February 24
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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With starting forward Rudy Gay out with a shoulder injury for at least three more weeks, the Grizzlies acquired forward Shane Battier from the Houston Rockets for 2009 No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet at the NBA trade deadline today. The Grizzlies thought they had a trade that would send O.J. Mayo to Indiana for power forward/center Josh McRoberts and a first-round draft pick. But the deal was never consummated because the teams missed the NBA’s 2 p.m. deadline. “Despite published reports, O.J. was not traded,” Griz general manager Chris Wallace said in a tweet. The Indianapolis Star reported, on a source basis, that the Grizzlies pulled out of the deal at the last minute. National NBA reporter"
February 24
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies had serious discussions Wednesday with the Houston Rockets regarding a proposed deal that would swap second-year center Hasheem Thabeet for forward Shane Battier. A deal would hinge on Memphis' willingness to also include a future first-round draft pick in its bid to reunite with Battier. The Griz failed in their initial attempt to acquire Battier earlier this year and may try to enlist a third team to avoid sending the Rockets a pick. Battier, who was Memphis' first draft pick in 2001, played five seasons for the Griz, averaging 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds. He was traded to the Rockets in July 2006 in the deal that brought Rudy Gay to the Grizzlies. Memphis' 2011"
December 23
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies' record dipped five games below .500 earlier this week, and now the possibility of reshaping the roster has piqued their interest. Team executives, who had insisted the current group would have until the All-Star break to find a rhythm, will consider potential trade offers depending on how the Griz handle the next two weeks. Sources with knowledge of the team's thinking said Wednesday that the Grizzlies' 12-17 record has been deemed unacceptable. The team might look to shake up the roster if it can't put together a significant winning streak and solidify a place in the Western Conference playoff race. To that end, 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet is no longer unavailable. The Griz"
December 14
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Trade rumors involving the Grizzlies are starting to swirl, but team brass put on ice Monday any notion that they are looking to deal guard O.J. Mayo and/or center Hasheem Thabeet. One Internet report speculated that the team had given up on Thabeet, the No. 2 pick in 2009, and were actively shopping him. A different blog cited an unidentified source as declaring that Mayo could be headed to New York as soon as this week. "We are not trying to trade O.J. or Hasheem," said Griz owner Michael Heisley, who sat courtside Monday with Portland in town. "We haven't had any conversations about them, and I should know because I'm the one making the decisions." Griz coach Lionel Hollins said trade"
August 7
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Hasheem Thabeet's late father, Thabit Manka, instilled in his son the belief that if he was good to others, he would grow up to do great things. That explains why the Grizzlies' second-year center from Tanzania is proud to be taking part in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Dakar, Senegal. Thabeet, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and several other NBA players arrived in Africa Thursday and will be there until Monday. While in Senegal, they will help coach the top 60 19-under players from Africa, as well as participate in several community-service events. "I'm doing this for (my dad) right now," Thabeet said. "I don't have words to explain it. "Several years ago, I was"
April 1
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Retired center Dikembe Mutombo sat courtside Wednesday night, putting a cap on a day mostly geared toward meshing with Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet. "He's very interested in Hasheem," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said. "He wanted to come in and get together with Hasheem." Mutombo has served as a global ambassador for the NBA since he retired from the Houston Rockets in 2009. It is not uncommon for the former Defensive Player of the Year to visit different NBA cities throughout the season. It is believed, too, that the Griz might talk to Mutombo about working as a paid consultant in the offseason. Mutombo will spend a lot of time coaching Thabeet in the summer if the Griz have"
March 9
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies recalled center Hasheem Thabeet from the Dakota Wizards, the team's NBA Development League affiliate, general manager Chris Wallace announced today. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Thabeet averaged a double-double with 13.8 points and 11.2 rebounds along with 3.2 blocks in six games (four starts) with Dakota."
March 3
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Hasheem Thabeet grabbed his sneakers and began wandering around the visitors locker room last Friday at Tulio Arena in Erie, Pa. He had just made his debut with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, but he was still finding his way. Where was the equipment bag for his sneakers? "Hasheem, this is the D-League," Wizards coach Rory White told him. "And in the D-League, you carry your own sneakers." If Thabeet suddenly felt thousands of miles removed from the trappings of the NBA lifestyle, then there would be more. Oh, so much more. How about folding up his 7-foot-3 frame on Monday afternoon and flying coach from Fort Wayne, Ind., to Detroit … and then from Detroit to Minneapolis"
January 25
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Hasheem Thabeet is trying to prove himself a consistent rebounder and shot-blocker. When Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden glided toward the rim for a lay-up attempt last Friday, Grizzlies rookie center Hasheem Thabeet was there to meet him. Before Thabeet's body collided with Harden and before an official called a foul, Thabeet's right hand had already pinned the basketball against the backboard. The Grizzlies protested the call as the FedExForum crowd roared its approval. Thabeet sat on the court, emphatically smacking his hands on the floor. It was a rare show of emotion from the 7-footer. He was fired up. Thabeet appeared confident. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA draft"
November 12
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet did not make the trip to Toyota Center, but he could return from injury as soon as Saturday. The rookie center appeared to suffer a broken jaw Tuesday after a collision with teammate Zach Randolph during a loss to Portland. But Griz coach Lionel Hollins described Thabeet's injury as a "fractured bone on the lower jaw along the teeth line." Thabeet will miss only a matter of days. "It's a hairline fracture," Hollins said. "They've got it wired. Obviously, it'll be a pain issue, but we'll see what happens." Hollins said the timing of the injury was bad, too. He'd decided to give the 7-footer consistent playing time. "I was going to give him that time"
November 11
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies returned home to FedExForum on Tuesday night after a tumultuous trip to the West Coast, where they took a beating in the press and in the Western Conference standings. Coach Lionel Hollins knew his team needed something good to happen against the Portland Trail Blazers. "It would be great," he said before the game, almost in a whisper, "to get a win." The franchise was fragile, his young players rattled — by five straight losses and by Hurricane A.I., who had left so much damage in his wake. Allen Iverson was hundreds of miles from the Grizzlies bench by the opening tip, at home in Atlanta mulling retirement. But his ghost haunted the place. The Blazers are a talented team"
October 9
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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He has already adopted the nickname "Dream," something Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon emphatically put in the NBA lexicon. Given how Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet looked until the team's first two preseason games, you could understand the snickers. Thabeet must be dreaming, right? The No. 2 overall pick in the June draft didn't come close to dominating the rookie/free-agent showcase at Las Vegas in July. Then, the 7-3 Thabeet often wandered aimlessly through Grizzlies' training camp at Birmingham-Southern College. First impressions hardly suggested "HasheemTheDream," as his Twitter account states. He seemed more like HasheemTheLostCause, a rookie asleep for too many stretches on the"