much expect for its Olympic qualification this year?
A. I completely disagree with you on this. Seven years ago the current national team members were all members of the under-18 squad. In fact, nine of the junior team members are now on the national team. They are the best players of the national side. Back then they did not have much experience. Thanks to the management of Mahmoud Mashhoon, improvement in the workings of the Basketball Federation, and camps and warm-up games, they gained more and more experience and became more stable. In fact, they developed an in-depth understanding despite their young age. In the past few years we have made steady progress: championship of the West Asian Conference, third place on the podium in the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar and eventually Asian championship and a berth in the Olympics. Our basketball has a strong foundation. It is making more and more progress; because it does have the potential, progress continues no matter who is in charge.

Q. Rajco Toroman, the current head coach of the national team, believes Iranian players are good as far as techniques and physical features are concerned but not as much good when it comes to tactics and discipline. What you think?
A. He expresses his own viewpoint. I believe most teams do have what we call tactical capability. But some do not have the means to put it to practice. In Iran and in Asia as a whole, players do have a smaller build and are comparatively shorter. That means you don't have much of a choice. In Spain, for instance, in the absence of Pau Gasol, there are many players to fill his shoes. But if we lost Hamed Haddadi, there would be no one to take his place. That means players overseas are quite close when it comes to their capability. Teams like our own and China are applying up-to-date tactics. But because their players are comparatively short and light, they cannot become world champions.
Mr. Truman and I hold diametrically opposite views on that issue. On many occasions, our players get the chance to go for the hoop in the final moments of a game but they fail to score. That they do get the chance to score points means the team is ok tactic-wise. In other words, individual questions are to blame for failure to score last-minute points. As long as basketball schools do not crop up across the nation and children are not taught the game since an early age, this problem would persist. We do have the best of tactics but in the absence of physical strength things won't work in our favor.

Q. Why is it then that the federation insists on signing foreign coaches?
A. I believe it is a policy of the federation. The stage is set for the progress of Iranian basketball. We have always been successful. Success would become elusive though in the absence of Mr. Mashhoon. Our national team can become as much successful with local coaches. But it seems, as a matter of policy, the federation is more interested in foreign coaches.

Q. How much of a role do the clubs play in the success of the national team?
A. They play an undeniable role.

Q. You said the progressive state of our basketball today comes on the back of past efforts. Are you saying when current players retire, our basketball will decline?
A. The generation of players I belong to was known as the golden generation. When we retired, a mediocre generation took our place. We remained in a state of stagnation, so to speak, for years before good players surfaced. We need to prepare the ground for the emergence of good players when the current team retires. I hope the experience of a decline in basketball does not repeat itself. The current team is good but we need more good players. I believe the Education Ministry and clubs need to play a more prominent role so that each good player can be replaced by more players of the same or even better caliber.

Q. Does the fact that we have secured a berth in the Olympics mean we can be content?
A. No way. The next step is to defeat China which has a world-famous player named Yao Ming. Besides, we need to improve the national league.

Q. What does the league need to become more professional?
A. We are facing problems on both the software and hardware fronts. Each team needs to have its own court measuring up to international standards. That is where everything starts.

Q. Back to personal experience. What was the key to your success during the seven years you served as the head coach of different teams?
A. I believe the clubs I have worked for have been very good. That is 50% of the job. I would attribute the rest to hard work.

Q. What has contributed to your performance as a coach?
A. God-given talent, love, perseverance and careful analysis of high-level games.
One important quality I have is that I learn things fast and try hard to win my objectives.

Q. What are your plans for the next season?
A. Well, Mahram is my first priority. A lot of effort has been made for this team. It does have the potential to be crowned Asian champion. I have received no offers from other clubs. In fact, I have not been after such offers. Since day one I sought to lead Mahram to Asian championship. I'd like to remain on the team until that goal is met; of course, if nothing special happens.

Q. Why is it that Iranian players and coaches are not finding their way into foreign clubs?
A. Our international contacts in all sports are rather weak. Now that our team has qualified for the Olympics we need to seize on the opportunity and make our presence felt. Another point is that the Iranians cannot easily leave their family behind and move to another country. Of course, that becomes possible if the stage is set.

Q. Are you in favor of the idea of Iranian players playing for foreign teams?
A. European teams yes; Asians no. If the transfer did not follow expert analyses it would not be beneficial. Warming the bench not only deals a blow to the player himself, but deprives the Iranian basketball of a good player.

Q. What do you think of foreign players in Iran?
A. The trend of recruiting foreign players has been quite good and progressive.

Q. Do these foreign players live up to expectations created by the financial aspects of their contracts?
A. No. We have paid a lot because we have failed to use heavyweight transfer agencies which are confirmed by FIBA. In fact, we have not used proper channels to that end. In other words, any measure which helps the managerial aspects of the job is welcome because it gives brokers less room to rake in profits.

Thank you very much Mr. Hashemi. I wish you all the best.