Things Get Unintentionally Hilarious in Memphis

No one said the Grizzlies wouldn’t be hilarious this season. They’ve got athletic showmen galore, and then, around the basket, the likes of Darko Milicic, Marc Gasol, and Iranian import Hamed Haddadi. Oh, and Hakim Warrick, who is mostly around as their tour guide and style coach.↵
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↵So with so many foreigners rearing their heads and cultures, in such a far-flung city, a few things are bound to go haywire before the season even starts. Case in point: This hand anecdote from the Memphis Commercial Appeal:↵↵⇥Sometimes a language barrier between foreign players and American players, coaches and executives isn’t limited to the spoken word. Take what happened Tuesday morning: Griz general manager Chris Wallace attempted to encourage Iranian center Hamed Haddadi during practice with a simple thumbs-up sign. But a thumbs up doesn’t always mean what you think.↵⇥
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↵⇥Turns out that gesture in Iran takes on the same meaning as someone flipping a middle finger in the States.↵↵And you thought the Tony Barone era was entertaining.↵
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↵(via FanHouse)↵