Hasheem Thabeet on the Comeback Trail

[andy34]

Hasheem Thabeet is on the NBA comeback trail, and the former No. 2 overall pick says it'll be different this time around

I feel like I read a similar article a year or two ago... but seems like Hasheem is expanding his game and has worked out for a number of teams.

He's working out three times a day, from skills work on the court to lifting in the weight room to running and plyometrics. He's running seven-minute miles. He's never been injury-prone. His body is more cut up now than it was when he was in college. He can jump and reach the top of the backboard. He's extended his range to the 3-point line; his agent, Jerry Dianis, sent me a video where he knocked down four out of five 3-pointers, which doesn't necessarily mean he's going to turn into Dirk Nowitzki but is certainly much more than you'd expect from Hasheem Thabeet. He's recently worked out for three Eastern Conference contenders -- the Philadelphia 76ers, the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks -- and has more workouts coming up. One NBA executive said he was "pleasantly surprised about Hasheem's attitude and outlook."

Lots of tread still on those tires. Best of luck to Hasheem the Dream!

 

[Palatine]

 

[Kenny11]

Good luck to him. He never had the work ethic necessary to make it in the NBA but great guy. He thought he made it when he got drafted but in actuality that is when the really hard work begins. Staying in the NBA is hard.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

ran out of cash?

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I really thought he was going to be a solid NBA player. His NBA shortcomings sometimes detract from how much of a force he was at UConn. Tremendous college player.

But hey, if Emeka made a comeback at his age/injuries, who knows, maybe Thabeet can make one too. He can't be more than 32 years old now.

 

[FartMan69]

I really thought he was going to be a solid NBA player. His NBA shortcomings sometimes detract from how much of a force he was at UConn. Tremendous college player.

But hey, if Emeka made a comeback at his age/injuries, who knows, maybe Thabeet can make one too. He can't be more than 32 years old now.

Yeah but Emeka wasn't terrible at basketball

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Yeah but Emeka wasn't terrible at basketball

Hasheem was bad in the NBA, but he did have a lot of talent. Maybe he just wasn't mature or dedicated enough at the time to realize his talents.

 

[Huskybass]

I wish Hasheem well. He just never seemed to have the drive to succeed once he was drafted. If he can make a comeback, it would be a remarkable story.

 

[Friendship]

G-League comeback

 

[andy34]

G-League comeback

Honestly, from where he is now, that would be a good step forward. Fan bias aside, I feel like it would be dumb not to offer him a G League trail. Seems like literally what the G League is for

 

[tentoes4rings]

The lasting image I have of Thabeet is sitting at courtside at a Heat game with huge diamond earrings well before the NBA Draft. He seemed to have gone Hollywood too quickly and never worked hard enough to succeed in the NBA. Very different game now, hope he can shoot the three. Would be great for the program though if he had a good comeback.

 

[mussels]

The lasting image I have of Thabeet is sitting at courtside at a Heat game with huge diamond earrings well before the NBA Draft. He seemed to have gone Hollywood too quickly and never worked hard enough to succeed in the NBA. Very different game now, hope he can shoot the three. Would be great for the program though if he had a good comeback.

He was a great Husky.

My lasting image(s), was every time he went down and hit the court, it looked lid a career ending injury. I'd hold my breath thinking our season was over. Took me a while to realize that he was initially a soccer player from a soccer country, and the whole "play acting on a foul" aspect was baked into his early training.

 

[Huskyforlife]

The lasting image I have of Thabeet is sitting at courtside at a Heat game with huge diamond earrings well before the NBA Draft. He seemed to have gone Hollywood too quickly and never worked hard enough to succeed in the NBA. Very different game now, hope he can shoot the three. Would be great for the program though if he had a good comeback.

How dare he have earrings. The nerve.

 

[tentoes4rings]

How dare he have earrings. The nerve.

It wasn’t earrings, it was the whole image a week after UConn got eliminated from the Final Four. He was a great Husky, just didn’t seem to have priorities straight to succeed at the next level.

 

[Huskyforlife]

It wasn’t earrings, it was the whole image a week after UConn got eliminated from the Final Four. He was a great Husky, just didn’t seem to have priorities straight to succeed at the next level.

Or you’re just reading to far into things. I know narratives are fun.

 

[uconndoit]

Is he still tall?

 

[tentoes4rings]

Or you’re just reading to far into things. I know narratives are fun.

So what’s the correct narrative then Dr. Freud? He simply wasn’t good enough for the NBA?

 

[Huskyforlife]

So what’s the correct narrative then Dr. Freud? He simply wasn’t good enough for the NBA?

Nailed it.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I seem to be the only one who was never sold on HT. I remember literally laughing watching the draft when he was picked #2. He had absolutely no post game and like the guy said in the video you could throw the ball to him but if it was in anyway not perfectly placed he was going to fumble it around and likely turn it over. He was always falling over and was just a mess. The nail in the coffin for me was the absolute destruction he suffered at the hands of Dujuan Blair of Pitt.
Sure he averaged 14 and 10 and a bunch of blocks but at 7`4 in college you should be able to put that up in your sleep playing against a bunch of 6`8 kids. He wont be making a comeback all the way to the NBA. Hes not pro material especially not in todays NBA.

 

[Huskybass]

Or you’re just reading to far into things. I know narratives are fun.

I saw the same thing he did, in person. Hasheem was never prepared to put in the work to be a good pro. He was celebrating before he even got drafted. Thats a big part of why his on court performance for a #2 overall pick is literally the worst of any player ever drafted that high. The guy drafted right after him was thr league MVP last season, and Thabeet hasnt been in the league for 5 years. Whether you want to admit it or not, Thabeet cleebrated "success" way to early rather than continuing to work hard to be a solid pro.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I saw the same thing he did, in person. Hasheem was never prepared to put in the work to be a good pro. He was celebrating before he even got drafted. Thats a big part of why his on court performance for a #2 overall pick is literally the worst of any player ever drafted that high. The guy drafted right after him was thr league MVP last season, and Thabeet hasnt been in the league for 5 years. Whether you want to admit it or not, Thabeet cleebrated "success" way to early rather than continuing to work hard to be a solid pro.

Imagine thinking celebrating your inevitable top 5 draft position after dropping out of college is a concerning action. Also imagine thinking that impacted his in game performance.

Crazy thought, maybe he just wasn’t good enough for the NBA? I know, radical.

 

[Stainmaster]

Earrings, guys...

 

[tentoes4rings]

Earrings, guys...

Shut up Stain, you’re a constant irritant.

 

[Dave Carlson]

Good luck to him. He never had the work ethic necessary to make it in the NBA but great guy. He thought he made it when he got drafted but in actuality that is when the really hard work begins. Staying in the NBA is hard.

It is fascinating the way New England sports fans always seem to run their sports narratives through a morality filter.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I seem to be the only one who was never sold on HT. I remember literally laughing watching the draft when he was picked #2. He had absolutely no post game and like the guy said in the video you could throw the ball to him but if it was in anyway not perfectly placed he was going to fumble it around and likely turn it over. He was always falling over and was just a mess. The nail in the coffin for me was the absolute destruction he suffered at the hands of Dujuan Blair of Pitt.
Sure he averaged 14 and 10 and a bunch of blocks but at 7`4 in college you should be able to put that up in your sleep playing against a bunch of 6`8 kids. He wont be making a comeback all the way to the NBA. Hes not pro material especially not in todays NBA.

Very cool story.