Young Iranian basketballer Fallah: A tale of patience

TEHRAN – Parsa Fallah has consistently showcased his impressive basketball skills this season, demonstrating why he’s a vital asset for Oregon State.

The junior forward, standing tall at 6-foot-9, has a knack for leaving defenders in his wake with a splendid array of post moves. He currently stands as the Beavers’ third-leading scorer, contributing an impressive 10.8 points per game as the team gears up for crucial West Coast Conference matches against Santa Clara and Pacific this week.

A basketball coach spotted Fallah one day playing soccer and suggested he try his sport. Fallah didn’t like it at first, but at his father’s urging, stuck with it.

Fallah evolved into one of the country’s top young players, as he played key roles for Iran at FIBA U19 and U20 tournaments.

When former Southern Utah coach Todd Simon identified Fallah as a player he’d like to add to his program, he acknowledged getting a player from Iran to the U.S. “would be a little bit of a process.”

There’s only so much future for a basketball player in Iran, however. Fallah said basketball ranks no higher than fifth or sixth among sports in his country, oregonlive.com reported.

“It’s kind of a sport for the rich people back home,” Fallah said. “It’s like golf and tennis here. Rich people play that stuff.”

Fallah came off Southern Utah’s bench during the 2022-23 season. It was five games into the campaign, during a game at Kansas, that Simon thought he had something.

“He comes off the bench, and had eight (points) and eight (rebounds) in 13 minutes,” Simon said. “Right then we knew, OK, he’s not afraid of anything. He was the best big on the floor in that game. We knew he was going to be special.”

The following year, Fallah started every game, averaging 13.2 points and 6.0 rebounds a game. Late in the 23-24 season, Fallah began to think about transferring. He loved Southern Utah and the coaching staff. It’s where he met his wife, Ellie.

“I need to bring my family here. Family is really big for me, my little brother, my parents,” Fallah said.