Arsalan Kazemi

Arsalan Kazemi Naeini (Persian: ارسلان کاظمی‎‎; born 22 April 1990) is an Iranian professional basketball player for Samen Mash'had of the Iranian Basketball Super League. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and the Rice Owls basketball teams. He was the 54th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards, becoming the first Iranian to be drafted into the league. His rights were later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

He was the captain of the Iranian under-18 national basketball team and has previously played for Zob Ahan Isfahan in the Iranian Basketball Super League at the age of 17 before travelling to the United States in February 2008.

College career

Rice

Kazemi received scholarship offers from Maryland, Seton Hall, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Nebraska and Rice. On 1 November 2008, Kazemi committed to play for Rice University. He became the first Iranian national to play Division I basketball. He was a member of McMurtry College at Rice University.