This piece is the first in an ongoing series I pitched to tell the story of the NBA’s global influence. With help from FIBA Asia, I spoke to Jordanian basketballer Mahmoud Abdeen.
Just like every other kid in the world, Abdeen practiced Allen Iverson’s famous crossover in his backyard and stayed awake far past his bedtime so he could catch NBA games in a Middle Eastern timezone. Mahmoud is a perfect example of the globalization of a formerly American sport and he’s now using his own unique career to change the face of sports locally.
“The bustling metropolis of Amman sits within Jordan’s sun-scorched hillside. Pharaoh Ptolemy II dubbed the region “Philadelphus” after his own alias. A millennium and multiple dynasties later; a stateside settler recycled the title for a Pennsylvanian colony. He christened the future home of The 76ers; “Philadelphia,” due to its translated meaning “brotherly love.”
Amman’s basketball ruler Mahmoud Abdeen continues the historic exchange. The MVP of Jordan’s premier league, Abdeen forged his gameplay on Philadelphia royalty. His signature crossover into step-back three was defined by hours of mimicking durag don A.I.
“[As a kid] I remember I was watching Allen Iverson,” Abdeen recalls. “I [would] go to my garden and I was trying to make his move. I had a video of him crossing over, stepping back, like repeating the shot again and again.”
Trained via NBA highlight reel, Mahmoud’s heat-seeking jumper is a crack-shot. A hardwood sniper, the 32-year-old Jordanian meditates to the sound of swishes. He repped Jordan in the FIBA world cup twice and proudly carries the nation on his back.”