From Deseret News archives:

Utah Jazz: Iranian squad to play at Rocky Mountain Revue

Published: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 12:05 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
A game between the Jazz and the Olympic-qualified Iranian National Team highlight the schedule for this month's Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, which was released Tuesday.

The Revue will be held July 18-25 at Salt Lake Community College's Lifetime Activities Center.

Eight teams — two more than originally announced — will take part in the 17-game event, though two do not directly represent NBA franchises.

One will be an All-Star team from the NBA Development League. It will play three games, but none against the Jazz.

The other is the Iranian team that qualified for the upcoming Summer Olympics in China by winning last year's FIBA Asia Championship in Japan.

Iran is one of three nations that make up the so-called "Axis of Evil" — the phrase used by President Bush in his 2002 State of the Union address to describe governments he accused of seeking weapons of mass destruction.

Its national team will be playing in its first Olympic men's basketball tourney since 1948.

The Iranians will be in the opposite group of Team USA in Beijing, and they feature 7-foot-5 center Jaber Rouzbahani — who made himself eligible for, but went unselected in, the 2004 NBA Draft.

Story continues below
The Jazz-Iran game will be played at 7 p.m. on July 21. Iran will play one other Revue game, against Dallas on July 19.

It will mark the first time a non-NBA team will play in the Revue since 1996, when the schedule included a Jazz loss to the French national team in which now-retired Jazz center Greg Ostertag posted a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Other NBA teams in the field: Atlanta, Golden State, New Jersey and San Antonio.

New Jersey, making its Revue debut, has a roster that includes 2008 first-round draft choices Brook Lopez of Stanford and Ryan Anderson of Cal, '08 second-rounder Chris Douglas-Roberts of the University of Memphis and undrafted Utah State shooting guard Jaycee Carroll.

Dallas will be playing in the Revue for an 11th straight year, while San Antonio returns for a sixth consecutive appearance.

Atlanta — featuring 2007 first-round draft choices Al Horford and Acie Law IV — will be taking part for the fifth year in a row.

And Golden State — whose roster includes '07 first-rounder Marco Belinelli and '08 lottery pick Anthony Randolph of LSU — is making its sixth Revue appearance but its first since 1997.

Among those not in the field is Philadelphia, a frequent Revue participant in recent years.

Recent comments

Forget about politics for now and enjoy the game. They are our...

Anonymous | July 21, 2008 at 3:08 p.m.

If Iran loses to a jazz summer league team they have problems.

Anonymous | July 3, 2008 at 2:22 p.m.

Rick, you've got it wrong. It's Bush and Cheney that want to destroy...

Anonymous | July 3, 2008 at 7:04 a.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

Letters: Trump card for believers

No, the atheists don't knock on our doors. That's easy to say no and shut...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

is great when he is not pressured. He is a great QB when he has time. He...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

re:Stop Crying | 8:03 p.m. Nov. 28, 2009 Who is crying? The team with the...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

This was a home game for you and you almost lost to a freshman QB. The...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

Great rebuilding year BYU! Since Utah is losing more seniors than BYU I...

I have a firm believe in the right bear arms, but these guys are a couple of...

Glad to have the win, however, I have serious quarterback envy. Winn had...

BYU another nice win but no BCS. Next season you'll be rebuilding unlike the...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

who said we can talk when we BCS bust. You can talk when you win a national...

Cougars beat Utes, 26-23

It gets even better on the hardwood. BYU over Utah home and away this year.

Advertisements