Started from the Bottom: David Stern makes his first trip to India

I wrote this feature for SLAM Online, and it was originally published on their website on April 17, 2013.

Streetball schedules in India change drastically in the summer. With temperatures soaring to unbearable heights, most players choose wisely to avoid playing when the sun is up at its harshest. Serious ballers wake up at dawn for an early run around 6-8 AM, and then, after a day spent at rest/school/work, they return as the sun sets for a few more hours in the cooler evenings. The brave souls who do venture out to play in the afternoons have to deal with dizzying afternoon winds (called Loo in Hindi), and cement courts so hot that they could burn shoe-soles and bare feet. Playing bare feet, of course, isn’t exactly out of the question in the poorer pockets of the cities.

Mumbai is far from being India’s hottest city, but temperatures do begin to soar to uncomfortable highs starting from this time of the year and running into the humid pre-monsoon. And it was in one such April afternoon in the warm, humid city of Mumbai that the man who has single-handedly been most responsible for revolutionizing the game of basketball found himself on a basketball court.

This is an image of NBA Commissioner David Stern, standing alone holding a basketball in a raggedy-looking court in the heart of Mumbai. That is the Mastan YMCA court in Nagpada, a mostly-Muslim minority neighbourhood in India’s financial capital, an overcrowded bustling area of slumdogs in the city of millionaires. This iconic basketball court is where some of the nation’s finest have honed their craft and where ambitious poor street children mingle with international-level players.  

Officially in India for the launch of a NBA Cares programme, Stern’s belated visit to the world’s second-largest population means a lot more than charity. Entering the last of his 30 long years as the head honcho of the NBA, Stern has a revolution of the game back home – from Magic and Larry to Jordan to James – and a rapid popularization abroad – from Barcelona ’92 to China. Now, he finds himself, for the first time in his career, in one of basketball’s last international frontiers.

By most accounts, basketball is only second to football (soccer) in its widespread popularity across the world. From the best in the game in North America to the passionate followers of the game in South America and Europe; from the far reaches of Australia and Africa, and the 1.5 billion in China, basketball has been accepted and it has thrived. But the 1.3 billion people – most of whom left completely untouched by the sport – have long stuck out like a sore thumb.

Stern, who took over as Commissioner of the NBA in 1984, visited Russia for the first time in 1988 and China in 1991. In a recent interview with DNA India, he admitted that that the NBA has been late in their entry to the Indian market. But, he added, “We were basically responding to a built-up infrastructure system. India, we were watching. This market is growing at such a rapid pace and we know we have an opportunity (to grow) here. We decided to be here. We only go to (to a country) if we are committed. We have offices in India now.”

The NBA’s has had a light presence in India for half a dozen years already, but it was only a year or so ago that the finally opened their first India office, in Mumbai. In the past recent years, the NBA sent current and former players to the country as league ambassadors (Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Brandon Jennings, Muggsy Bogues, George Gervin etc.) and held various grassroots programmes in the major basketball-loving cities in the country. Their presence grew online through NBA’s India website and social media and on the screen, with comprehensive broadcast deals bringing more live NBA games to the Indian household.

But it seemed that India still wasn’t ready yet. In a country of a billion, India still can’t find a 12-man roster to become a basketball heavyweight. India’s national teams still finish in the lower rungs of Asian championships and are usually ranked between 40-50 in the FIBA World Rankings. India’s best players still don’t have a professional league to practice their craft in; instead, they are all semi-professionals who hold other government jobs and take part in federation or private invitational tournaments through the year. The infrastructure in India is still an issue, with few stadiums that can boast international basketball competitions and none that could satisfy the NBA’s high demands. Most players still play in outdoor courts, on cement, still wake up before the sun in the summer or suffer the wrath of the afternoon heat.

The obvious example for Indian basketball to try and imitate are our friendly/frosty neighbours up north: China. Both are big countries with massive populations and a rapidly developing economy. China has accepted basketball with open arms: the game has trickled down from a fairly competent basketball league (CBA) to grassroots adoration into becoming the first-choice sport for most young Chinese. India knows that basketball will never upend Cricket in popularity, but those invested in the sport are interested in just capturing the attentions of a small minority. A minority of a billion is still a very, very large number. China got a head-start: the game has been played there for decades and started to become a bigger deal in the 90s. India may never get to that level, but Stern’s first visit could finally be the boost that it needs in the right direction.

Stern, for his part, was more optimistic about Indian talent than most, claiming that an Indian could play in the NBA within five years. Unless we count Canadian-Indian New Mexico State’s Sim Bhullar or his younger brother Tanveer (and we won’t), this still seems like quite a far-fetched possibility. The NBA is an impossibly tough league, and India’s coaching, player development, and infrastructure still need a few more years before we can begin to hone an NBA-worthy player. The closest call is Satnam Singh Bhamara – the 7-footed teenager who was plucked out of a tiny Indian village and now finds himself developing at an impressive rate in the IMG Academy in Florida.

Stern stated that he hopes to achieve four things in India: the right scale of adoption of the sport at school level, successful TV coverage, increased presence on digital and social platforms, and run a collegiate league.

Here’s the thing: Basketball is already played in most schools in India. The challenge isn't to adopt basketball to schools, but to make it a serious option for students and not just a pastime. Most young basketball players - even the really talented ones - quit the game to focus on 'real life' as they get older. Indian kids (like other Asian kids) are pressured to focus on traditional academics over anything else. This is a bigger problem facing anyone hoping to venture into sports or arts. 

TV coverage is definitely realistic, and the NBA has increased their coverage every year. Only problem with NBA in India on TV is that most live games are at around 5-8 AM in the morning, so it's tough to create the same game-watching atmosphere. The NBA is doing a great job with digital/social outreach in India, and this will continue to grow at a rapid pace.

And in reference to Stern’s last point: more than collegiate or school leagues, the NBA in India has been involved in promoting grassroots level competitions for inner-city amateurs around the country.

What India really, desperately needs, is a national professional basketball league. The type of league that will help create consistent basketball earnings for the best players in the game in the country and will encourage young talents to not quit on their hoop dreams too early. The type of league that if marketed the right way so casual fans of the sport – who know more about Kobe Bryant and LeBron James than home-grown stars like Vishesh Bhriguvanshi  and Jagdeep Singh – can become more aware of the Indian basketball talent. The type of league that can create jobs for referees and coaches, and assistants and managers, and agents and physiotherapists, and commentators and more. The league that could potentially would be the biggest push to improve on the basketball infrastructure across the county.

India’s experiment with this type of league – Cricket’s Indian Premier League (IPL) – has already been in place for the past six years and enjoys a fanatic level of popularity. Private owners got involved and pumped in money into the IPL, and it has resulted in one of the richest leagues in the league. Other sports in India can’t expect cricket levels of success, but similar leagues in Field Hockey, football, and Badminton.

A pro basketball league can’t be too far away. The incentive will have to come from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the sport’s governing body in the country, and IMG Worldwide, the international conglomerate who have been the BFI’s sponsors for the past few seasons.

During his stay in Mumbai, Stern met with several current and prospective business partners for the NBA before enjoying an evening at an IPL game. Like the IPL learnt from the NBA in marketing cricket in India, Stern commented that the NBA will have to learn from the IPL to work in conjunction with the BFI and IMG to market basketball.

Things will not be as glamorous as they are in the States, or even work as smoothly as they do in China, but Stern’s visit has definitely signalled that basketball in India is headed in the right direction. And if a small fraction of the world’s second-largest population can become further enamoured by basketball, it could help make a big dent in the game’s future worldwide.

“India is totally unique,” Stern said, “We are starting from the bottom. And I must tell you we could not be more confident.”

‘The bottom’. As in the world’s largest youth population just waiting to be sold the game of basketball to become a real power. ‘The bottom’ are kids who play basketball in bare feet on hot days and kids who watch the NBA’s Commissioner promote a wonderful sport in their own backyard, near their own slums.

‘The bottom’, where money, fame, indoors, outdoors, hot and cold go out the window, and the only thing left is the player and the game. 

India’s Big Basketball Hope Satnam Singh Bhamara: One Step Closer

This feature was first published on Court Side News on February 2, 2013.

You may have heard of Satnam Singh Bhamara already. You may have already heard about the 7-foot (215 cm) teenager from a remote North Indian village. You may have heard about the giant 10-year-old boy who couldn’t even spell ‘Basketball’ that was found on his father’s farm in Punjab. You may have heard how this boy was taught Basketball and within four years, become the brightest young player in his country. You may have read about how this young man was recruited amongst a chosen few Indian youngsters to get a scholarship from the renowned IMG Basketball Academy in Bradenton, USA. How this boy continued to improve and began to dominate Junior and Youth championships in against strong Asian competition.

And if you’ve been paying attention, you would have definitely realized how this 17-year-old has developed into the biggest hope for Basketball fans from India’s 1.2 billion population, a fan-base that has yet to see one of their own make it to the big league.

If you’ve been following Bhamara’s story, then here’s the next chapter. Here’s where the 11th grader stands now, and where he’s looking ahead. Now, hear it directly from him.

“I’ve been working hard for the past year,” said Bhamara – speaking in rustic Punjabi – over a phone interview from Florida, “I think that I have made many improvements in my game. I had trouble keeping pace with the American game in the beginning, but now, I can run up and down the court quite comfortably. This has helped me be more aggressive in-game situations. My coaches and I have also been working to help my post-game: hook shots, jumps shots from close the basket, and finishing strong around the basket.”

Bhamara represents IMG’s Senior School team and says that the squad is halfway through their season. But he is no ordinary High-School student; in his vacations, he travels back to India for more Basketball, to represent state and nation in various important tournaments.

In December, Bhamara was back in India to represent home state Punjab in India’s biggest domestic Basketball competition – the Senior National Championship – in Ludhiana. Led by Bhamara, who was his team’s leading scorer in most games, Punjab finished runners-up in the tournament, only to lose the Finals to the side from Uttarakhand. The 17-year-old showed no trouble playing against – and dominating – veteran Indian players at the peak of their powers.

“I think I played really well at the Senior Nationals,” says Bhamara, “I was able to make my stamp on each game on both ends of the floor. I knew it was an important tournament, and despite some niggling injuries to my wrist and my elbow, I played hard and gave it my all. The best game was probably against Delhi where I scored 31 points.”

Bhamara was strong on the other end of the floor too: more than one respected big man in India struggled to score on Punjab whenever Bhamara manned the paint. From barely getting action in Senior tournaments a year ago, he graduated to becoming the focal point on his star-studded team.

But the next step for the youngster will be to dominate for India – at the Senior level – like he has been for his state. Bhamara’s biggest international breakthrough performance came two years ago when he was Asia’s leading at the U16 FIBA Asia Championship in Vietnam. This year, he will be setting his sights on returning to play for the Senior squad which – led by newly appointed American Head Coach Scott Flemming – will be playing in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship in Philippines.

“I still have to make a lot of improvements in my game,” Bhamara says, “I have to get fitter so I can be even faster up and down the court. I have to work on my footwork and my post moves. I want to double my effort in everything that I’ve learnt so far.”
During his short trip back to India, Bhamara was also able to pay a brief visit to his village Ballo Ke in Punjab, where he is hoping to be a role model for more youngsters to pick up basketball. He held a meeting with many in the village and has even sought the help of high ranking administrators in Punjab to build a full-length court in the village.

Like any intriguing High School talent in the US, Bhamara is already hearing offers from colleges hoping to recruit him. So far, he says that he has heard from D1 schools like Oregon State and Stanford. “But I’m still only in my Junior year,” he says, “I have a lot more time before I even think about college. I have to focus on my studies in school right now – I still struggle with the English language, and I have to get better to improve my overall academic performance.”

With each passing year, Bhamara is moving one step closer to becoming a top Asian talent. He is moving one step closer to his dream of being the first Indian to play NCAA D1 hoops, and of course, to fulfilling the dream of every young basketball player to play in the NBA. There is still a long way to go before Bhamara – still a raw talent – can be determined to be good enough for the world’s top leagues. But most importantly to the youngster, he is one step closer to becoming the kind of player that India’s basketball future can be built around.

“I have to improve as much as I possibly can,” he says, “So I can keep coming back and playing for India!”

David Stern discusses the future of NBA in India

The NBA has grown steadily in India, but there is still a long way to go. NBA Commissioner David Stern spoke about the league’s desire to increase its brand in India, including talks of a Hindi-English NBA website, more television agreements, more NBA tournaments, and potentially, a basketball league in India that bears the NBA name.

Click here to read full feature

Ball-y-wood: Former NBA player and coach Kenny Natt is in the middle of a basketball revolution in India

This feature was originally published in the August 2012 edition of SLAM Magazine (SLAM No. 160)

by Karan Madhok - photo courtesy Angad B. Sodhi

The sounds are the same. The same squeak of sneakers rubbing against the wooden floor. The same sweekk of a leather ball swishing through the net. The same cacophony created by a dozen different balls bouncing against the floor in irregular beats.

But then the voices start and you realize that something is different. Basketball words are being used, but they are expressed in a jumbled mix of different languages: English, Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi, too.

This isn’t a pick-up run on the East Coast or a college game in mid-America or an NBA game on the West Coast. This is a court thousands of miles of land and ocean away from those basketball havens. This is India’s Senior Men’s National Basketball squad—a select group of the best basketball players chosen from a population of 1.2 billion people—hard at practice. In the midst of these players stands their coach, an American named Kenny Natt, who has a rich history in the NBA.

Click here to read full feature on SLAMOnline.com

India’s Basketball Coach Kenny Natt appointed as Director of Basketball at IMG Academies

Former NBA Coach Kenny Natt, who has been the head coach of India’s Senior National Men’s Basketball squad or over a year now, has been appointed as the Director of Basketball the IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida, USA. Natt will relocate to Brandenton but will continue to serve the Indian National team.

"After spending a great deal of my career within the NBA, I am thrilled to return to my early passion for youth basketball development and the ability to transform lives through the game I love," remarked Natt. "IMG Academies offers one of the most unique and engaging basketball programs I have ever come across. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves as a mentor to these student-athletes, while helping continue to attract and develop the best young talent from around the world."

Natt, who has 15 years of experience as NBA assistant coach to the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sacramento Kings, spent a part of a season as the head coach of the Kings, was named the head coach of India’s basketball team last year. IMG Worldwide, in partnership with Reliance Industries, have a sponsorship deal with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), and Natt was brought in as a marquee coaching personality to spearhead the basketball programme in India.

Over the past year, Natt has taken the Men’s squad to China for the FIBA Asia Championship and has helped to scout several more young players in the Indian national system. He has overseen national team operations and the promotion of the sport at the grassroots level in India.

Natt will expand his role within the BFI after his relocation to the IMG Academies, which is home to a number of Indian high school basketball players via IMG-Reliance, including 7-footed 16-year-old phenon Satman Singh Bhamara. The academy has student-athletes from more than 85 countries. Within his new role, Natt will oversee the growth and expansion of IMG Academies' basketball program for youth and high school student-athletes, as well as its training programs for post-graduates and professional league-bound players.

"Kenny's experience coaching at the youth level through the professional ranks will prove invaluable to our student-athletes as they look to develop into leaders in the classroom, on the court and in the community," remarked Greg Phillips, IMG Academies' Athletics Director. "We look forward to welcoming Kenny to the IMG family as our basketball program embarks on this new and exciting chapter."

NBA in talks with IMG about starting a professional basketball league in India

We might be another major step closer towards seeing a dream come true: India's first fully professional national basketball league.

Two years ago, IMG Worldwide, the international sports management company, in their partnership with Reliance industries, India's richest conglomerate, signed a 30-year-deal with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to support the progress of hoops in India. IMG-Reliance oversaw the improvement of basketball tournaments in the country and brought world-class basketball coaches to lead India's national teams. During this time, the world's biggest basketball league, USA's National Basketball Association (NBA) continued to heavily promote their brand and the game of basketball in India through inner-city leagues and special appearances by NBA stars in the country.

Now, it seems that the two interested parties - IMG and NBA - may be joining hands to take the game to the next level, and realise the dream of the professional league.

According to Bloomberg, the NBA's commissioner David Stern held talks with executives at IMG Worldwide Inc. about establishing a professional league in India.

From the Bloomberg article:

Talks among Stern, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver and IMG Chairman Mike Dolan, who replaced the late Ted Forstmann in November, will continue, said one of the people, who was granted anonymity because he isn’t authorized to discuss the talks publicly.

YAY! One tick closer to the Indian Basketball League? With the NBA and IMG joining hands to help the BFI, the next generation of basketball players in India are in for a very bright future.

IMG Basketball’s Bobby Sharma: “The future of Indian basketball is very, very bright"

Bobby Sharma is Senior Vice President, Global Business Development, Basketball, for IMG, the global sports and media company. IMG, in their partnership with Reliance, have come together to work with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to oversee the growth of basketball in India. Sharma who is in India to oversee the growth of IMG’s basketball business visited the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in Nagpur (Maharashtra) this past week to watch some of the best U-16 players from around the country take part in this competitive tournament.

The brand new Indoor Stadium at Mankapur, in Nagpur, was almost as much of a showcase as the talent on the floor. The stadium was inauguarated on the opening day of the Youth Nationals by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday. I got a chance to speak to Sharma, who was welcomed at the tournament and introduced to some of the participating players on Saturday, about the emerging basketball talent and infrastructure in India.

Hoopistani. What are your thoughts on the new stadium and facilities and the host city of the Youth Nationals, Nagpur?

Sharma: “As the geographic epicenter of the country, Nagpur makes a perfect host for events such as the 28th BFI Under-16 Youth National Championships. I think that this Indoor Stadium of the Divisional Sports Complex is absolutely beautiful. Thanks to the great efforts of the government officials and Harish Sharma of the Basketball Federation of India, this arena is a showcase venue, not only for Nagpur, but all of India.”

Q. What impression have the Youth players left on you after watching them play? Have you noticed any standout players or teams at this competition?

Sharma: “The impression I get is that the future of Indian basketball is very, very bright. I was just remarking to one of the coaches yesterday how impressed I was with the level of the talent and athleticism on display, for both boys and girls, from all over India. But the thing that struck me the most was how much fun everyone was having, how much joy so many have for the game – and that isn't limited to the kids. It's so great to see basketball in its most pure and organic form, played, coached, officiated, organized, and watched out of love.”

Q. What should be the next step in improving youth and grass roots level basketball in India?

Sharma: “That is an important question, as improving youth and grassroots basketball is one of the highest priorities of the great partnership forged between IMG Reliance and the BFI. I think we have recently taken a giant leap forward with the hiring of three incredible coaches from the highest levels of basketball for the senior teams - Kenny Natt from the NBA, and Pete Gaudet and Zak Penwell from the most elite Division I American colleges. Importing their knowledge and passion for the game into the existing structures of the BFI, stretching throughout the entire country, will yield immediate and long-lasting returns all the way to the youngest and newest players and coaches.”

“I am incredibly honored to be here, and so thankful for all the warmth and kindness I have received from the Indian basketball community. I already feel I am part of the BFI family.”

Former NBDL VP Bobby Sharma joins IMG-Reliance in India

Press Release: IMG, the premier global sports and media company, announced today that Bobby Sharma has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Global Business Development, Basketball. Sharma joins IMG from the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he was Vice President & General Counsel of the NBA Development League (NBDL).

In his new role, Sharma will oversee the growth of IMG's basketball business around the world, including the emerging economies of India and Brazil. He will initially relocate to Mumbai, India to begin developing the company's exclusive commercial rights to basketball in that country, working as part of IMG Reliance (IMGR), a joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries Ltd.

Earlier this year, IMGR acquired all commercial rights to basketball in India for a 30-year period. The pinnacle of IMGR's strategy for basketball in India will be the development of a professional basketball league in which players from around the globe will compete alongside Indian players at the highest level. Critical to the sustainable success of this project will be the development of the game at a grassroots level, the sourcing and development of local talent, and the re-organization and management of school and college leagues throughout the country to create a development platform for growing the talent pool of young Indian players, enhancing their opportunities to compete internationally and successfully represent India on the world stage.

Andrew Wildblood, Executive Vice President of IMG and Executive Director of IMGR said, "Bobby's appointment is a major step forward in IMG's commitment to developing the sport of basketball. In India, the IMG Reliance Scholarship program has already demonstrated that there are enormously talented young basketball players around the world with huge untapped potential. What is now required are highly efficient search and development processes to give that talent the chance it deserves to succeed, and high-caliber professional leagues in which for them to play. With successful talent pyramids in place, these leagues will thrive. With his experience developing the sport of basketball for almost a decade at the NBA, Bobby is the right person at the right time to help us achieve IMG's goals for the game around the world, both from a player and league development perspective."

"This is an enormous opportunity for me to make a lasting and meaningful contribution to the sport of basketball on a global level," Sharma said. "There is tremendous interest in the game in India and its dynamic market in particular, where more than half of the nation's population is under 25 years old, and just about every economic metric is headed in a positive direction. I'm excited to join the talented team of executives that IMG Chairman Ted Forstmann has put in place to help take the company to the next level."

During his tenure with the NBA, Sharma served as the Chief Legal Officer and a Senior Executive for the NBA Development League, the NBA's minor league, and its various operating entities. In this capacity, he oversaw various legal, business and basketball operational matters, and his responsibilities included management of all league and team agreements, and development and administration of all policies and procedures. Sharma was also responsible for related initiatives such as expansion and international league consulting. Areas of his focus included team ownership & operation, arenas, sponsorship, merchandise, marketing, intellectual property, broadcasting, product/digital content licensing, contests & sweepstakes, employment, anti-doping and security.

Prior to joining the NBA, Sharma practiced litigation in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and in New York City with Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He also served on the presidential campaign staff of former U.S. Senator, and Basketball Hall of Famer, Bill Bradley.

Sharma, who holds a B.A. in history and a J.D. degree from Duke University, was the recipient of the 2010 Corporate Counsel award from the South Asian Bar Association of New York. In 2009, Korn/Ferry International named him one of the 25 Most Influential South Asian Executives in the Media & Entertainment Industry. Sharma was also nominated by the Association of Media & Entertainment Counsel for the 2008 Sports Counsel of the Year award.

Video: Indian basketball scholarship recipients at IMG Academy

In mid-September 2010, 8 young basketball players between the ages of 13-14 were recruited by the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida on a scholarship programme to begin a year of growth and training among world class coaches, facilities, programs and sports camps. The basketball players were amongst a group of 29 kids in various sports, and were the first group of students to benefit from the IMG-Reliance Scholarship Program. The program is part of a greater initiative of IMG Reliance Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between IMG Worldwide and Reliance Industries.

IMG Basketball Academy Director Andy Borman and coach Dan Barto traveled to India to evaluate the basketball talent and pick the eight youngsters. The boys have joined the IMG Academy developmental team and are coached by Nate Vander Sluis, former Division I four-year letterman for Miami of Ohio University. The girls are coached by Shell Dailey, former University of Texas player and WNBA coach.

The Indian youngsters include 14-year-old Punjabi seven footer Satnam Singh Bhamara, who has turned heads all over the country with his potential and great play. Here is a video featuring him and the rest of the youngsters at practice at the academy, and it features interviews with the coaches.

The players are - Boys: Satnam Singh Bhamara, Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Mishra, Ashiv Jain. Girls: Pooja Ambistha, A. Kavita, Soumya Babbar, Barkha Sonkar.

India to have a professional basketball league

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BREAKING NEWS!!! It's official - the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has teamed up with the IMG Reliance venture to develop basketball in the country, and most importantly, develop a professional basketball league in India similar to the American NBA or the Chinese CBL.

I have been giddy with joy ever since I read this news! Three months ago, Reliance Industries, led by India's wealthiest Mukesh Ambani partnered with US-based sports marketing company IMG Worldwide in a joint venture to build sports facilities in India. The sports model that they set out to create was meant to "be similar to the one followed in mature sports and entertainment markets such as the US". IMG Worldwide is a sports management company and talent agency, who have been involved with sports promotion in the US for several years.

The agreement between BFI and IMG Reliance has been signed for 30 years.

From SportzPower:

The initiative is poised to significantly impact the competitive level of the sport and enhance the pool of talent in the country. The deal will see IMG Reliance assisting BFI on financial, promotional and technical aspects. As part of the agreement, the BFI has granted IMG Reliance commercial rights relating to basketball in India, including sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, film, video and data, intellectual property, franchising and new league rights. The highlight of the agreement is expected to be the development of a professional basketball league in India in which players from around the globe will compete alongside Indian players, similar to the CBL in China. A critical element of the new initiative will be the development of world class infrastructure in India to support the effort, including the construction of new arenas and training facilities.
In line with its focus on developing the game at the grassroots level, IMG Reliance will advise the BFI regarding the organization and management of school and college leagues throughout the country. This will create a platform to develop and augment the talent pool of young men and women, enhance their opportunities to compete internationally, and successfully represent India on the world stage.
Talking about the deal, BFI secretary general Harish Sharma said, “We cannot mention the finances of the deal but IMG reliance would be supporting all the programmes BFI would be conducting across the country.”

“IMG Reliance would be commercially supporting our school/college leagues, championships etc. They will also be helping in gradation of the players where in the top players will get financial support to play the game. International expertise will be brought in to India to promote the game. As a long term plan, they also plan to promote a professional league in future,” he added.
“This is a step to promote and popularise the game in India. IMG is a global company and will surely help us in making the sport the second most popular sport in a few years,” he added.
"We are working towards kicking off the leagues at the onset of the sporting calendar in the country," Sharma further added.

Commenting on the development, Andrew Wildblood, IMG Reliance said, "The game of basketball is one of the most popular spectator sports across the world. With the active support and participation from the Basketball Federation of India, we will work to take the sport to the next level. IMG Reliance will leverage IMG's unparalleled experience of developing sporting leagues and talent development to make basketball in India a commercially exciting sporting proposition with a large fan base.

IMG Reliance also plans to establish sporting academies in India, modeled on the world renowned IMG Academies at Bradenton, Florida, to provide athlete and coach training in the country.

The BFI's partnership with IMG Reliance will not be interfering with the grass-roots efforts of growing the game in the country, particularly that of Mahindra's partnership with the NBA for the Mahindra-NBA Challenge. I think it's great that we have two big companies competing in the basketball realm in the country: more competition = more money, and more money will be directly proportional to the rise of basketball in India.

Basketball is already one of the fastest growing sports in India - and as the interest grows, we now have to make sure that our coaches and management provide the right guidance to the future generation of ballers to make sure that there talent responds to the financial growth in the game.

The best way for things to improve is if several efforts continue to work parallel to each other, and I can see many things happening around the country now. The Mastan League in Mumbai made headlines for first introducing a short professional-type league in the city. The NBA has been increasing its interest in India over the past few years, promoting the game (and itself) via the Mahindra League, infrastructural growth, player development, commercial development, and others. American coaches like JD Walsh, Bob Baker, and Craig Esherick have been to the country to train coaches and players, and Walsh continues to train Indian coaches in achieving a high level of basketball knowledge.

And now, with IMG Reliance taking a positive step into the frame, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Indian basketball fans. Time to get the next generation of hoopsters ready, because before we know it, we're going to have full-time basketball professionals in India!

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Indian Basketball: The Corporate Takeover

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In the last few months, first there was Mahindra teaming up with the NBA to promote the Mahindra-NBA Challenge. Then there was Reliance who teamed up with US-based sports marketing company IMG Worldwide to develop sports facilities and leagues in India. Now, with the appointment of United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) CEO Jaidev Shroff as the president of the Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA), it seems that another large corporation has joined the race to profit through sports, and specifically, basketball.

The MSBA unanimously elected Shroff as president recently. Shroff has been supporting several sporting events in different fields for the past 15 years. This will be a crucial time for Shroff to take over the MSBA helm as basketball is growing at an unprecendent rate in Maharashtra and in Mumbai (which was crowned as India's Basketball City on this site).

Shroff has a corporate background, and the UPL has been supporting two annual basketball tournaments in Mumbai - the Ramu Memorial Tournament and the Savio Cup.

From SportzPower.com:

Commenting on this situation, MSBA Secretary M Venkatesh, said, “Maharashtra has been a strong hub for basketball. With the National Basketball Association (NBA) lending its might in promoting the game, the MSBA is eager to utilise this opportunity to further strengthen the game. The Association will focus on the grass root level, increase the participation of athletes as well as train talented players to increase the overall standard of the game in Maharashtra.”
Laying down his vision, Shroff said, “The responsibility is huge, but I'm sure I will get the complete support from all office bearers to promote basketball.”

Shroff stated that the involvement of corporate houses in the decision-making process of sports administration is good news for Indian sports and would take it to a new horizon. "The UPL Group has always supported the sports in India by offering scholarships to deserving students and we will continue to do so in the future."

One of the future (perhaps exciting) plans for the UPL with the MSBA is to introduce the 'Hoop-A-Loop League' - not really sure what it is, but it will be played in the weekends in Mumbai.

Led by the commercially super-succesful IPL, India seems to have truly woken up to the business of sport. I'll quote Abhaya Srivastava from his recent article on this growing phenomenon: "For many the success of the IPL was a symbol of the new India -- an emerging economic powerhouse, pumped up with self-confidence and aspiring to assert itself in the global arena." Srivastava goes on to say that allegations of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion in the IPL have tarnished the sports/business relationship a little bit, but I don't believe that it is enough to stop this expanding snowball. The IPL will survive the scandal and continue successfully, and from the looks of it, other corporations will continue to see green in sports, too.

Has the time truly arrived for India to take sports seriously? When I say 'seriously', I mean in the only way that really matters for a sport's promotion, through money. Mahindra, Reliance, UPL... these are all big companies with big money to potentially invest in basketball. Forget about our socialist beginnings, India is now an uber-capitalist country where to really make it you have to make it by yourself. No government is going to be there to hold your hand through it. I have been a staunch believer that success stories in India have really come despite the government, and this belief holds in the case of basketball, too.

There is of course the ugly, annoying negative side. We have all seen it happen with the IPL. Advertisements during ball breaks, commercial breaks interrupting crucial replays, a six being called a DLF-Maximum and (well respected) commentators being obliged to mention the MRF-blimp every chance they get. It's tragic to see when celebrities are celebrated more than cricketers. Capitalism in sport is a double-edged sword, because if corporates decide to sell-out basketball the same way they did with T-20 cricket it would popularise the game to a wider audience but simultaneously take the focus and soul away from the game itself.

There needs to be a sensitive balance between commercialisation and maintaining the soul of the game, and the next few years could be very telling in the growth of basketball in India.

Do you agree with Shroff? Is the involvement of corporate houses in the decision making of sports, and in our particular case, basketball, a good move for Indian sports?

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Reliance and IMG to develop sports facilities and league in India

Closely following on the news that the Mahindra Group will be partnering the NBA to launch a recreational basketball league in three Indian cities, here's another corporate venture in expanding sports not named "cricket" in India: Reliance Industries, led by India's wealthiest Mukesh Ambani is partnering with US-based sports marketing company IMG Worldwide in a joint venture to build sports facilities in India.

IMG-Reliance will also develop professional basketball and football leagues in India, nurture young talent at the academies, and train coaches in these sports as well.

From the Business Standard:

The new company, IMG Reliance, would set up sports facilities across the country to train athletes, thus developing the sports market. The model would be similar to the one followed in mature sports and entertainment markets such as the US. The companies plan to create and operate major sports and entertainment assets.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director, Reliance Industries, said: "Development of sports and the sporting culture is a social imperative for India in the 21st century. World-class infrastructure, frugal engineering, technology and scientific coaching are an integral part of development of today's sporting talent globally."

Plans are underway to create an agency to offer 360-degree sports management to celebrities from the world of sports, Bollywood and fashion. IMG would transfer its existing business and assets in the country to the joint venture. These include the Aircel Chennai Open, the Association of Tennis Professionals World Tour event and Lakmé Fashion Week.
However, the ongoing Indian Premier League would stay with IMG and the company's international business and executive team is to manage it.
Ted Forstmann, chairman and CEO of IMG, said: "The performance of Indian athletes on the national and international stage will improve dramatically with the correct development strategies. As a consequence, the commercial performance of sport and entertainment in India will be enhanced."

To quote an article from the The Wall Street Journal, IMG owner Ted Forstmann said that "the venture's ambitions are to create something akin to England's Premier League, for which IMG produces and distributes television programming... People might laugh at that now, but let's see where we are in five years"

The real potential profits from the venture will come from the development of professional sports leagues. The IMG-Reliance venture will look to strike arrangements with India's soccer and basketball federations to help them build these leagues.

Wow. I don't mean neccessarily good wow or bad wow... Just.. Wow...

It's all really happening now isn't it? When the richest Indian company and one of the most succesful sports management companies from the USA get involved in helping to build facilities and a basketball league in India, you know it's more than just empty words.


I've always believed that India's sporting success has always come despite the government. Despite the public sector. So, while the BFI plans and contemplates and slowly trudges towards starting a pro basketball league in the country, here come Ambani and Forstmann with a lot more money and a lot more vampire fangs to suck into the growing Indian athletic juices. Their proposed basketball and football leagues will not be too different in terms of the commercial standpoint from Lalit Modi's IPL T-20 Cricket league. Purists may completely disregard what the IPL and T-20 have done to the game, but there is no denying that now being a professional cricketer is an exciting and possible option for a lot more Indians than before.

This could turn out well for basketball in India. Better facilities, better training, more money, more talent, better teams, more fans, more merchandise... More basketball.

On the other side, it could all go bonkers... If the soul of the game itself is disregarded. Money may be able to buy a lot of things, but it'll be interesting to see how they manage to buy fans for the game in India. It's not impossible, for basketball and football are very easily likable sports, and are already two of the fastest growing sports in the country. I just hope that, like T-20 threatened to butcher what purists called "real cricket", this league doesn't butcher the game of basketball itself.