Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside
Hassan Whiteside
Born	June 13, 1989 (age 37); Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2010–present
Known for	NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2016), leading NBA in blocks and rebounds

Hassan Niam Whiteside (born June 13, 1989) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently playing for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association. He competed in college basketball representing the Marshall Thundering Herd before being chosen by the Sacramento Kings in the second round of the 2010 NBA draft. After signing with the Miami Heat in 2014, Whiteside secured a position on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2016, leading the league in blocks that season. The following year, he topped the NBA in rebounding. Upon being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, he once again led the league in blocks during his initial season with Portland. Whiteside’s professional career also includes stints in basketball leagues across China, Lebanon, and Puerto Rico.

Early life

Raised by a single mother alongside six siblings, Whiteside was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. Over two years, he attended three different high schools: Hunter Huss High School, Ashbrook High School, and Forestview High School. For his junior year (2006–07), he relocated to Newark, New Jersey to live with his father and played basketball at East Side High School. After posting averages of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per game, Whiteside returned to North Carolina for the 2007–08 academic year to attend Hope Christian Academy (Kings Mountain, North Carolina). In the 2008–09 season, he played prep basketball at The Patterson School located in Lenoir, North Carolina, where he contributed to a 34–2 record and a top national ranking alongside future teammate DeAndre Kane.

Ranked as the No. 19 center nationally for the Class of 2009 by Scout.com and rated No. 87 overall by Rivals.com, Whiteside participated in the 2009 Reebok All-American preview game and competed for AAU teams including the United Celtics (NC) and New Jersey Panthers.

College career

Whiteside committed to Marshall, selecting it over scholarship offers from UNC Charlotte, South Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, and Mississippi State.

Initially underrecognized during the 2009–10 season, Whiteside quickly gained prominence after an impressive showing on November 28 versus Ohio University where he tallied 14 points, 17 rebounds, and nine blocks. On December 12, he notched Marshall’s inaugural triple-double with a stat line of 17 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 blocks. Throughout that season, he accumulated two additional triple-doubles and led all NCAA players with 182 blocked shots—establishing new single-season records for both Conference USA and Marshall. His block total also set an NCAA freshman record.

Following his coach Donnie Jones’ move to UCF, Whiteside declared for the 2010 NBA draft on March 29, 2010.

Sacramento Kings (2010–2012)

Chosen as the 33rd pick overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2010 NBA draft, Whiteside made a brief appearance in the season opener but spent much of his rookie campaign assigned to Sacramento’s D-League team, the Reno Bighorns. A knee injury requiring surgical intervention caused him to miss several months. During the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, Whiteside divided his time between Reno and Sacramento before being released by the Kings on July 16, 2012.

Sioux Falls Skyforce (2012–2013)

On December 14, 2012, Whiteside became a member of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, a team competing in the NBA Development League.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2013)

Whiteside was traded to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on January 4, 2013.

Amchit Club (2013)

In April 2013, prior to the playoffs, Whiteside departed from the Vipers to sign with Lebanese squad Amchit Club.

Sichuan Blue Whales (2013)

By May 2013, Whiteside had joined the Sichuan Blue Whales of China’s NBL, where he averaged roughly 25.7 points, 16.6 rebounds, and more than five blocks per contest over the course of 27 games.

Al Mouttahed Tripoli (2013–2014)

Returning to Lebanon in November 2013, Whiteside inked a deal with Al Mouttahed Tripoli but was released from the team in April 2014.

Jiangsu Tongxi (2014)

Whiteside resumed playing in China’s NBL with Jiangsu Tongxi, posting averages close to 30 points and over 16 rebounds per game during a 17-game stint.

Iowa Energy (2014)

Following participation in the Summer League with the Toronto Raptors and preseason action with the Memphis Grizzlies, Whiteside signed with their D-League affiliate, Iowa Energy, in November 2014. He briefly joined Memphis on a contract but was waived after a single appearance and returned to Iowa.

2014–15 season

Whiteside signed with the Miami Heat on November 24, 2014. Highlights included a double-double performance against the Brooklyn Nets and setting a franchise record with a triple-double that featured 12 blocks against the Chicago Bulls. He concluded the season ranked fourth in NBA Most Improved Player voting while averaging a double-double of 11.8 points and 10 rebounds per game.

2015–16 season

During this season, Whiteside achieved new personal records such as scoring a career-high of 25 points against the Houston Rockets and recording multiple triple-doubles that included blocks. Early on, he broke Miami’s single-game block records and joined an elite group of players with multiple triple-doubles consisting of points, rebounds, and blocks. Although sidelined briefly due to a hip injury, he delivered several commanding performances and reached franchise milestones at record speed—being the fastest to accumulate both 300 blocks and 1,000 rebounds. Whiteside led the entire league in blocks and earned a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team as Miami advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

2016–17 season

Whiteside secured a four-year maximum contract worth $98 million with Miami—the first player to ascend from minimum salary status to max contract level. He set franchise marks for consecutive double-doubles at the season's start and recorded the highest single-season rebound total in team history while producing numerous games with more than 20 rebounds or points. His efficiency was notable for feats such as scoring 30 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in under 27 minutes—the first instance since Bill Laimbeer. Whiteside again finished as the league leader in rebounds.

2017–18 season

Although injuries limited his playing time—causing him to miss several contests due to knee and hip problems—Whiteside maintained solid output, including an impressive opening night featuring at least 20 points and rebounds.

2018–19 season

In this campaign, Whiteside achieved career-best numbers with 24 rebounds and nine blocked shots in individual games but was moved into a reserve role after recovering from hip surgery.

Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2020)

After being traded to Portland on July 6, 2019, Whiteside achieved a franchise milestone by recording ten blocks in a single contest on November 29.

Return to Sacramento (2020–2021)

Whiteside inked a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings on November 27, 2020.

Utah Jazz (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Whiteside signed with the Utah Jazz; he played as a backup center with limited court time but still ranked eighth in the league for blocks per game.

Piratas de Quebradillas (2023)

He joined the Baloncesto Superior Nacional team Piratas de Quebradillas from Puerto Rico on March 14, 2023.

On February 13, 2024, Whiteside declared his retirement from professional basketball.

Cangrejeros de Santurce (2025)

Following a break due to shoulder surgery, Whiteside resumed his career by signing with Cangrejeros de Santurce on April 7, 2025, emphasizing that his retirement was temporary to facilitate recovery.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento |1||0||2.0||—||—||—||.0||.0||.0||.0||.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento |18||0||6.1||.444||—||.417||2.2||.0||.2||.8||1.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami |48||32||23.8||.628||—||.500||10.0||.1||.6||2.6||11.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami |73||43||29.1||.606||—||.650||11.8||.4||.6|||3.7* ||14.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami |77||77||32.6||.557||—||.628|||14.1* || .7 || .7 ||2.1 ||17.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami |54||54||25.3||.540|||1.000 || .703 ||11.4 ||1.0 || .7 ||1.7 ||14.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami |72||53||23.3||.571 || .125 || .449 ||11.3 || .8 || .6 ||1.9 ||12.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Portland |67||61||30.0|| .621 || .571 || .686 ||13.5 || 1.2 || .4 || 2.9* ||15.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento |36||4||15.2|| .563 || .000 || .519 ||6.0 || .6 || .3 ||1.3 ||8..1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Utah |65||8||17..9||| .652 |||—||| .623|||7..6||| .4||| .3|||1..6|||8..2 |- class="sortbottom" ! colspan=2 | Career !511!!332!!24..7!! .586 !! .308 !! .605 !!10..8!! .6 !! .5 !!2..2 !!12..6

Playoffs

College

|- ! scope=row |2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season ! scope=row |Marshall !34!!23!!26..1!!.524!!.600!!.588!!8..9!!.3!!.6!!!5..4*!!!13..1

Awards and honors

Named to Sporting News second team All-American (2010)
Earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors (2010)
Awarded Conference USA Freshman of the Year (2010)
Selected for both Conference USA All-Freshman Team and All-Defensive Team (2010)
Included in FOXSports.com All-Freshman Team (2010)
Chosen for CBSSports.com Freshman All-American Team (2010)
Received Conference USA Rookie of The Week seven times (2010)
Achieved Second Team All-Conference USA recognition (2010)
Led NCAA Division I in blocks and became the first player in C-USA history with three triple-doubles in a single season (2010)
Named to NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2016)

Personal life

Whiteside is the son of Hasson Arbubakrr and Debbie Whiteside; his father competed in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the 1983–1984 seasons. He has a younger brother, Nassan, who has autism; Nassan's Place is a nonprofit organization based in New Jersey dedicated to providing affordable care for children with autism.

In January 2017, Whiteside transferred $2.75 million as part of a $3 million settlement agreement with his former girlfriend Alexis Gardner. Despite being entitled to just over $1 million in legal fees, attorney Michael Avenatti reportedly misappropriated most of these funds. Whiteside publicly stated that this settlement acknowledged Gardner’s support throughout his initial efforts to secure an NBA contract.

External links