Memphis Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet has the size of an NBA player but is still developing his basketball skills. A defensive-minded center, he's a terrific guy who a lot of people root for to continue his improvement.

This quick interview was recorded when InsideHoops.com met with Thabeet in early/mid August. Enjoy it:

InsideHoops.com: You're an NBA player. It's official now.

Hasheem Thabeet: It's official.

InsideHoops.com: You have a huge grin on your face lately.

Thabeet: This smile doesn't go away. It's always there. This is another accomplishment on my life. Now I go out there and play ball. It's not easy to get to where I am right now. So I got to keep going... just win some games for our team.

InsideHoops.com: What have been the highlights of your basketball playing life? I know you started playing late so everything is pretty new.

Thabeet: Just to go out there, at Connecticut and play for a great coach, great teammates. It's like a blessing. To be in this position right now. A lot of kids will do whatever they can to be in a position I'm in right now. That's why I'm happy and excited.

InsideHoops.com: At NBA summer league earlier this summer, other than Blake Griffin, was there one player that really impressed you?

Thabeet: A lot of people think they didn't get a chance to get drafted as high as they wanted, so they went out there to prove themselves. So there was so much talent over there, hard to pick one guy. I can go through all the names.