Hassan Whiteside

At 34 years old, Hassan Whiteside has this physical status:

Hassan Niam Whiteside (born June 13, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

He played college basketball for the Marshall Thundering Herd before being selected in the second round by the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 NBA draft.

After joining the Miami Heat in 2014, Whiteside was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2016, when he also led the NBA in blocks.

He led the league in rebounding in 2017.

Early life

Whiteside grew up with six siblings and a single mother. Born and raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, he attended three high schools in two years: Hunter Huss High School, Ashbrook High School, and Forestview High School.

For his junior year of high school in 2006–07, Whiteside moved in with his father in Newark, New Jersey, playing at East Side High School. After averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 blocked shots per game, Whiteside went back to North Carolina for the 2007–08 school year and attended Hope Christian Academy (Kings Mountain, North Carolina). In 2008–09, he played prep basketball at The Patterson School in Lenoir, North Carolina where he helped lead Patterson to a 34–2 record and a No. 1 national ranking with future Marshall teammate DeAndre Kane. At Patterson, he also played alongside Arsalan Kazemi.

Whiteside was rated as the No. 19 center in the Class of 2009 according to Scout.com, and ranked as the No. 87 recruit in the Class of 2009 by Rivals.com. He played in the 2009 Reebok All-American preview game, and was a member of both the United Celtics (NC) AAU Team and the New Jersey Panthers AAU team as a high schooler.

Personal life

Whiteside is the son of Hasson Arbubakrr and Debbie Whiteside. His father played in the NFL for the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1983 to 1984. Whiteside has a younger brother named Nassan, who has autism. In 2012, Nassan's Place was incorporated in the state of New Jersey as a non-profit organization. Nassan's Place provides low to moderate income families the opportunity to receive quality and affordable care for their children in a safe and carefree environment.

In January 2017, Whiteside wired $2.75 million to attorney Michael Avenatti as the first payment in a $3 million-settlement with ex-girlfriend Alexis Gardner, who was represented by Avenatti in the settlement. Avenatti allegedly embezzled all but $194,000 of the $3 million that Whiteside paid in total, even though he was legally entitled to only a little more than $1 million in legal fees. This news came to light during an April 10, 2019 indictment of Avenatti by a federal grand jury in Santa Ana, California. "We entered into a mutually agreed upon settlement more than two years ago following the end of our relationship; a settlement that reflected Alexis’ investment of time and support over a number of years as Hassan pursued a career in the NBA," Whiteside and Gardner told The Los Angeles Times in a statement released by his agent.

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College career

Marshall was chosen over UNC Charlotte, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, and Mississippi State by the Whitesider.

Whiteside came to Marshall University early in the 2009-10 season, but it didn't take long for him to make national news. In a 60–53 victory over the Ohio University Bobcats on November 28, he was a featured in ESPN The Magazine's College Basketball column on December 28. He had 14 points, 17 rebounds, and nine blocked shots in the edition of December 28. Whiteside's first triple-double in a 105-54 victory over the Brescia Bearcats on December 12, scoring 17 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 11 shots. On January 13, and February 27, Whiteside will have two more triple-doubles this year against the UCF Knights. With 182, he finished the season as the nation's top blocked shots leader in blocked shots, as well as Tulsa's Jerome Jordan for the most blocked shots in a single season and career, and the Marshall record for the most blocked shots in a single season and career, which was set by his first year. The 182 blocks set a national record for a freshman in a single season, surpassing 177 by BYU's Shawn Bradley in 1990-91.

After Marshall head coach Donnie Jones accepted the head coaching job with the Conference USA rival UCF Knights, Whiteside declared himself eligible for the 2010 NBA draft on March 29, 2010.

Professional career

In the 2010 NBA draft, Whiteside was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 33rd overall pick. He appeared in the Kings' season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves in two minutes before faltering in another game for the Kings all season. From November 29 to January 9, he spent time with the Reno Bighorns' D-League affiliate before being sentenced out for four to six months after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon in his left knee.

Whiteside was on loan with the Reno Bighorns between January 1 and February 3 of the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season. He appeared in 18 games for the Kings between February 15 and April 11, including a 10-rebound effort against the Houston Rockets on April 8. The Kings waived him on July 16, 2012.

The Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League acquired Whiteside on December 14, 2012.

In exchange for Damian Saunders, Whiteside was traded to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on January 4, 2013.

Prior to the playoffs, Whiteside spent time with the Vipers and then joined Lebanese club Amchit Club in late April 2013.

After three games for Amchit in early May, Whiteside left Lebanon and joined the Chinese NBL team Sichuan Blue Whales in early May. In an 85-69 victory over Hebei Xianglian, Whiteside scored 28 points and 21 rebounds in his first game with the Blue Whales. He averaged 25.7 points, 16.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 5.1 blocks per game in 27 games.

After signing with Al Mouttahed Tripoli in November 2013, Whiteside returned to Lebanon.

Whiteside was released by Tripoli and returned to China in April 2014. He was a member of Jiangsu Tongxi, China's national basketball team, where he averaged 29.6 points, 16.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 4.3 blocks per game.

Whiteside joined the Iowa Energy, the Grizzlies' D-League affiliate, in November 2014 after spending Summer with the Toronto Raptors and preseason with the Memphis Grizzlies. He was called up by the Grizzlies on November 19 to line out their roster against Toronto due to multiple injuries. He was waived the next day and returned to Iowa.

Whiteside signed with the Miami Heat on November 24, 2014. On December 13, he was posted to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, but two days later, he was recalled two days later. In an 88-84 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he scored 11 points, ten rebounds, and 5 blocks for his first double-double.

In a 104-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on January 11, 2015, Whiteside posted a then-high 23 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. In a 96-84 victory over the Chicago Bulls, he earned his first triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and a franchise record 12 blocks. In the process, Whiteside became the fourth player in the last 25 years with at least 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 blocks in a game, as the first player since Manute Bol with 12 blocks off the bench in 25 minutes or less. Bol had 13 blocks in 23 minutes. In a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 4, he scored a then career-high 24 points on 12-of-13 shooting as well as 20 rebounds. His 90 percent field goal shooting and his 20/20 night made him one of only four players in NBA history to accomplish such feats.

The Phoenix Suns' Alex Len got into a brawl on March 2, 2015. The NBA fined Whiteside $15,000 for his role in the altercation the next day. During the Heat's loss to the Boston Celtics on March 9, he was suspended for one game without compensation for striking Kelly Olynyk. In the NBA Most Improved Player Awards' rankings, he came in fourth place. Whiteside had a double-double with 11.8 points and 10 rebounds per game during his first season with the Heat.

In a 109–89 victory over the Houston Rockets on November 1, 2015, Whiteside scored a then-high 25 points in a 109–89 victory. In a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 17, he recorded his second straight triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks. He was the seventh player in NBA history with multiple points-block triple-doubles. Whiteside blocked five shots in a game against the New York Knicks on November 23, giving him 63 in 13 games. At this point of the season, Alonzo Mourning, who had 50 to begin the 1998-99 season, had the highest block count at this time. He made three blocks against the Charlotte Hornets on December 9, extending his streaks to start a season to the second season after leading only Mark Eaton (24, 1988–89 with Utah) and Shaquille O'Neal (23, 1992–93 with Orlando). On December 13, his streak came to an end after he failed to have a block against the Memphis Grizzlies.

In a 98–95 victory over the Denver Nuggets, Whiteside posted his third triple-double in his career, with 19 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 blocked shots. He missed six games between January 22 and February 2 due to a left hip injury. In a 93-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, he returned to action on February 3, posting 10 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks in 17 minutes off the bench. In a 98-95 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, he scored his third triple-double of the season and fourth of his career, as well as ten rebounds and 10 blocked shots in 27 minutes off the bench. In a 114-94 victory over the Washington Wizards, he had 25 points and 23 rebounds off the bench, marking the 11th time in NBA history that a player has had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game off the bench. In that game, Whiteside blocked two shots, giving him 300 with the Heat in 94 games, the fastest a Heat player has ever hit the 300-block mark. Alonzo Mourning was the fastest player to do so, but he needed 108 games to achieve his record. Whiteside scored his 1,000th career victory in his 95th game against the Indiana Pacers on the following day, leading Alonzo Mourning (96), Kevin Willis (98) and Shaquille O'Neal (99). In a 129-111 win over the Chicago Bulls on March 1, he scored a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds. In a 110–99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, he surpassed his record on March 28, scoring 27 points on March 28.

With a 48-34 record, the Heat finished the regular season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In 2015–16, Whiteside was the league's best shot blocker, and he was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The Heat defeated the sixth-seeded Charlotte Hornets in the first round of the playoffs on April 17, and Whiteside won by 21 points and 11 rebounds. In the second round, the Heat went on to lose to the Toronto Raptors.

On July 7, 2016, Whiteside signed with the Heat for a four-year, $98 million deal. Whiteside went from a minimum wage to a max level contract in NBA history. Whiteside defeated the Orlando Magic by 108 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocked shots in the Heat's season opener on October 26, which was 108-96. In a 106-99 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, he tied his career high with 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. On November 4, Whiteside posted his fifth straight double-double, a franchise record streak to begin a season, with 21 points and 16 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors. For his third game in 20-20 sports, he scored 20 points and 20 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls on November 10, his third appearance in 20-20 games. Rony Seikaly, with 12 points, is the only player to have more Heat uniforms than him. In a 93-90 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, he scored 19 points and grabbed an NBA season-high 25 rebounds. Whiteside scored 32 points in rebounds in their 13th consecutive game to start the season on November 21, while losing with double digits in rebounds. In a 95–89 victory over the Indiana Pacers, he scored 26 points and 22 rebounds, his fourth game in his career 20-20-20 play. With a right retinal contusion, Whiteside went on to miss four games in early January. In a 116–93 victory over Atlanta, Whiteside got his 2,000th rebound in a 116–93 victory; he had 18 points and 18 rebounds in the game. In a 125-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on three days, he scored 30 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in less than 27 minutes, extending Miami's winning streak to 10. The 30-20 game was his first game of his career and the ninth in Heat history, which also included playoffs. Bill Laimbeer joined Bill Laimbeer as the only NBA players to play in no more than 27 minutes, while Laimbeer did it in 1984-85. In a 102-98 loss to Indiana, he had 26 points and 21 rebounds on March 12. It was Whiteside's fifth 20/20 game of the season. With 10 offensive rebounds in the game, he tied for his highest point in his career. In a 112–97 victory over the Phoenix Suns on March 21, he had a 23-point, 14-rebound display. During the game, he scored 936 rebounds, the highest single-season franchise record by going two over Seikaly's 1991–92 total (934). Whiteside also played his 57th double-digit rebound game of the season, a Heat record—one more than Seikaly in 1991–92. Whiteside defeated Denver on April 2 for the first Heat player to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a season. Whiteside was the league's top rebounder at the end of the season.

In the Heat's season opener against the Orlando Magic on October 18, 2017, Whiteside had 26 points and 22 rebounds in a 116-109 loss, making Kevin Garnett the first player since Terry Garnett in 2007 to score at least 20 points and grab at least 20 rebounds. In a 97–91 victory over the Chicago Bulls, he came back from a five-game absence with a bruising knee and scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. In a 107-89 victory over the Orlando Magic, he returned from an 11-game absence with a bone bruise in his left knee and had seven points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes. He had a season-high 27 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks to lead the Heat to a 106-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on January 17, 2018. Due to a hip injury, Whiteside missed nine games in March.

Whiteside lost 123–113 to the Sacramento Kings on October 29, 2018, on a season-high 24 rebounds to go with 16 points and five blocked shots. In a 95-88 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on November 7, he had 29 points, 20 rebounds, and an NBA season-high nine blocked shots. In the first half, Whiteside had eight blocked shots, breaking a Heat record for the first half; Alonzo Mourning's previous first-half record was seven, while Whiteside's second-half record was seven. In a 104–92 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, he had 21 points and 23 rebounds on November 20. Since recovering from a hip injury, he was relegated to a reserve role in March 2019.

On July 6, 2019, Whiteside was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a four-team trade that also involved the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. Whiteside scored 8 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had a season-high 10 blocks on November 29, 2019. His ten blocks set a new Trail Blazers franchise record for blocks in a single game. Bill Walton, the previous record holder, had nine blocks in two separate occasions.

The Sacramento Kings reported on November 27, 2020, that they had signed Whiteside to a one-year deal.

Whiteside signed with the Utah Jazz on August 6, 2021. Rudy Gobert was the backup to Rudy Gobert for the season. Despite playing only 17.9 minutes per game, Whiteside made 1.6 blocks per game, placing eighth in the league in that segment.

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Awards and honors

• 2010 Sporting News second team All-American
• 2010 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year
• 2010 Conference USA Freshman of the Year
• 2010 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
• 2010 A member of FOXSports.com's All-Freshman Team
• 2010 CBSSports.com Freshman All-American Team
• 2010 Conference USA All-Defensive Team
• 2010 Conference USA 7-time Rookie of The Week
• 2010 Second Team All-Conference USA
• 2010 NCAA Second Team All-Freshman Team
• 2010 NCAA Division I blocks leader
• 2010 First NCAA Conference USA player to ever record three triple-doubles in a season
• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2016)