The Reluctant Jordanian

“Ray Allen has the best shooting form.” Clang. “You gotta be crazy, Allan Houston does. His shot is just beautiful.” Clang. “Allan Houston was nothing more than an overpaid chump.” Clang. Yet another shot bounces off of the rim, the ball falling to the wooden boards of the court with a discouraging slap. “Come on, man, you gotta get that Junior College form back… sink two in a row and maybe you can ask for five grand with nothing on your resume.” The accents are American. So are the players. It could be any shoot-around on any court anywhere in the States. Only this is Jordan, the hoop is in the Prince Hamzeh national arena, and one of the ballers is the playmaker for the Jordanian national team.

Rasheim “Feetz” Wright, his new black Jordanian passport safely tucked into his backpack, is set to open a new era for the sport in the country, and is a first step towards the Jordanian Basketball Association’s long-term goal of competing on the world stage. His cousin, Akeem, is not only helping him settle in, but hoping to attract a Jordanian club of his own.

Prior to the 2007 Asian Championship last July, the Jordan Basketball Federation realised before any other Asian team that the tournament would double as the qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Olympics – and they knew they had to seize the opportunity. They devised a three-pronged approach: a complete, world class coaching staff, a meticulously planned preparation schedule that included various training camps and exhibition games against top-notch competition, and finally – against popular opinion and even the initial preference of the Federation’s honorary chairman – naturalising overseas citizens. Rasheim Wright, the Federation believes, will open the doors to additional foreign talent joining the national team.

In Tokuashima, Japan, the Asian Championship miracle didn’t quite happen, although it came much closer than many predicted – especially accounting for the numerous setbacks encountered in the build-up. With less than two months to go, key players were injured, not least Rasheim, the man who was supposed to be the difference maker, and some practices were being attended by no more than seven players. Another middle-of-the-pack finish appeared the best they would manage. But encouraging signs at the friendly William Jones tournament, in which Jordan won seven out of nine games and the title, were transformed into genuine form in Japan. Jordan fought its way through the “group of death” – against China, Philippines and Iran – to the second round, and appeared on the brink of a historic accomplishment. Unfortunately, in the second group stage, in which the winners would progress to the final, a shock single-point loss to Japan deprived Wright and his colleagues a meeting with arch rivals and eventual winners Iran.

Three years before, in 2004, Rasheim Wright was still a junior at the University of the District of Columbia and ranked second nationally in scoring, registering 27 points per game. He led his Division II college team to an 11-1 home record, ranking first in both rebounds and minutes played. He then embarked on a professional career that included stops in Europe and the NBA development league, before making a name for himself as the star of al-Mouttahed Tripoli in the Lebanese league. During a tournament in Dubai, Wright caught the eye of Jordan’s Portuguese head coach, who approached with the prospect of travelling south and taking up residence – and ultimately citizenship –  in Jordan. Appropriately enough he hails from Philadelphia – even if Amman’s ancient Greek name is a coincidence to which he remains utterly oblivious.

NOX: What did you do in Philadelphia? Did you miss Jordan at all?
RW: It felt great to be finally home, and I spent my time relaxing and unwinding. I also needed to rest my ankle. I suffered from a torn Achilles tendon in Greece that bothered me throughout and doctors say I need some rehab. I also spent a lot of time partying with my cousin Akeem in DC. I don’t really miss Jordan since I haven’t spent that much time here. As soon I got to Jordan, we left to Greece for our first training camp!

NOX: Can you talk more about the Asian Cup? How do you think Jordan stacked up against other Asian teams?
RW: We were among the best teams in the tournament. Everyone gave a great effort. Our defense was our strong point. We had the best defense in the tournament, but our offense was not as good in some games. Some games we were just unlucky and some others we could not finish. All our losses came by three to five points. But we still have many opportunities to look forward to. We are determined to qualify for the 2010 World Championship in Turkey and we are sure we will win the gold medal in the upcoming Pan-Arab games in November [in Egypt – Ed]. We proved that we are the strongest Arab team out there.

NOX: What happened in the game against Japan? Do you think of it as a big let down given the fact that a historic accomplishment was awaiting Jordanian basketball?
RW: I don’t know what exactly happened. We did start the game a little slow and fell behind early, but we kept our head in the game and we could have won it. Everybody was missing easy shots and lay-ups, including me. I missed shots that I don’t normally miss [Rasheim was 7/17 in that game – Ed]. I would say it was lack of concentration. We literarily missed ten shots in the last minute alone.

NOX: What do you think about the way our big men played in this game and in the tournament in general?
RW: You cannot win at this level without a strong dominant inside presence and honestly our big men did not give us anything. It really hurt us that Jamal Maaytah could not play. He could have really helped especially against Japan and Korea who outplayed us inside.


NOX: It was obvious that at times you were trying to assume a leadership role on the team. How successful were you in playing such a role and how did that sit with some players?
RW: I did try to play such a role. Sometimes I was successful but sometime I could not. Some players didn’t want to hear nothing. Sometimes Zeid will be implying that he is the team captain, and I am fine with that. I just want to play and do my best.

NOX: There is controversy surrounding the club you are going to play for when not with the National team. The Jordanian Federation claims your contract says you have to seek their approval before you play with any club. What’s the latest?
RW: I was hoping I wouldn’t have to get involved in the politics of where I play. I said before that if there is going to be a big deal made out of it, I would rather not play in Jordan at all. I am still trying to get to the NBA and I’d rather play in Europe – unless I get a financial offer I can’t refuse. But over the last few weeks, we met with all the parties involved and the final resolution was that I can play in the Jordanian league as a local, and I have a document to prove it. The Federation president said he will consider allowing other teams to sign two foreign players instead one.
 
NOX: So, if you’d rather not play here, how about living here?
RW: Honestly, it is a little different than what I am used to. I am not used to living in such a closed environment. I mean there are the tourist attractions and sightseeing like Petra and the Dead Sea, but other than that I just don’t feel very comfortable living here. But I guess it will get a little better now that my cousin Akeem is here and about to sign with a Jordanian team.

NOX: So, you enjoyed living in Lebanon more?
RW: Of course. Lebanon is like Europe. I played and lived there for two years. I had a great time, and I had no problem adjusting to the lifestyle.

NOX: Anything that has positively surprised you about Jordan?
RW: How beautiful the women are! The only problem is that they are afraid to be seen with you. They are afraid that anyone will know what they do, like they are afraid to be talked about.

NOX: Where do you hang out in Amman, then?
RW: My man Iyad Abdeen’s coffee shop in Sweifyeh. Speaking of Iyad, here is another player who could have helped us under the basket, but unfortunately he had an injury.

NOX: We were talking to coach Palma and he said that you need to improve your three-point shooting and your defense, do you agree?
RW: I really don’t shoot too many threes. We have five or six players who are constantly shooting from behind the arc, and I prefer to give our offense a different dimension by penetrating and driving to the basket. But he is my coach and I have to agree with his opinion.

NOX: Did you ever disagree with coach Palma on anything like his game plan or your playing time?
RW: I would say that I am happy. I was not completely satisfied with the way I was used on offense, but that is the way our offense was designed. But as I told you, I was not always used right.

NOX: Given the fact that you never average more than two assists per game, do you think you would rather play the two guard – the shooting guard – position rather than bringing the ball up and playing the point guard spot?
RW: I think the two-guard spot fits my skills better and I’d rather play it. But I played at the point guard position in Lebanon and I think I can play either position although I prefer the two spot.

NOX: Do you still have hopes of making it to the NBA?
RW: Definitely. I am still trying my best and I am just looking for an opportunity. I played in the NBDL, but the problem is it is hard out there since there is no money in it and everybody else is trying as hard to make the jump to the big league.

NOX: Jordanian player Sam Daglas is also trying to make it. He is 27 and some, including the League’s Vice President, feel his skills would not translate well in the NBA. How do you see it?
RW: You never know. Some European players only made it to the NBA at the age of 30. The NBA is not about skills anymore. It is about who you know.

NOX: Do you look at this as just another job, or do you feel a commitment to Jordan and a duty to defend its colours?
RW: I look at it as another chance to play basketball. When I first got the call, I actually thought someone was playing a prank, but I knew that playing international basketball would be a great experience. It has been fun playing against my old Lebanese teammates, and I am always looking to improve as a basketball player and this was a great opportunity.

NOX: Do you know how to hum the national anthem?
RW: No, nobody has asked me to do that.

A full version of this article along with supplemental interviws with Jordanian players and the vice president of the federation appeared in appeared in NOX 16