The Australian Boomers will face even tougher than expected opposition at the upcoming Stankovic Continental Cup following the announcement that Iran’s first-ever NBA player, Hamed Haddadi, will join his national team for the tournament that commences on Wednesday.

The Tehran Times reported that “Hamed Haddadi will join Iran basketball team in China for the 2010 Stankovic Continental Cup.”

“(The) NBA Memphis Grizzlies 7-foot-2 centre, who could not accompany Iran in the 2010 William Jones Cup due to the Las Vegas Summer League, will be one of head coach Veselin Matic’s squad in the Stankovic Cup,” the report continued.

Haddadi has played 55 career games for Memphis, averaging 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds off the bench for the Grizzlies.

The Iranian big man won’t be the only NBA players opposing the Boomers in China either. 

Whilst China is yet to name their final team for the tournament, in their squad of 15 they have two players with NBA experience.  Seven-foot forward Yi Jianlian averaged career-highs of 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds for the New Jersey Nets last season and former Dallas Maverick and LA Clipper Wang Zhizhi is also in the mix.

Whilst Slovenia is perhaps lesser known as an international basketball force, there are no fewer than five Slovenian players currently associated with NBA rosters.  One of those - Primoz Brezec of the Philadelphia 76ers – has confirmed he will take on the Australians in China.

Australia will have two of its NBA players at the tournament - Patrick Mills and David Andersen. 

The Stankovic Continental Cup is a prestigious invitation-only tournament which will be held in Lizhou, China from 28 July to 1 August and features China, Iran, Australia and Slovenia.

The Boomers are the defending champions of the tournament, after having defeated Turkey in the final last year to claim the title.

The Stankovic Continental Cup is a crucial part of the Boomers’ preparations for the 2010 FIBA World Championships, which will be held in Turkey from 28 August to 12 September.