Sacramento Kings pull out the stops for India - and stop Kobe - on Bollywood Night 2016

अपने पैरों पे खड़॓ होना मुंबई से सेक्रामेन्तो तक.

The players rocking the #DesiKings Tees making entrance to the field! @nbaindia Courtesy: @luxme06 @blacksheep217 #DMC #McBen #RudyGay #KingsForIndia #KingsBollywoodNight #INDtoSAC #instaparty

A photo posted by Ekalavyas (@ekalavyas) on Jan 7, 2016 at 9:15pm PST

(Get on your feet, from Mumbai to Sacramento).

And with that energizing message, the Sacramento Kings launched their ode to the Indian community in the USA and back in India - their third annual Bollywood Night - during their game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, January 7 2016 at the Sleep Train Arena. Led by Vivek Ranadive, the first Indian-born majority-owner of an NBA team, the Kings made this year's Bollywood Night bigger than ever before. As a special bonus, they won a thrilling game, too, holding off former rival Kobe Bryant in his last professional game in Sacramento.

Ranadive, tech billionaire, bought the franchise in the summer of 2013 and has since taken several efforts to further the relationship between the Kings and India, between Sacramento and his birthplace Mumbai. This year was the third consecutive season that the Kings hosted a Bollywood themed night, after its previous two editions in front of sell-out crowds. The night included India-inspired fabrics and decor, cuisine, Bollywood-themed fan giveaways for those in attendance, and performances from leading Indian-American entertainers and celebrities.

Tapping into the global appeal of Bollywood on the décor and merchandising front, the night witnessed colourful fabric sheets hung from the catwalks over the bowl, rally towels on seats for all fans, Indian cuisine, Bollywood scarves and t-shirts in the team store, mehendi for fans, and warm-up shirts for the Kings’ players.

The first Miss America of Indian-descent – Nina Davuluri – joined the Sacramento Kings Dancers for a special Bollywood-themed dance routine. Davuluri was interviewed by Kings.com about Bollywood Night before tip-off. The Kings Dancers also dressed up in Indian garb on the night, as was Slamson the Lion, the Kings' official mascot. The starting line-ups for the Kings and the Lakers were introduced by a special guest announcer in Hindi. The Kings also showed a special introduction video before tip off - from Mumbai to Sacramento.



Ranadive's daughter, the aspiring pop-star Anjali World, performed at halftime, along with rapper 6speed. Other events included Punjabi sword fighting and dance performances by the California-based Ankhiley Gabroo dance group. Sacramento native and artist Pam Shankar, of Indo-Fijian descent, sang the pre-game national anthem.

The game itself was a perfect Bollywood movie plot for the hometown team. The first half was lighthearted and jovial, with the home-team taking a 27 point lead behind an incredible performance by their hero DeMarcus Cousins (29 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) overcoming a strong performance by their arch-nemesis Kobe Bryant (28 points). But no Bollywood film is complete without conflict, and the Lakers made a heroically cinematic comeback in the fourth quarter to take the lead behind strong performances by guards D'Angelo Russell (27) and Jordan Clarkson. Eventually, the Kings were able to withstand the blow and give the home fans a happy ending with a 118-115 win.

After years of memorable playoff battles between the Lakers and the Kings in the early 2000s, this was Bryant's final game in Sacramento. The home crowd got a victory, but as the credits rolled in the end of the Bollywood bonanza, Bryant got a loud ovation from their rival fans. Bollywood Night was over, the respected villain lost, and the heroes notched up another win to get closer to an unlikely playoff spot!

Orlando Magic to host 2nd 'India Day' on January 19th

Hey, if we Indians can't make our way into the NBA with basketball talent, let's make sure to do it culture.

The Orlando Magic, joining hands with the Indian American Chamber of Commerce (IACC), will host the second annual 'India Day' programme at Orlando's home game against the Boston Celtics on January 19th. The event follows the success of the Magic's India Day last season and the growing interest of NBA teams to reach out to fans of Indian origin (and perhaps to Indians back home, too).

Orlando's interest into the Indian community and culture follows the three years of 'Bollywood Nights' that were held the Golden State Warriors when Vivek Ranadive was their minority owner. Ranadive since went on to become the first Indian-born majority owner in the NBA when he purchased the Sacramento Kings and has brought all kinds of India swag to Sac-Town, from Shaq playing cricket to cheerleaders regularly performing Bollywood dance numbers.

The Magic could certainly do with some distractions: they currently stand at the bottom of the Southeast division, but at least have the piece in Aaron Afflalo, Victor Oladipo, and Nikola Vucevic (plus a high pick in next year's loaded draft) to build something interesting for the future.

This season's India Day in Orlando will feature an appearance by 2014 Miss American Nina Davuluri, the Indian-American from New York, who unfortunately become more famous for receiving racist backlash than for actually winning a beauty pageant. Davuluri will share the story of her rise to fame and her platform on racial diversity with Magic fans. There will also be a street festival that will include Henna tattoo artists, Indian dances and Indian cuisine.

Dr. Amish M. Parikh, an Orlando resident and one of the organizers of the event, said, "We were encouraged last year that we were able to bring everybody together on one day and celebrate the Indian American community. And it was a sporting event that brought all of us together. "Sports create a venue where we can all enjoy a good time and be happy and sad together. We’re excited that the Magic are our local sports team that we can all rally around."

The IACC will donate 1,000 tickets of the game to nonprofit organizations throughout Central Florida, up from 600 last year. There will also be a special ticket offer (call 407-916-2679) and a street festival that will include Henna tattoo artists, Indian dances and Indian cuisine.

The Magic's website says that the success in Orlando last year - which featured a street festival and Bollywood-dancing cheerleaders - also caught the eye of teams around the NBA and several other India Nights are being planned this season throughout in the league.

Now if only one of them can invite Aziz Ansari for his views on cultural diversity, Calvin Cambridge, and saris. He might be a Knicks fan, too.