Hoopdarshan Episode 94: Siddarth Sharma on the UBA League and his epic bike trip to the NBA India Games

To watch the first-ever NBA India Games in October, Indian basketball superfan and journalist Siddarth Sharma (a.k.a. SidBreakBall) embarked on an epic 3-day, 2,000 km bike journey from Kolkata to Mumbai. On Episode 94 of Hoopdarshan, Sharma joins co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss this wild trip, his memories at the very first NBA preseason game in India, working as a broadcaster for the UBA league, and the hoops scene in Kolkata.

As an NBA and Indian basketball writer, Sharma has contributed over a thousand stories to SportsKeeda and other websites. He worked as a guest commentator at the UBA pro league in India and now works at Decathlon Sports India.



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.

Make sure to follow Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud or search for 'Hoopdarshan' on the iTunes Store! Auto-sync Hoopdarshan to your preferred podcast app NOW!

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Delhi Hoopers win inaugural season of India's 3x3 pro basketball league

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.

3BL team Delhi Hoopers to represent India at FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Japan

We are only halfway through the first season of the 3BL, India's first-ever 3x3 basketball league, and there's already a dominant powerhouse that has separated itself from the rest of the fray. The Delhi Hoopers have won all three rounds of the league so far in Delhi, Aizawl, and Kolkata, and find themselves comfortably at the top of the standings. With three more rounds to go for the first season, the Hoopers are favourites to take the crown out of the 12-team league.

But first, they will get a chance at some international exposure. The Hoopers will be the first team to represent India at an international 3x3 basketball platform, at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya, Japan on July 28-29. The World Tour leg in Japan is the Utsunomiya World Tour Masters, which could also give the participants a chance to be qualified for the World Tour Finals 2018 in Beijing, China based on their performance in Japan.

The Hoopers are boosted by Indian-American Inderbir Singh Gill (MVP of Round 1 and 2), Kiran Shastri (Round 2 MVP), Dhruv Barman, and Harkirat Jattana Singh.

Rohit Bakshi, commissioner of the 3BL said, "We are amazed by all the teams’ performances so far this season. Being a basketball enthusiast myself, I am proud to send Delhi Hoopers to World Tour Masters in Utsunomiya. Team will aim for the Champion trophy, which is one of the biggest milestones for Indian Basketball and the ticket to World Tour Final in China. We can’t wait to witness India’s gameplay in Japan."

"3x3 basketball in India has kept getting bigger and better since the time we began the season in June," said Vivek Krishna, the 3BL's Entertainment Director. "An international stage will give huge opportunities to the Delhi Hoopers team, and we are excited to see how well they play in Japan."

Round 4 of the 3BL League will be held in Chennai on July 21-22.

3BL - First-ever Indian pro 3x3 basketball league to begin in June

Compared to the full-length version of the game, Indian basketball has found a little more success in the international 3x3 stage. The shorter and more unpredictable format of the game has helped some Indian players make a mark overseas. Now, for the first time, this fast and furious version of hoops will make its biggest major inroad into India - with the country's first-ever FIBA-recognised professional 3x3 basketball league, the 3BL.

Run by YKBK Enterprise, who have been granted the exclusive rights contract from FIBA 3x3 for the Indian subcontinent, 3BL's first season will be held in six Indian cities - Mumbai, Delhi, Aizawl, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore - from June 9 to August 26 this year. The inaugural season of 3BL in India will feature 12 teams with international and Indian sensations like Amjyot Singh, Palpreet Singh Brar and international basketball sensations like Bikramjit Gill, Inderbir Singh Gill, Leandro Lima and many more.

3x3 Basketball is a 10-minute high speed basketball tournament and it officially became an Olympic sport in June 2017. It will be introduced in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

A special launch event for 3BL was held in Mumbai on April 25 in the presence of the tournament's organisers and many top league participants like Satnam Singh, Palpreet Singh, and Amjyot Singh.

Yoshia Kato, the chairman of 3BL said, "Seeing the performance of Indian origin players in the sport, we decided to start the first ever FIBA 3x3 recognised basketball league in India. We plan to make a serious impact on the growth of this sport in the country."

"Basketball has a fascinating story in India," said Rohit Bakshi, the commissioner of 3BL. "Till a few years ago, most people didn’t know anything about 3x3 Basketball and today it poses a serious opportunity. Our aim is to create a new fan base for basketball in India by promoting the 3x3 Basketball at a grassroots level and through wider outreach plans for viewers and players both."

"As the sporting landscape of our country changes and evolves, this short action-packed format will revolutionise basketball in India," said Sudhir Vashist, Chief of Marketing & Business Development, 3BL said, "It is definitely going to be a very appealing sport for both brands and audiences."

Before Season 1 of the 3BL begins, the list of participating players will be finalised on May 10, and the team draft will be held on the same day. There will be tryouts in Delhi and Bengaluru on May 13.

3BL Season 1 Schedule

• Round 1 – Delhi – June 9-10
• Round 2 – Aizawl – June 23-24
• Round 3 – Kolkata – July 7-8
• Round 4 – Chennai – July 21-22
• Round 5 – Bengaluru – August 11-12
• Round 6 (Final Round) – Mumbai – August 25-26

On 22nd & 23rd September 2018, FIBA 3x3 has allotted 3BL to host the 3x3 World Tour Masters in India. This is the first time that an International FIBA 3x3 event will be held in India and is one of the major events for the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Tour Season. 12 teams will participate from across the World over a two-day event. 2 of those 12 teams will be from the 3BL Season 1 Clubs, selected based on their performance over the first two Rounds of the Season. The winners of Round 4 and 5 will be eligible to participate in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters in India. If the Winners are the same for both Round 4 and 5, or one of the teams are unable or unwilling to participate, then the 2nd place team from that Round will be eligible to participate.

A total of 12.1 lakh rupees prize money will be handed out during the course of the league.

Hall of Famer Yao Ming is in India for the FIBA Women's Asia Cup in Bengaluru!

In what turned out to be a pleasant surprise, Chinese basketball legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming arrived on India on Wednesday night to attend the FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 in Bengaluru. Yao, 36, indisputably the most successful Asian basketball player in history, retired from the game in 2011 and is currently the president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).

The FIBA Women's Asia Cup 2017 is the biggest competition for teams from Asia and Oceania, and is being held in India for the first time in eight years from July 23-29. Yao's country-women from China are once again one of the favourites at this tournament and have most-recently defeated the Philippines at Bengaluru's Sri Kantaveera Stadium to make it to the semi-finals.

This is huge news, metaphorically and literally. Despite ending his playing years early to chronic foot injuries, the 7-foot-6 Yao enjoyed a successful career. He excelled in the CBA with the Shanghai Sharks in his youth, became number one pick in the 2002 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, dominated the paint to become one of the league's best big men (he just happened to be playing in the Shaq era, unfortunately), and became one of the most popular basketball players worldwide. The Chinese sports icon won three FIBA Asia gold medals for his country and carried China's national flag for his delegation during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2016, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

This is Yao's second trip to India. Before he got into the fast-lane to superstardom, Yao took an early step to success in Calcutta at the FIBA Asia U18 Championship back in 1998, as an 18-year-old. Yao was the best player in Team China at the tournament and helped with win the gold medal and took home the tournament's MVP trophy. He was a rookie with the Shanghai Sharks then, and a few years later won the CBA MVP award, the CBA title, and was drafted to the NBA, and the rest is history. During an interview I did with Yao in Shanghai for SLAM Magazine in 2014, he told me that he still harboured great memories of India because of his early success.

China will be hoping that Yao's presence proves to be their good-luck charm as they look to end Japan's recent dominance at this competition and win the gold medal. Meanwhile, India is in Division B of the tournament and have a starkly different ambition: just to qualify for the higher Division A.

What makes Yao's trip even more special is that he arrived in India less than 24-hours before another worldwide super-duper basketball star, Kevin Durant. Durant, however, is spending in time in the north, where he will be training players at the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida.

BFI announces tentative plans for India to host two FIBA Asia tournaments this year

Lost somewhere in the action and hoopla of India's largest domestic basketball tournament, the Senior Nationals in Puducherry last week, was a major announcement by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Although it hasn't been confirmed by FIBA yet, the BFI's president K. Govindraj claimed that India will be hosting two major FIBA Asia tournaments 2017, championships that will bring the finest Asian basketball talent to Indian soil for the first time in years.

First reported by Sportstar, Govindraj mentioned in an Annual Board Meeting of the BFI in Puducherry on Saturday that there will be two big international tournaments in India this year: The 2017 FIBA Asia Championship for Women in July tentatively scheduled to be in Bengaluru and the 2017 FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women in October-November in a still-undecided host city.

The FIBA calendar, however, is still to confirm India as the host for these two tournaments. Furthermore, some of the dates mentioned by Govindraj don't quite match the FIBA schedule: currently, the FIBA U16 Women 2017 is scheduled to be held in June and the FIBA Asia Women 2017 in September.

Nevertheless, if the BFI can go through to confirm these tournaments, it will be a huge bonus to the growing status of basketball in India. Apart from hosting South Asian tournaments and the Lusofonia Games in 2014, India has rarely had the opportunity to host a major FIBA Asia basketball championship. In the decades-old combined histories of all the national FIBA Asia tournaments (Men, Women, U18 Men, U18 Women, U16 Men, U16 Women), India has only hosted six times, most recently in 2009 when the FIBA Asia Women was held in Chennai and the 1st-ever FIBA Asia U16 Women in Pune.

Here's a full list of every FIBA Asia national tournament ever hosted by India, with winners in brackets:

• Kolkata 1981: FIBA Asia Championship (China).
• Kolkata 1998: FIBA Asia U18 Championship (China).
• New Delhi 2000: FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women (China).
• Bengaluru 2004: FIBA Asia U18 Championship (Iran).
• Chennai 2009: FIBA Asia Championship for Women (China).
• Pune 2009: FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Women (China).

No, it's not that China likes to win a lot in India; when it comes to Asian basketball, China ends up winning a lot everywhere.

Hosting another such major tournament will give our domestic players and fans a closer look at some of the best in the continent and force us to upgrade our facilities at home to handle a tournament of this stature. In the past, these FIBA Asia tournaments have brought home great Asian talents like Yao Ming, Yuta Tabuse, Chen Nan, Jaber Rouzbahani, Hamed Haddadi, Bian Lan, and Li Meng. Hosting FIBA's top women's tournament will give India a chance to see more international stars like Ramu Tokashiki and Asami Yoshida (Japan), Danbi Kim (Korea), Shao Ting and Sun Mengran (China), and more. The U16 tournament will be a showcase of the stars of the future!

Moreover, hosting a tournament will hopefully help boost our local players to give a better performance, too. The best recent example is of Geethu Anna Jose, who dominated for India at the 2009 FIBA Asia Women in Chennai and finished as the tournament's top scorer. India's national women's squad has some exciting young talent, led by names like Jeena Scaria, Poojamol Subhashmon, Bhandavya Mahesha, plus veterans Anitha Pauldurai, Shireen Limaye, and more.

In the long run, more international basketball is definitely destined towards are desi. FIBA's new competition system ensures that every team will play multiple qualifying games towards the big international tournaments home and away. So, even if India doesn't host many more of those FIBA tournaments, we will at least get the opportunity of playing in qualifying matches around the country.

ACG-NBA Jump announces 32 Indian finalists to compete for NBA D-League tryout

Out of a field of thousands from around the country, 32 young Indian basketball players have emerged, taking one step closer to realising their dream to play in the NBA's Development League (NBDL).

Last year, Satnam Singh became the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, and within a few months, found his way into playing for the D-League team Texas Legends. To find more Indian players to follow in Satnam's footsteps, the NBA joined hands with ACG Worldwide in October to launch ACG-NBA Jump, the first-ever basketball talent search programme in India.

Split into three phases, the programme aims to to provide basketball players (all men for the first iteration of this programme) between the ages of 18-22 from around the country the opportunity to develop their skills; one top player from the programme would also receive the opportunity to attend the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) National Tryout in the United States. After regional, elite camps in six Indian cities over the past four months (New Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata), Phase one of the programme is over, and ACG-NBA Jump have chosen 32 finalists to head back to Delhi-NCR for phase two, a national camp to determine the cream of the crop.

Satnam was present himself back in October to launch phase one of the programme in New Delhi.

The national camp will be held in at Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida from February 22-25, 2016, consisting of 32 players representing all six regional camps. While the camp will serve as a selection process, its main activity will be to impart intensive coaching to this select group of players thus enriching the talent pool of the country, reported OneIndia.com.

Via OneIndia

"ACG-NBA Jump has given basketball playing youth in India a pathway to professional ranks. We are committed to grow the program in the years to come," said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco.
"While one out of the 32 players will get the big opportunity of a national tryout in the NBA D-League, the entire pool will be a part of Elite Talent Club and NBA will monitor their progress on a regular basis."
"Promotion of sports and youth development has always been a part of ACG's CSR vision and this programme is an important milestone towards realization of this vision," said ACG Director Karan Singh.
"The final pool of players represents the very goal of the programme that was to identify and hone the untapped talent pool of basketball in India. We strongly believe that our partnership with NBA to tap this potential and create a solid platform for the aspirants has found the right beginning. We are as excited as the 32 selected players and can't wait to see the final chosen one take off to the United States for the D-League National Tryout."

At the end of the four-day camp, the player with the best prospect will emerge as the winner of the talent search. In the third and final phase of the programme, thee top player will attend the NBDL Tryout in the USA for the opportunity to earn a spot on a D-League roster. The selected player will continue to undergo training up until the tryout in June 2016.

Sony SIX, the official broadcaster of the NBA in India, will create a feature around ACG-NBA Jump, following the programme through its various stages and tracking the winner till his NBA D-league tryout.

Finalists for ACG-NBA Jump National Camp:

• Ludhiana: Dildar Ravinder Singh, Jaipal Singh Maan, Anmol Gurdip Singh, Manjinder Singh, Anmoldeep Singh, Rajveer Singh.
• Delhi: Darshan, Jotish Joy, Himanshu Sharma, PalPreet Singh Brar, Arshpreet Singh, Sunil, Tushar Vijay, Vishal Kumar Gupta, Akimjeet S. Sohal, Rachit Prem Singh.
• Hyderabad: Ambati Prudhveshwar Reddy, Dinesh Kumar Mishra, Eswar Ambala, PV Nikhil Sai Kumar.
• Mumbai: Loveneet Singh, Samson Sandhu, Gaurav Chandel, Sanket Rajendra Kalbhor, Pranav Wagle.
• Chennai: Jeevanantham Pandi, Arjun Rajagopal, A Surya, S Vignesh, Vijay Pranav.
• Kolkata: Allen Saju Mattam, Sagar Dinesh Joshi, Manpreet Singh Grewal.

New cycle of FIBA Coaching Certification courses successfully underway across India

For the third consecutive year, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has sent their expert basketball instructor Nelson Isley to continue the teaching of FIBA Coaching Certification courses in India in an attempt to spread the highest level of basketball teaching to as many Indian coaches as possible. This year, Level 1 and Level 2 courses began on November 18th and will conclude on December 20th, with five Indian cities on the schedule of FIBA and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

Two Level 1 courses have already concluded in Lucknow and Bengaluru, while three Level 2 courses are scheduled to be held in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, and Kolkata from Thursday, December 3 onwards. Each clinic is a 5-day course of 2 sessions per day, consisting of theoretical as well as practical sessions and also includes a written and practical evaluation.

These courses are being held in line with BFI and FIBA’s long-term coaching development strategy, and active interest has been shown in current and aspiring basketball coaches from around India who hope to coach the national team or help develop basketball in the grassroots. FIBA's Nelson Isley has over 40 years of international basketball experience as a player, coach and instructor. This is the American's fifth visit in India after several such clinics in the past.

The BFI stated that, compared to previous years, this time around, the emphasis is on practical demonstration as against theory. Coaches themselves are being made to showcase their skills on the court.

“There’s one thing certain about life, that if you can’t do something [yourself] you can’t teach it,” said Isley, "Indian coaches are very interested in learning… and have been very respectful… The hope is that eventually not only will you get Indian players that are ‘exportable’ so to speak… but that India can become an exporter of coaches.”

Isley confirmed that India, along with China, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil, are priority countries for FIBA because of their sizeable populations and high number of talented athletes.

Previous years’ clinics were conducted in Mumbai (Level 1), Ranchi (Level 1), Delhi (Level 1 & 2), Chennai (Level 1 & 2), Hyderabad (Level 1), Chandigarh (Level 1), Ahmedabad (Level 1), Assam (Level 1), Kochi (Level 1), Ludhiana (Level 1), Patna (Level 1), and Pune (Level 1).

Not including the coaches who are expected to clear the 2015 clinics, there are currently 212 Level 1 and 27 Level 2 certified coaches in the country.

Schedule of 2015 FIBA Coaching Certification Courses

• Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) - November 18-22 - Level 1.
  
• Bengaluru (Karnataka) - November 25-29 - Level 1.
  
• Chandigarh - December 3-8 - Level 2.
  
• Hyderabad (Telangana) December 10-15 - Level 2.
  
• Kolkata (West Bengal) December 16-20 - Level 2.
  

ACG-NBA Jump: Talent search programme to find India's next basketball star

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You're talented. I mean, really talented. You wake up early to spend time on the basketball court, come home early from school to keep playing, and make the court your bedroom, your kitchen, your hangout, and your pilgrimage all weekend. None of your friends have been able to defeat you yet, and every team you join ultimately wins at pick-up games. You are the best player in your school team, have had the opportunity to represent your district and your state at official tournaments, and have real hopes of wearing an 'India' jersey in the future.

But, beyond your achievements, you spend your time off the court watching the NBA on TV or highlights on YouTube. You want to ball like Durant, Davis, LeBron, and Westbrook. You want to ball alongside Curry, Harden, Paul, and Griffin. You want to wear an NBA jersey. You dream of it so much that you can hardly sleep.

You have the talent and the drive. But how are you ever going to get there? How will the NBA even know of your existence?

Behold! The path to turning your dream into a reality is about to become a lot clearer.

Earlier this year, Satnam Singh from Ballo Ke village in Punjab made history by becoming the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA, when he was picked 52nd by the Dallas Mavericks. The NBA has partnered with the ACG Worldwide Group to launch the first-ever talent search programme in India to identify players who can follow in the footsteps of Satnam.

The ACG-NBA Jump programme is set to provide basketball players between the ages of 18-22 from around the country the opportunity to develop their skills and one top player from the programme would also receive the opportunity to attend the NBA Development League (NBA D-League) National Tryout in the United States, reported an AP news report on FirstPost.

The programme would be split into three phases. In the first phase, six regional, one-day elite camps will be held in six cities: Delhi (Oct 26), Chandigarh (Nov 21), Hyderabad (Nov 28), Mumbai (Dec 12), Kolkata (Jan 9), and Chennai (Jan 16). According to a report on the Times of India, around 3-5 international coaches from across the globe will conduct the open try out session in all the six cities.The second phase would consist of a national elite training camp where 32 players selected from the six regional camps would assemble for a four-day training period. In the third and final phase, one top player from the national elite training camp would be selected to attend the NBDL Tryout in the USA for the opportunity to earn a spot on a D-League roster. The selected player would continue to undergo training up until the tryout in June 2016. Sony SIX, the official broadcaster of the NBA in India, will create a feature around ACG-NBA Jump, following the programme through its various stages and tracking the winner till his NBA D-league tryout.

Satnam will himself be present to launch the ACG-NBA Jump at the Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi on October 26.

"We strongly believe in the potential of India's youth and believe in empowering them through sport. ACG-NBA Jump is an equal opportunity programme for many who are talented but may not have the access," said ACG Director Karan Singh.

"This programme is part of ACG Cares Foundation and we are sure that with more programmes like this, India's basketball teams will have a richer talent pool to choose from. With the help of such programmes, we are confident that India's performance on international platforms such as the Olympics and Asian Games will improve," he added.

"ACG-NBA Jump is the next step in our continued commitment to grow the game of basketball in India," said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco.

"With Sim Bhullar becoming the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA and Satnam Singh becoming the first Indian-born player to be drafted into the NBA, basketball playing youth in India now have relatable figures to look up to, and this programme will give them the opportunity of a direct path to the professional ranks," he added.

Satnam's journey to the NBA came to realization through a mixture of talent and luck. Satnam was a seven footer by the time he was 14 and began to dominate Indian junior tournaments. Around the same time, IMG Reliance decided to provide its first (and thus far, only) scholarship programme to take young Indian players to High School and basketball training to Bradenton in Florida. Over at the IMG Academy, Satnam received world-class coaching and top exposure to improve enough by 19 that he eventually got on the NBA radar, and thus, was able to be drafted.

The 'Satnam model' may never be replicated again, but the ACG-NBA Jump should be able to cast a wider net and provide a goal for more young NBA aspirants in India to aim for. You don't need to be seven feet tall to be noticed anymore; if you have talent and can stand out (in any way) against other top competitors, you can be the next big Indian basketball star. What more, you are set to receive high-level coaching on the road to your goal; the winner of the competition and all other participants can all benefit from the teaching and come out of this programme as better basketball players.

So keep playing, keep practicing, and keep competing. There is hope now. Those NBA dreams should start becoming a little more vivid. It's still a long road: the best among the best of the talent crop has to be selected as a high performer from his city, be the best among an elite group of 32, impress enough at a D-League camp against other hungry and talented players from all around the world, and play well enough for his D-League team to even get a sniff at an NBA jersey. But hey, nobody said that making the NBA - featuring the best basketball players in the planet - was ever going to be easy. Only the best from India can master the path to greatness; but now, at least there's a path.

Hopefully, there will be more Indians competing for a spot in the NBDL or the NBA in the near future, and eventually, the talent pool of India basketball as a whole improves, too.

You can find more information and register for the ACG-NBA Jump at their official website here.

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2014 NBA Jam National Finals conclude in Pune

For the past three and a half months, 3x3 basketball events have been brewing across the country, pitting the most competitive college teams against each other at the NBA Jam. After a record 16 cities 'jamming' with the NBA and basketball, the finals of the 2014 NBA Jam - the biggest iteration of NBA India's annual college basketball and youth festival - came to a conclusion with the national finals in Pune on December 7. The winning teams from each city eliminated each other before two champions in the men's and women's division stood at the top of the podium on Sunday at Pune's Ness Wadia College.

Between August 18 to December 4 this year, NBA Jam was held in 16 cities in India: Chennai, Guwahati, Cochin, Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Hyderabad, and Pune. Nationally, the hoops festival involved more than 650 colleges and 3200 teams. Apart from 3x3 basketball in each city, the NBA Jam also featured music and entertainment competitions like graffiti, DJ-spin off, B-boy dancing, and more.

The National Finals were held in Pune with winners from each city form December 5-7. Punjab Warriors (Boys) and Pune Ballers (Girls) were crowned the national champions. Indian VJ/actor and basketball fan Raanvinjay Singha was present to witness the finals and award the winning teams.

NBA Jam, organized by NBA India, was powered by Jabong and held in partnership with Sony SIX. One of the highlights of the NBA Jam was a guest appearance by three-time former NBA champ Bruce Bowen, who visited the tournament's iterations in Kolkata and Chandigarh last month.

Former Champion Bruce Bowen to visit India for NBA Jam and Reliance Foundation events

A three-time NBA champion and one of the fiercest defensive players of his time, Bruce Bowen is set to visit India from October 31 - November 6. Bowen will be attending events at this season's NBA Jam in Kolkata, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana. The week-long visit will be part of a promotional tour to support the growth of basketball and to connect with fans in India, and it happens at an opportune time, too: Bowen will get a chance to promote the new NBA season, which tipped off earlier today with his former team (and reigning champions), the San Antonio Spurs.

Bowen won all three of his NBA championship rings in San Antonio (2003, 2005, 2007), playing alongside the likes of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and (briefly) David Robinson. Known for his fierce competitiveness on the defensive end and his ability to hit the occasional big shot, Bowen was named to five NBA All Defensive First Teams and three All Defensive Second Teams. Bowen retired in 2009 and the Spurs retired his jersey (12) two years ago.

Bowen will make the first official NBA player visit to Kolkata, and only the second trip by an NBA player to the 'City of Joy' since Kyle Korver in 2008, who was there for charity work. Bowen will also be the first NBA player to visit Ludhiana and Chandigarh; apart from the Delhi-NCR region, the majority of official NBA visits had been limited to further south in the country.

Bowen would make his first stop in Kolkata from October 31 to November 1, where he will engage with students at St. Xavier's College as part of NBA Jam. From Kolkata, he will travel to Gurgaon on November 2, where he will participate in a special fan engagement event. He will go to Chandigarh on November 4 to take part in the next leg of the NBA Jam at Punjab University. His final stop will be Ludhiana on November 5-6 at the Guru Nanak Stadium during the Reliance Foundation Junior NBA City Finals, where he will work with standout young players and coaches from across Punjab.

The NBA Jam is a hugely popular college basketball and youth festival, which is being held in a record 16 Indian cities this year from August 18 till December 4. The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme is a school-based programme - held in eight Indian cities this year - which focuses on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into each participating school’s physical education curriculum.

"I understand that the popularity of basketball is growing rapidly in India and that more and more children are picking up the game," said Bowen of his upcoming visit, "I can't wait to experience this myself and help train and interact with the promising young talents the country has to offer."

Yannick Colaco, NBA India Managing Director, said, "We are committed to the growth of basketball in India and Bruce Bowen's visit is another step forward in this endeavour."

Bowen's story is as remarkable as it is inspirational. Undrafted coming of out Cal State Fullerton in 1993, Bowen was a struggling basketball pariah, spending four years as a professional playing in France and for various teams in the former CBA. The Miami Heat finally brought Bowen to the NBA in 1997. He played for the Heat, Celtics, 76ers, and was back in Miami again before finally finding his eventual NBA home in San Antonio in 2001. The rest was history: Bowen was a perfect fit for the Spurs and became a regular starter as the team won three championships over the next six years.

Of course, we can't mention Bowen without mention the dark side, can we? Just YouTube search his name for a further exploration of Bowen's infamous antics, including a video hilariously named, 'Dirty Player Mix'.

Welcome to India, Mr. Bowen: hopefully your defensive intensity, competitiveness, and championship pedigree is able to rub off on the next generation of basketball players at the grassroots level in India.

Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme expands to eight Indian cities for Year 2

With the expectation to engage over 750,000 youth basketball players and train PE teachers at more than 1,000 partner schools across India, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme returns with a bang for it's second year today. The programme is set to expand from three Indian cities to eight for the new season: Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kottayam, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. The programme, which was launched last year by the Reliance Foundation and NBA in India, focuses on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into each participating school’s physical education curriculum.

The ambitious programme was already a massive step forward to tapping the inner basketball star in hundreds of thousands of Indian basketball players through the easiest medium: PE and sports classes in their schools. For the 2014-14 season, the programme gets even bigger and better. After being held in Mumbai, Kochi, and Kottayam last year, this year's programme will involve the previous three plus five more cities. It will run from September 2014 to February 2015, expecting to engage more than 750,000 youth across 1,000 schools. Fifteen coaches will oversee the programme and anticipate training more than 1,000 local physical education instructors in the process.

Jagannatha Kumar, Head, Reliance Foundation commented, "We are happy to announce the expansion of our Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme for the second year in succession and are confident that this initiative will instill strong values in the children in their formative years. It is very gratifying to learn that the implementation and the start of the program is eagerly awaited not only by the children but also by their parents, as they too are looking forward for their children to excel in sports! This program is also aimed at unlocking the aspirational energy of the youth in our country by allowing young upcoming talents to blossom. Further, this initiative will empower the youth to participate effectively in making this basketball initiative a great success."

"The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme reflects our commitment to increase participation in basketball among the youth of India, and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle," said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director, NBA India. "The Reliance Foundation continues to be an excellent partner in this commitment, and we look forward to working with the children, coaches and educators from these eight cities."

Reliance Foundation and the NBA have developed a weekly curriculum for coaches to use while teaching basketball to students. In addition, the programme will implement a new three-phase player development system:

• Weekly Elite Training Camps: The top boy and girl in each age group - U10, U13, and U16 - from each school will be invited to weekly camps in each city that will be conducted by the coaches and focused on advanced techniques. Each player will be tracked and provided a report card on his or her progress.
  
• Regional Elite Camps: Coaches will conduct an intensive, four-day camp at the conclusion of the programme for the top 80 children in each city.
  
• National Elite Camp: The top 120 youth from all of the eight cities will be selected to attend a four-day national camp conducted by NBA India coaching staff.
  

The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme also consists of a Train the Trainer program for local coaches, in-school basketball sessions for children in grades 3-10, elite training camps, as well as Hot Shot, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competitions. Each participating school receives essential equipment to encourage and facilitate participation among its students, including basketballs, whistles, air pumps and coaching guides. Last year, the programme engaged more than 140,000 youth, 40 percent of whom were female, from 225 schools. The programme trained more than 250 coaches and distributed over 4,500 basketballs to partner schools. NBA legend Muggsy Bogues and WNBA player Swin Cash were in Mumbai and Kochi to conduct coaches and player clinics and support the programme.

Here is complete eight-city schedule for 2014/14 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme:

• Ludhiana and Jalandhar: Sept. 6 - Nov. 7
  
• Kochi and Kottayam: Sept. 29 - Nov. 29
  
• Delhi: Oct. 6 - Dec. 11
  
• Kolkata: Oct. 17- Dec. 18
  
• Mumbai: Nov. 6 - Feb. 5
  
• Chennai: Nov. 13 - Feb. 7
  

The Reliance Foundation and the NBA also recently announced a project to install basketball hoops in more than 50 schools across Mumbai as part of their joint commitment to developing basketball infrastructure in India and to facilitate access to the game.

NBA Jam 2014 to be held across a remarkable 16 Indian cities!

NBA Jam - the hugely popular college basketball and youth festival - will return to India in its biggest iteration yet for 2014. This year, NBA Jam is going to be held across a remarkable 16 Indian cities, truly spanning the length and breath of India and involving a greater number of young Indian basketball fanatics than ever before.

Held between August 18 - December 4 this year, NBA Jam is set to be held in 16 cities in India: Chennai, Guwahati, Cochin, Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneshwar, New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Hyderabad, and Pune. For the first time, Indian ballers from beyond just the Tier 1 cities will be connected. Nationally, the hoops festival will involve more than 650 colleges and 3200 teams. Apart from 3x3 basketball in each city, the NBA Jam will also feature music and entertainment competitions like graffiti, DJ-spin off, B-boy dancing, and more.

This year's NBA Jam is a huge step up from last year's event, which involved just four cities and relatively far fewer teams. The 2013 edition of NBA Jam concluded in Mumbai by the end of last September, as national champions were crowned from squads that won their city-level championships going off against each other. Three former NBA legends - Robert Horry, Peja Stojakovic, and Ron Harper - attended the finale in Mumbai last year.

This year's NBA Jam is being sponsored by Jabong, who will also invite some of the lucky participants to earn internships with the company. Like last year, the crucial events and the finals of the tournament will be broadcast on Sony SIX.

To sign up your college/university team, head to Jabong.com and pick the city where you will be participating from. In addition to the news and schedule of your chosen city, the full schedule of all the NBA Jam events across the next three months in India is also listed on the website.

BFI-IMG Reliance School/College League National Finals to tip off in New Delhi

For the past four to five months, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) alongside their sponsors IMG-Reliance have organized inner-city school and college basketball leagues for both male and female teams in record eight cities around India: New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Indore, Ludhiana, Chennai, and Kolkata. Now, with all the various leagues concluded, comes the final step.

The men/women winners from each city in both school/college leagues have descended into New Delhi for the first-ever BFI-IMG Reliance School/College League National Finals. A total of 32 teams will be competing for Men's National College Champion, Women's National College Champion, Men's National School Champion, and Women's National School Champion. The tournament is being held at the Thyagaraj Stadium in the city from April 30 - May 4.

"This tournament will provide new and promising talents from the grassroots level, which will develop and promote the sport, which is the endeavour of the BFI IMG-Reliance collaboration," said Roopam Sharma, the CEO of the BFI, "Competition at this stage will give much-needed boost to budding players who can catch the eye of the selectors and can use this as a platform to make their mark at the national level for their respective states."

Winners of each category will receive Rs. 1 lakh while the second and third placed teams will take home Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 50,000 each.

Sharma announced that next year, the school and college tournament hopes to expand to 24 Indian cities. Additionally, she added, a professional basketball league, in line with the IPL or football's ISL, will also be unveiled in India next year.

Bangalore's 2013-14 BFI-IMG Reliance School Basketball League tips off

After getting a successful kick-start in various cities around the league, the modified and expanded version of the 2014-14 BFI-IMG Reliance School Basketball League tipped off in Bangalore on December 18th. Bangalore is the latest stop of the ongoing league, which is being held in eight Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Indore, and Chennai.

Like every other city, Bangalore is fielding 20 total school teams in the league - 10 each in the boys' and girls' sections respectively.

Participating Teams

Boys

Group A: Vidyaniketan School, New Horizon Public School, National Public School (Rajaji Nagar), Sri Kumaran's Children's Home, Kendriya Vidyalaya.
Group B: Bishop Cotton's School, Delhi Public School (South), Mallaya Adithi International School, St. Joseph’s Indian High School, Shantiniketan High School.

Girls

Group A: Bishop Cotton's School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Mary Immaculate High School, Stella Maris High School, PPEC Indira Nagar.
Group B: Sri Kumaran's Children's Home, Mallaya Adithi International School, National Public School (Rajaji Nagar), Nirmala Rani High School, Carmel Convent High School.

According to the BFI, one of the main goals of the School League is to start the first pan-India League, as opposed to the current system of competition - tournaments. BFI and IMG Reliance have put aside money for each participating School for refurbishments of their home courts. With the help of the State Basketball Association, BFI and IMG Reliance will be hoping that this initiative will incentivize schools to invest in basketball.

Kolkata tips off their edition of BFI IMG Reliance School League

The 2013-14 BFI-IMG Reliance School League tipped off in Kolkata on Saturday, November 16th, with a grand opening ceremony at the West Bengal Basketball Association Grounds. On the largest year of the School Basketball League's in India which aims to oversee tournaments in eight cities over two months, the league in Kolkata has followed on the heels of league's already tipping off in Ludhiana, Hyderabad, and Delhi over the past few weeks.

The School League in Kolkata was inaugurated by by MP & Arjuna awardee Prasun Banerjee and Guest of Honour Ajit Banerjee, the president of the Bengal Olympic Association. DPS (Megacity) and La Martinerie will be defending their title this year in the Boys' and Girls' categories, respectively.

Participating Teams

Boys

Group A: DPS (Megacity), South Point, St. Anthony, La Martinerie, National Gems.
Group B: Khalsa High School, Chetla Boys School, Bharatiya Bidya Bhavan, Nalanda Vidyapeeth, Khalsa English High School.

Girls

Group A: La Martinerie, Chetla Girls School, Loreto Eliot, Loreto House, Rashmoni Balika Vidyayala.
Group B: Sushila Birla School, Nalanda Vidyapeeth, Calcutta Intenrational School, Calcutta Girls School, Modern High School.

BFI IMG-Reliance School Basketball League to be held in 8 cities this season!

In 2010 the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and IMG-Reliance - who signed a sponsorship deal with the federation - launched the School Basketball League in a few Indian cities, to bring organized basketball tournaments to some of the country's top school-level talents. Now, three years later, the league returns with it's largest iteration yet. Starting this month, the 2013-14 BFI IMG-Reliance School Basketball League will return with it's biggest iteration ever, going to a record eight Indian cities between October and December, 2013.

The 2013-14 edition of the BFI-IMG Reliance School League will include 2 new cities – Indore and Hyderabad – from last year’s returning 6 cities. The eight host cities are: New Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Ludhiana, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bangalore, and Chennai. The school winners from all the states will participate in the National Champions Cup to be held in April/May, 2014 in New Delhi.

The leagues will comprise of 20 teams per city (10 boys & 10 girls). A total of 1,920 kids and 160 teams will be participating across the country. Each team will play a total of 8 games over a period of 2 months and a total of 640 games will be played during the group stage, which will be followed with a knockout tournament to crown a City Champion. Games will be held at rotating locations in different schools & colleges to provide any institution the opportunity to host the league.

One of the main goals of the School League is to start the first pan-India League, as opposed to the current system of competition - tournaments. In a league, there is an emphasis on continuous and regular participation, resulting in practices focused on building individual and team skills. The length and space between games allows coaches and players to look back on the game, identify weaknesses and focus on making adjustments on the next game, building smarter and more skilled basketball players and coaches.

As part of the 2013-14 School League, BFI and IMG Reliance have put aside money for each participating School for minor refurbishments of their home courts. These refurbishments include new nets, rims, paintings, basketballs, etc. With the help of the State Basketball Association, BFI and IMG Reliance hopes this initiative will give more incentives to schools in India to invest in basketball.

While announcing the new season of the leagues, Roopam Sharma, the CEO of the BFI said, “The Basketball Federation of India partnership with IMG-Reliance is working towards improving Basketball from the grass root level in the country. I would like to thank the participating State Basketball Associations for their effort and co-operation in hosting the 2013-14 BFI IMG-Reliance School league which will showcase competitive games by young talented players. The School League will provide a medium for the players to compete regularly and an incentive for them to develop their game.”

Delhi (Boys) & Kerala (Girls) win 2013 Youth National Basketball Championship in Kolkata

Kerala Girls continue their stronghold on the Youth (under-16) division of basketball in India, winning their fourth consecutive Youth National title in Kolkata on Tuesday evening after a blowout Final victory over Tamil Nadu. Kerala’s victory was followed by a heart-stopping finale for the boys’, as Delhi survived a furious comeback from Rajasthan to win the title.

The 30th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championships for Boys and Girls saw 25 boys’ and 24 girls’ teams from all across India descend to Kolkata (West Bengal) for the scintillating eight-day tournament, which concluded on May 7th. The tournament was organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA).

It was another night of celebration for Kerala’s Girls’ squad, who are seemingly unbeatable at this level of the game in India. They won all seven games in this tournament behind consistent play by Nimmy Mathew, Mayukha KJ, and the rest. In the final, Kerala came storming out the gate in the first quarter against neighbours Tamil Nadu and kept building on that advantage to post a mammoth win of 83-47. Mayukha led the balanced Kerala scoring attack with 17 points in the Final. V Rachel had 17 points for TN.

The boys’ final upped the ante as the two finalists – Delhi and Rajasthan – fought each other till the very end. The game was tied at the end of the first quarter and Delhi held a slim three-point lead at halftime. A strong defensive third quarter saw Delhi extend that lead to nine, but Rajasthan came storming back in the fourth to outscore Delhi 23-16. In the end, the boys from the nation’s capital survived to win their second title in three years, 79-77. Sunil (27) and Bitto (23) led the way for Delhi, surviving a dominant performance by Rajasthan’s Mahipal Singh (30 – the leading scorer in the tournament – and Yogesh Kaneriya (16).

The third and fourth place matchups were also held on Tuesday. In the Boys’ game, Rahul Mehla (26), Prabhnoor Singh (19) and Jaipal (17) led the way in a blowout win over Haryana, who were led by Sonu Kumar (16). In the Girls’ game, Riya Verma (28) and Divya P (26) were the stars for Chhattisgarh who defeated Karnataka 82-73, despite the best efforts of rising young star Lopamudra TK (34) and Bhandavya HM (28).

The Semi-Finals of the tournament were held on Monday evening. In the Boys’ game, Sunil had 27 points for Delhi’s high-scoring 86-74 win against Haryana. Arjun Pandit (16) and Shon Suresh Kalangutkar (16) added to Delhi’s score, while Naveen Sheokand had 22 for Haryana. In the second’s Men’s Semi-Final, Rajasthan were led by their unstoppable duo of Mahipal Singh (33) and Akhilesh Kumar (30) as they defeated Punjab 92-82. Prabhnoor Singh (21) and Rahul Mehta (21) led the way for the losing side.

Kerala played in a high-scoring Semi-Final against Karnataka, winning 81-70. They fell back in the first quarter but bounced back with a strong 25-7 run in the second. Mayukha KT had 29 points, Vimmy Varkey had 17, and India Nelson had 16. Bhandavya HM scored 26 for the losing side. Y. Srividhya had 23 points to lead Tamil Nadu in the 68-51 win in the second semi-final over Chhattisgarh. Riya Verma led Chhattisgarh with 18.

Final Scores

Boys: Delhi (Sunil 27, Bitto 23, Vishal Gupta 14) bt. Rajasthan (Mahipal Singh 30, Yogesh Kaneriya 16, Akhilesh Kumar 15) 79-77 (18-18, 26-23, 19-13, 16-23).

Girls: Kerala (Mayukha KJ 17, Nimmy Matthew 15, Aneeta PV 15, India Nelson 15, Vimmy Varkey 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (V. Rachel 17) 83-47 (26-17, 20-16, 20-7, 17-7).

Third/Fourth Place Matchups

Boys: Punjab (Rahul Mehla 26, Prabhnoor Singh 19, Jaipal 17) bt. Haryana (Sonu Kumar 16) 93-47 (21-5, 26-8, 24-18, 22-16).

Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 28, Divya P 26, Vandana Ariya 14) bt. Karnataka (Lopamudra TK 34, Bhandavya HM 28) 82-73 (24-19, 20-15, 21-19, 17-20).

Final Standings

Boys

1. Delhi
2. Rajasthan
3. Punjab
4. Haryana
5. Maharashtra

Girls

1. Kerala
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Karnataka
5. Maharashtra

30th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championships tip off in Kolkata

25 boys’ and 24 girls’ teams from different states from all across India have descended in Kolkata (West Bengal) to take part in India’s 30th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls. Organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in association with the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA), the tournament is being held from April 30th to May 7th at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata.

The championship will feature the best under-16 up-and-coming players from across India. Their performances will determine the best of the lot to be chosen for India national camps to build the roster for India’s U16 teams for FIBA Asia U16 Championships in both boys’ and girls’ divisions later this year.

All eyes will be on the girls’ squad from Kerala, who have won the Youth Nationals for the past three years, including last year’s tournament in Indore. Madhya Pradesh boys’ also won last year’s championships and will be looking to defend their title this time around.

Here is the full list and groupings of participating teams in this year’s tournament.

Boys

Level 1

• Group A: Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala.
• Group B: Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha.

Level 2

• Group C: Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir.
• Group D: Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, West Bengal.
• Group E: Karnataka, Chandigarh, Manipur, Tripura.
• Group F: Uttarakhand, Bihar, Mizoram, Puducherry.

Girls

Level 1

• Group A: Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka.
• Group B: Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh.

Level 2

• Group C: West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand.
• Group D: Haryana, Gujarat, Manipur.
• Group E: Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Orissa, Uttarakhand.
• Group F: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Puducherry, Tripura.

The championship will be held in league-cum-knockout basis. The finals are scheduled for May 7th. Prize money will be awarded to top three teams in both boys and girls divisions as winners take home Rs 75,000, runners-up Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 for third place.

Check out the complete schedule and stay connected with the results from the tournament via the BFI website.

Argentina-Venezuela come to India for Football Friendly - Are NBA teams next?

First of all, let's assume that there is no such thing as an NBA lockout (even though there is), and soon, our NBA-addicted lives will return to normality when the 2011-12 season starts, probably in time (which it won't) to once again experience the best basketball in the world. Okay? Not too much of a stretch of an imagination, I hope?

Now, let's briefly switch sports: as any football fan in India would probably know by now, a galaxy of superstars are about to play the first ever official FIFA international friendly game in India today. The game will be held - where else? - but at Kolkata, the heart-land of the game in India. It will be Argentina vs. Venezuala, and the interest of course, lies mostly with Argentina, a country that has produced amazing winning teams and legendary football players throughout its history. And its a team that features the current alpha-dog aka BEST PLAYER ALIVE in the game of Football, in Lionel Messi. Football fanatics in India, and there is a growing number of them, have been celebrating this long-awaited opportunity to be in the presence of a great player like him. Of course, he won't be the only star: Argentina's current squad that will play in India will feature the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano, and Sergio Aguero.

Venezuela may be the "underdogs" in this matchup, but they are still ranked over a 100 spots ahead of India in the FIFA rankings, which means that, even without the star-studden Argentine cast, the Venezuelan team alone could produce football much better than most Indian fans would've seen live.

This major fixture could open the floodgates for much more world-class football action in India - already, there are signs that there will be a full, professional football league around the corner here. Meanwhile, the top football clubs in the world are shifting their attention towards the subcontinent and rest of Asia. Real Madrid and Barcelona adjusted their game timings so to better suit the Asian TV timings. Barcelona, Liverpool, and Manchester United are looking to open football academies here; United already has bars themed after itself around the country. Two EPL teams - Blackburn and Queens Park Rangers - are Indian-owned, and continue to have relationships in the country to develop talent and interest from India.

Could more high-quality, international games be that far away then? If Argentina/Messi can play in India, why not bring Spain, Brazil, England, Holland, Portugal, etc? The fans are just whetting their appetites: they want to see Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Xavi, Chicharito, Iniesta, Sneijder, etc, etc, etc... Barcelona are even pondering bringing a pre-season tour to India in a couple of years.

Football teams look forward to the risk and the opportunity of breaking into India because they can afford to do so. Now lets revert back to our merry old locked-out NBA: Some of the world's richest, most marketable, and most freakishly talented sportsmen in the world play in the NBA. And just like interest from different football teams and from FIFA into breaking into the Indian market, the NBA has done pretty well to bring their big name players here to help increase enthusiasm and fan following for the sport. Over the past few years, dozens NBA/WNBA players or legends have come to India, including Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Baron Davis, Kevin Garnett, Brandon Jennings, AC Green, Dikembe Mutumbo, George Gervin, and others. There is no doubt that many more will come in the future.

(Remember, we're assuming that the lockout will be over and things will be all pink and merry again).

But the big move will come the day we here that an actual world-class basketball game - and by that, I directly mean an NBA game - will be played in India. It would be a pre-season exhibition, of course. If the best football players in the world can play at the highest level in Indian soil, why not the best basketball players? When will we see Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, or Dirk Nowitzki play in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, etc?

Over a year ago, I wrote an article about how an NBA Preseason game in India in the near future is nothing but a pipe dream; unfortunately, despite the growth of other sports and NBA's own continued outreach into our borders, I continue to host the same pessimism.

There are several factors still holding us back: despite the increase in good quality basketball courts around the country, we are still nowhere near the type of facility and infrastructure that NBA players will risk playing on. Now, I know that the previous sentence sounds ridiculous in the light of the fact that so many of the NBA's best players have spent the lockout playing streetball in less than flattering settings: but those were possible because A) they played independently of the NBA, and so didn't carry the 'professionalism' that the league expects, and B) they mostly played in a familiar/comfortable environment which they were used to in their own country.

The NBA is no stranger to holding official games outside the borders of the United States (and Toronto): They have been holding preseason games around Europe for years now, and even held its first ever regular season games in London between the Raptors and the Nets in March.

Even Asia has had its share of NBA action: The NBA has played six games in Japan since the 1990s, and has held preseason games in China since 2004, after Chinese star Yao Ming joined the Houston Rockets in 2002: the first game obviously featured the Yao-powered rockets against the Sacramento Kings. In 2009, when the Nuggets met the Pacers in Taipei, it became the eight Asian city to host either an NBA regular season or preseason game, along with Tokyo, Yokohama, and Saitama in Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in China; and Macau.

What does all this add up to? It means that we're closer than before to getting an NBA exhibition game in India, but we're still miles away. With football, it is relatively easier to adhere to the international FIFA standards in terms of organisation, facilities, etc to host a major, world-class game. Basketball's highest equivalent level, the NBA, has far stiffer standards, and India still has a lot more catching up to do before Commissioner Stern decides to take a chance with us.

Luckily, India has the one thing to offer in the long term future that very few of its Asian competitors can: a large population and an open economy. Which means that the already fast-growing market for NBA here is going to accelerate into the stratosphere in the future, and soon, denying us our live NBA action will be impossible!

Let's enjoy some good football (in India) and some good NBA hoops till then. Speaking of which, when is this lockout thing ending again?