The top player in Indian Basketball - Amjyot Singh - joins Hoopdarshan in Episode 82 to discuss his suspension from India's national team, his experiences playing in the NBA G-League, taking part in the 3x3BL in Punjab this season, and rating Gurudwara langar food. In addition, co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok catch up on all the happenings from the Indian basketball universe.
Amjyot Singh is one of the most accomplished Indian basketball players. Hailing from Chandigarh, he has played for and captained India's national team in several important tournaments. He has played professionally in the NBA's G-League for the OKC Blue and the Wisconsin Herd, as well as the D-League and BJ Summer League in Japan. Singh is one of the nation's top 3x3 players as well, starring in numerous international events for his clubs.
Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.
I have been a basketball journalist in India for nearly a decade, with most of the work coming in the form of research, typing out the written word, and more recently, speaking about the game with interviews on the Hoopdarshan podcast. But over the past weekend, I was able to check a box that I hadn't ever considered to even dream of: in-game commentary!
The second season of India's FIBA 3x3 basketball league, the 3x3BL, tipped off at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar on Friday, August 2. The new season of the league featured 12 men's teams divided into two conferences, and, for the first time, six teams for women in their own conference. I was honoured with an invite to commentate on the first two days of the event, during the live streaming broadcast of all of the round-1 men's matches for 3BL's Facebook and YouTube pages.
It was a confusing, strange, educational, and ultimately, a fun experience. Although I have had experience talking about basketball thanks to my podcast, I usually play the role of the 'colour' commentator, as in, the one that brings in deflections and hype to the story, instead of the 'play by play' guy who tells the story as it is. In Jalandhar, however, I was the only one on the commentary desk, which meant that I had to play both roles: narrating the action as its happening, and peppering it with 'colour' whenever necessary.
I have a fairly good knowledge of the big-name Indian basketball players (I have been responsible for making many of those names 'big' in the first place) and of the backgrounds of these players. But at least half of the participating players at the event were new to me, and I had to learn about them in research right before the event or on the fly as I commentated. This meant that, while I had a treasure trove of information to share about the likes of Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh, Inderbir Singh Gill, Palpreet Singh Brar, etc., I stumbled often matching the face to the name on the back of the jersey with some of the other players. This, of course, led to a few errors and rookie mistakes, like erroneously calling Team Gurugram's Rajan Sharma "Ranjan" for most of the day!
Another early challenge was the quick pace of the game. Basketball is a fast game anyways, but 3x3 - where possessions change in a matter of seconds and big moments happen quickly one after the other - is even more boosted up. In the first few games I commentated, I tried to talk about everything: every cut, every pass, every shot, every turnover, and it led to me sounding as if I was on fast-forward. As the day progressed, I learned to slow down and focus on slightly-bigger things. As it is with basketball players who put in practice in the fundamentals, the game itself slowed down for me.
3x3 is a new-ish version of the game for me, too. And often, I would forget that the outside arc is a 2-point shot, not a three. I had to correct myself on air several times. There was a big moment in the first semi-final of Day 2 between Mumbai and Kolkata where Mumbai was down by two points and Inderbir Gill took an outside shot to tie the score. My instinct, however, made me think it was a three, and I shouted, "Inderbir for the win". He made the shot - and within the next split second, I corrected myself and mentioned that the games are now tied, that we are now going into overtime. As an aside, that was the most exciting game of the weekend and many other players told me that it was one of the greatest 3x3 games they'd ever witnessed.
Finally, one of the major confusions for me in the first day was the balance between the crowd at the arena (in LPU) and the live-streamers online. I had originally intended to only be the voice for the live-stream, and thus, set out with the agenda of commentating only for audiences at home. But halfway through, my voice made it out into the PA system at the arena, and suddenly, every play-by-play description and every backstory was being heard by the fans and the players. It left me in a bit of a lurch: do I be hype for the crowd (but disturb the players) or I do the professional job for the broadcast. On Day 2, I was back to only-broadcast, which I think helped me focus better.
Day 2 was much more enjoyable. I was more confident after the first day's experience of my pace, about coordinating with the broadcast director and the on-floor PA, about when to interject background facts and when to talk about game. I had better energy and was able to react better to a lot of huge moments on the floor. One of the best things that happened was that I got an opportunity to interview several guests during the broadcast who sat next to me, including Dhruv Barman, Kiran Shastri, Amjyot Singh Gill, Richard Xalco, Lalrina Renthlei, and more. I've always been better in conversation and interviews, and jumping back and forth between them and the basketball action felt more in my wheelhouse.
Another lesson - for myself and for those aspiring to commentate on basketball events - was the importance of having 'filler' information. As in, background stuff to talk about that isn't necessarily about the live action. There are many moments in the game including timeouts or referee-disputes when I had to keep talking about something - anything - just to ensure that the audiences stay engaged. I did background research on Jalandhar, on the basketball history of Jalandhar, and several of the top players in action. In addition, I gave opinions about the changing style of basketball, on tactics, on history, of the larger picture of Indian basketball, and more. You can never be too prepared for the 'empty' time!
All in all, I enjoyed my time behind the mic, and enjoyed watching some of the highlights later posted by 3x3BL with my jokes and exclamations. It is a different challenge to be smooth without interruptions and stammers for a live audience, and I gained new respect for those who do this job at a professional level. I hope that this experience was able to improve my own game - and I'll look forward to the challenge again!
India's premier basketball podcast Hoopdarshan returns with Episode 68, featuring special guest Francisco Garcia, the former head coach of India's women's senior team. Garcia, now back in his native Spain, speaks to hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about where India's performances have faltered in recent years, the important players to carry the torch forward, and his unending connection to India.
Kaushik and Karan also round up the episode with updates on Indian basketball including Satnam Singh in Canada, the growing 3x3BL circuit in India, IOA's decision to withhold India's Men's team from the Asian Games, and more.
Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.
For the first time, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters event will be held in India this month, at the People's Plaza in Hyderabad on September 22-23. Leading international 3x3 basketball teams will take part in the competition, and will be joined by the two top teams from India's 3x3BL league, Delhi 3BL and Bangalore 3BL.
The Hyderabad Masters is the seventh stage of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour and is the first time an international 3x3 basketball tournament is being played in India. The participating teams will compete for a chance to qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bloomage Beijing Final on October 27-28, 2018. The best international teams like Novi Sad (World #1), Piran (#3), Belgrade (#9) and more, along with top international players like Simon Finzgar (World #8), Anze Srebovt (#9) and Gasper Ovnik (#10) will be playing at Hyderabad.
The qualification for Indian 3x3 teams was decided on the basis of the results of the inaugural season of 3x3 Pro Basketball League (3BL) which was held from June 9 to August 26, 2018 across six cities in India. The two leading teams - Delhi , which won five rounds out of six and Bangalore, which won one round. Members of team Delhi are- Inderbir Gill, Bikramjit Gill, Leandro Souza de Lima and Kiran Shastri. Members of team Bangalore are- Sowkin Shetty, Amit Sehrawat, Rajan Sharma and Lalrina Renthlei.
Speaking about the FIBA 3x3 World Tour, Hyderabad Masters, Yoshiya Katoh, Chairman, 3BL, said, "India is getting a chance like never before – to host the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. Only nine other cities in the world have been the hosts in this edition. This is an opportunity for Indian basketball players to compete against the strongest opponents and improve their game. We are proud to be a part of this landmark moment."
Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3BL, said, "One of my biggest dreams has been to see an Indian team win a medal at an international platform in 3x3 basketball. Team Delhi 3BL and Bangalore 3BL both have the potential to emerge at the top in Hyderabad Masters and qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals. Moreover, competing against international teams is only going to be improve their game and increase our chances for 2020 Tokyo Olympics."
At the end, the result shocked nobody. The most talented and dominant team of India's inaugural 3x3BL - Delhi Hoopers - took home the crown after six rounds of the league's first season, displaying their command over opponents and showcasing the exciting rise of 3x3 basketball in the country. Delhi won the final Round 6 in Mumbai on Sunday, winning five of the total six rounds this season.
The inaugural season of 3x3BL in India featured 12 teams in six rounds in six different cities from June 9 to August 26, 2018, featuring several international, NRI, and domestic basketball players. Delhi Hoopers won the rounds at home in Delhi, Aizawl, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Mumbai, with the solitary Round 4 (Chennai) which was won by Bangalore Machas.
The league was run by YKBK Enterprise, who have been granted the exclusive rights contract from FIBA 3x3 for the Indian subcontinent.
Delhi Hoopers - featuring Inderbir Singh Gill, Kiran Shastri, Dhruv Barman, and Harkirat Jattana Singh - won the final in Mumbai on Sunday with a 22-19 triumph over the Ahmedabad Wingers. The league-best squad represented India at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Japan and have been selected for two further upcoming Masters events in Mexico City and Hyderabad.
In its very first season, a dominant power has already emerged from the 3x3BL, India's first pro 3x3 basketball league. This squad has been the Delhi Hoopers, league leaders and winners of four of the first five rounds of the tournament. Now, with the final round of the league looming in Mumbai, Delhi have qualified to participate in two tournaments in FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters: Mexico City Masters (September 8-9, 2018) and Hyderabad Masters (September 22-23, 2018).
Delhi 3BL have already represented India at an international platform in 3x3 basketball for the first time at the Utsunomiya Masters in July 2018 and emerged ninth in the ranking charts. The current leader in 3BL score charts, they stand a chance to qualify for FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals in Beijing, China in October 2018, too.
The 3x3BL's final round will be held in Mumbai on August 25-26.
Speaking about Delhi's qualification, Rohit Bakshi, League Commissioner, 3x3BL, said, "Delhi Hoopers have made history and set a benchmark for Indian 3x3 basketball players. Their participation in the FIBA World Tour Mexico City Masters and Hyderabad Masters will give them a chance to compete against the best players in the world and possibly qualify for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals this year. I strongly believe they have the potential to end up as one of the best 3x3 teams in the world."
Pooja Bhatt, Actor/Filmmaker & Co-Owner of Delhi Hoopers said, "Delhi Hoopers has consistently delivered exceptional performances in the entire season of 3BL. They have been raising the bar with every single match with their talent and skills. I’m certain our players are going to make India proud at Mexico City Masters, Hyderabad Masters and eventually the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Finals in Beijing as well."
In Episode 67 of Hoopdarshan, Rohit Bakshi, the Commissioner of 3x3BL - the FIBA-affiliated 3x3 pro basketball league in India - talked to Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about the league's unlikely inception, dealing with speed-bumps in the first season, 3x3 fans around the country, expansion plans, and much more!
Bakshi is the CEO of YKBK Enterprise and the commissioner of the 3X3BL. Born and raised in Japan, he has long been involved with Indian basketball and has played in the 3x3 circuit in Japan. The 3X3BL will be starting its penultimate (fifth) round of the first season in Bengaluru this weekend.
Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.
