NEW YORK The Memphis skyline just got a little taller, while UConns pipeline to the NBA got a little longer.
The Memphis Grizzlies selected Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft on Thursday night at Madison Square Gardens WaMu Theater.
Thabeet, the 7-foot-3 center who shot-blocked his way to consecutive national defensive player of the year honors at UConn, joins Emeka Okafor (2004) as the Huskies highest-ever draft pick.
Im happy and excited, said Thabeet, who is UConns 15th first-round selection and 10th lottery pick over the past 20 years. I look forward to being part of the Grizzlies organization.
Neither A.J. Price nor Jeff Adrien, who just completed their senior years at UConn, were selected in the first round.
Seated with his mother, Rukia Manka, the normally ebullient Thabeet seemed somewhat subdued upon hearing his name as the second called. As expected, Blake Griffin of Oklahoma went to the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 1 pick.
I was surprised, Thabeet said. (The Grizzlies) were calling my agent
I was waiting to hear whats going to happen. I ended up in Memphis, so Im happy.
Thabeet had canceled a schedule workout with the Grizzlies last weekend a move, some believed, that indicated he didnt want to get picked by Memphis.
I was going to be happy wherever I ended up, he insisted. This is, for me, a great opportunity to go out there and play ball and have fun.
Per the NBAs rookie salary scale, Thabeet will earn $3.7 million next year and $3.9 million in 2010-11. The Grizzlies hold a third-year option for $4.2 million, and a fourth-year option that would represent a 26.2 percent increase.
Thabeets selection kicks off the next step in his journey from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to basketball stardom. He only took up the sport at age 14, shortly before moving to the United States, and was still very much a project upon enrolling at UConn in 2006.
Although he was a defensive force from the start of his freshman season, Thabeet struggled to even catch the ball never mind shoot it early on.
When I came here, I never thought, first of all, that I would be able to make it to Division 1 basketball, he said. I ended up at UConn, and when I got to UConn, I got to be coached by Jim Calhoun. He pushed me since day one.
Thabeet gradually improved on the offensive end, upping his scoring average from 6.2 points per game as a freshman to 10.5 as a sophomore to 13.6 this past season. He shared Big East co-player of the year honors last season with Pittsburghs DeJuan Blair and announced he was entering the NBA draft in April.
I had to believe in myself that I can definitely do it, he said. After my freshman year, I was young and I had to grow up and (Calhoun) prepared me mentally pretty well for me to believe in myself. He challenged me and I can challenge myself to be man enough to go out there and play ball, and I ended up believing in myself since my freshman year.
Thabeet considered leaving for the NBA after both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Calhoun told him leaving after his freshman year is going to be the worst mistake in your life. I had to believe in him and trust him and told my family that I can wait a couple of years for me to be in the NBA
To me, this is a blessing.
Thabeets father, Thabit Manka, passed away several years ago. He becomes the first Tanzanian-born player ever to be selected in the NBA draft.
Its a blessing, he said. The first five years (away from home), I didnt get to see my family
I used to speak to them on the phone every two or three weeks, and now they are here and get to experience this with me. I dont even know how to explain that. Its just a great feeling and Im happy that (my mother) was there to experience it.
Thabeet joins a Memphis team that now features four 7-footers: starting center Marc Gasol, who averaged 11.9 points per game last season, Chris Mihm, rookie Hamed Haddadi and Thabeet. A fifth, infamous draft bust Darko Milicic, was traded Thursday night to the New York Knicks.
Thabeet will also be teammates with former UConn star Rudy Gay, who led the Grizzlies in scoring last season, and Big East rival Sam Young from Pitt, who was selected by the Grizzlies in the second round.