Shooting for the Top: Jonas Lalehzadeh’s Journey from Khuzestan to Tulsa

Jonas (Yonis) Lalehzadeh is an unofficial sports ambassador. After representing Iran as part of its national basketball team and two seasons in the country’s Basketball Super League, the 24-year old Iranian-American player welcomes the chance to help bridge the gap between Iran and the United States.

In his second season in the Iranian Basketball Super League, Lalehzadeh was the overall top scorer. Now his sights are set on achieving his ultimate goal: to play in the US’s National Basketball Association (NBA).

To realise this goal, Lalehzadeh has followed a rigorous training programme since the beginning of his career. Inspiring others to follow his lead, he documents his progress, outlines his personal and physical goals, tracks his performance and shares nutritional and athletic tips on his website, through YouTube and via social media using the hashtag #projectjonas.

Iranwire caught up with Lalehzadeh in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the player came one step closer to his NBA dream. After an open try-out for the Oklahoma 66ers, the developmental team for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, Lalehzadeh was invited to the training camp to earn a spot on the roster. He is the only Iranian player affiliated with the NBA this season.

How does it feel to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a chance to be a part of the NBA’s development league?

I really enjoy the focused environment here in Oklahoma. Our staff and the guys on the team are good people. It's the perfect atmosphere for any player trying to be better. It's safe to say I'm more than happy to be where I am. I'm also very eager to help the team and organisation in any way that I can. I want to do my job as best as possible.

Your journey to become a professional basketball player began in 2008 when the NBA invited Iran’s national basketball team to play in a summer league hosted by the Utah Jazz. Can you describe what it felt like for you to be a part of the national team?

It was an amazing experience. Despite the difficulty of obtaining a last-second visa to play for the team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I still worked out and practised with the guys and acted as their translator. It was great experience for all of us. Especially those who hadn't been in the States before. The NBA took us everywhere. We even went to a rodeo event and the team couldn’t believe their eyes. Imagine a bunch of Iranians seeing someone ride a “gov-eh vashi” (wild bull) for the first time in their lives. They literally thought the bull-riders were crazy. At one point, one of the bulls began to charge towards the part of the fence where we were all sitting, and the guys literally got up and sprinted out of the area, thinking the bull was going to break through the fence.

What was it like signing your first professional basketball contract in 2011?

I'll never forget it. I was in Tehran and team Petroshimi Bandar Imam flew me out to discuss signing. The actual negotiation process was similar to buying a car. After the first initial offer, I respectfully declined and left the team's offices, only to be summoned back by a phone call from the team manager. "Why did you leave? No one gave you permission to leave yet!" he told me over the phone. I returned to his office, where we negotiated. Within in an instant he pulled a contract out of his desk. After signing I was in disbelief at what had transpired. I honestly couldn't move. Team officials even asked me if I was feeling okay. I left his office, called my mother back in the States and said, "Mom, I'm a pro now!". It was a very emotional experience for my family and me. 

Prior to moving there to play basketball in 2011, had you visited Iran before?

In 2003, my mother took my sister and me. We visited Yazd, Kerman and Abyaneh. They were smaller cities yet very culturally enlightening. 

What were your Persian language skills like when you made the initial move to Iran to play for Petroshimi Bandar Imam in the Khuzestan Province? Did you have any trouble with the Khuzestani dialect?

I've always felt comfortable speaking Persian. My vocabulary definitely increased while I was there too. I actually taught myself how to read during my first and second seasons. My first season I remember feeling helpless every time I looked at a sign. I actually came across a reading and writing workbook for children at Mehrabad National Airport early on so I grabbed it and the next thing I know I'm writing about rabbits jumping over frogs in Persian. I'd be writing in these workbooks before and after practices and my teammates would actually became my tutors and help me. The only issue I had with regard to the different dialect was some new vocabulary, but I eventually became accustomed to it.

How did your teammates treat you?

My first season I was very observant and somewhat quiet. I was honestly just trying to learn the system. My teammates noticed that and never treated me as if I was more American than Iranian. They treated me as just Jonas. As I became more comfortable with the situation, so too did my personality. I would always play music at practice, and I remember this one time our team's general manager walked into the gym, so I bear-hugged him while I was wearing my spandex and started dancing with him. That made a few jaws drop. There was an unwritten rule about me: "Jonas Azadeh” (Jonas is free to do what he likes).

Can you talk our readers through what a day in the life of a professional basketball player in Iran is like?

I lived in a hotel, as did a few other teammates. We'd wake up by 7am because we had to eat breakfast by 8am. At 8:30 our taxi would arrive to take us to practice. Practice began at 9am and ended at noon. After that we’d head back to the hotel for lunch. Our second practice of the day began at 4pm so we'd have a few hours of free time. I'd usually take a short nap if I didn't have errands to run. Then it was back to practice, which usually would be followed by dinner. After dinner it would be about 8pm, so you’d have about three to four hours of free time after that. I'd usually watch a movie or go online and email friends and family. Our only day off was Friday and everything is basically closed. Sometimes we would have a pool day and just wind down.

In your second season, in 2012, you played for Petroshimi Mahshahr, also in the Khuzestan Province. Did you like that region’s ethnic cuisine?

Since the city is situated on the Persian Gulf coast, it’s well known for its fish. I honestly didn't really like fish prior to living there. I remember during my first year with Petroshimi Bandar Imam, we were served fish literally every day for two weeks straight. I was in awe of how my teammates ate their fish so quickly. I challenged myself personally that one day I would be able to eat quicker than them, and sure enough by the end of the season I could carve a fish quickly without ingesting any bones. The dates in Khuzestan are also really delicious. They also have something called "ardeh", which is made of walnuts, and I'd dip my dates in that. They were so delicious that when my dad came to visit me he kept a few jars for himself throughout his travels.

What was your impression of the people of the Khuzestan province?

They welcomed me with open arms from the moment I began my playing career there. I love all of them, and they will always have a special place in my heart. As for the differences in that region, it is closer to the Persian Gulf, with a more Arabic feel. The people have a darker complexion than most Iranians, and I kept hearing this interesting story that the people of Abadan were descendants of Brazilians. I remember walking into this sidewalk sandwich parlor and there being two clocks on the wall. One read, "Time in Abadan", and the other read, "Time in Brazil". They honestly consider Brazil to be part of Abadan. The licence plates of their cars even have little Brazilian stickers on them, and people walk around with Ronaldo [the famous Brazilian soccer player] jerseys on. I think it stems from the folklore of the region and has become engrained into the reality and history of that specific area.

Would you have rather played for a basketball team in a bigger city like Tehran?

I really enjoyed the Khuzestan experience. I truly did. In Tehran you have traffic and snow. You have different stresses from being around so many people. In Khuzestan there is never any traffic. It literally takes five to ten minutes to get to anywhere you want to be. There are no issues, all you do is play basketball.

How did you and your team travel around Iran to get to the opposing team's arena?

We usually travelled by plane unless the game was within the Khuzestan region, and if that was the case we would travel by bus. We never had safety issues while flying or driving.

One of your teammates last season was Joseph Forte, a US citizen and former college and NBA basketball player. What was his impression of Iran?

He was very receptive. He liked it and appreciated his time there very much. He liked the culture and really connected with Iranians.

New state of the art multi-level gyms have been popping up in Iran’s major cities, which is a big step from the smaller neighborhood gyms and parks where Iranians traditionally exercise. What was your take on the state of Iran’s “culture of exercise”?

Although Iran doesn’t have as many glamorous five-star gym facilities as the United States, the motivational fire inside is there, and it is burning. My Iranian basketball coach always says, “Irani-an joondarand” (Iranians are full of spirit). So facilities are one thing, but if you have passion and desire, you are so much more likely to succeed than someone who has the means but lacks the desire.

What are Iranian basketball fans like?

Our fans were really loyal. During one game I started catching fire and the crowd started to chant: "Yunis Dast Talaie" (Jonas with the golden hand) and that chant ended up sticking. Each Iranian basketball team has actual fan leaders that come and organise the crowd. They take their job really seriously too.

Are basketball fans in Iran younger or older in age?

It's mixed but I would say the majority are younger. After my games I would always have a ton of younger kids wait for me until I left the locker room because they knew I would take a picture with all of them. After the last home game of the 2012-2013 season, I made arrangements to get 50 of my jerseys for the kids. After the game ended I started throwing them out to the younger fans, but there were still almost 50 kids that were asking why they didn't receive a jersey. I sat outside the bus stop in front of the arena and we formed a huge line down the sidewalk. They were about eight to ten years old. I wrote down each and every one of those kids’ names and phone numbers in order to contact them after I got more jerseys made. They were real good to me. I felt I had to be just as good to them.

Can you explain the situation with regard to female basketball fans? The 2012 basketball documentary "The Iran Job" featured a few female fans, but what was your impression?

Some sports in Iran do not allow women in the stands. But for most basketball games it is definitely allowed. For the sports or games where they couldn't come, I believe this guideline was in place to protect them from the somewhat hostile crowds during intense matches. For example, they wouldn't want little girls or younger ladies to witness any cursing. It was more to maintain the ladies' sense of peace. But this is just my assumption. Most of the time the female fans would sit in the upper level of the stands, while the male fans held down the lower part of the stands closer to the court. The female fans were constantly the loudest fans, and they definitely loved watching basketball. They were just as passionate as the male fans.

What are some of the chants that fans would yell during the game?

One chant would be "Yonis-eh ta'asob" (composed or calm Jonas), which would be used for anyone in a pressured situation. After the game fans would yell in unison and repeat, "Yonis bia inja!" (Jonas come here!) And I would make way to the fans and high-five them. Before the games, to get their energy going, fans would yell, "Helelio Heleliosa", followed by a drum beat. I went to an Esteghlal soccer game once and I heard it there as well.

What teams had the toughest basketball crowds and toughest arena atmosphere to play in?

Gorgan is definitely up there. Al-Badr is a town across from Qesht and close to Bandar Imam, and they were very energetic there. Some crowds would say mean things, but they were most effective with their "boos". I have never experienced anything like it before. It’s a very serious boo, very intense and said in unison. Any time the crowd used foul language, the home coach would actually walk over to his fans in the middle of the game and tell them to stop. The crowd would stop as well, pretty quickly too. Imagine seeing future Hall of Fame NBA coach Phil Jackson walking over to the crowd in Los Angeles and telling them to bring it down a notch.

What was one of the toughest aspects of living and playing basketball in Iran?

Since my first season lasted eight months, naturally being away from my family was tough. Also transitioning to living in a small town like Bandar Imam required an adjustment. It’s a small community filled mostly with oil workers. But getting used to that pace of life was actually a blessing in disguise because it helped me focus on myself and basketball, and, furthermore, I was finishing up my MA degree at University California Irvine that year so the small town atmosphere provided me ample time to finish my MA degree while being abroad.

What were some of the best experiences you’ve had as a professional Iranian basketball player?

The first was receiving my Iranian National Basketball Team jersey. I had the jersey framed. Signing my first contract was also a high point. The very first point I scored was also special to me. I took the ball the length of the court, coast to coast, and when I was at the opposing team’s free throw line, I was tripped. As I was falling down, I just threw the ball up in the air behind my head and it actually went in! Reaching the Super League finals my first year was an amazing feeling as well.

In one year you went from playing professional basketball in the Khuzestan Province in Iran to Tulsa, Oklahoma. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you reflect on that?

I am forever grateful to the Iranian Basketball Federation, as they accepted me into their basketball family. They gave me a shot. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Iran. As for the next step, I am equally grateful to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tulsa 66ers for the opportunity to be a part of their organisation. I will work as hard as possible to do whatever is asked of me. I play basketball to enjoy the sport and I will enjoy it the right way, with hard work and due diligence.