Hoopdarshan Episode 49: Kevin Durant, Every NBA Player to Visit India, and the Draft with Akshay Manwani

There is no offseason. In Episode 49 of Hoopdarshan, hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok anticipate the arrival of Kevin Durant to India as the greatest basketball player to step foot on our soil. Joining us is NBA expert Akshay Manwani, who spoke about KD, the history of every NBA player to ever visit India, his thoughts on the NBA Draft, and more! Listen to the latest episode to also hear our opinions on the exciting news considering new foreign coaches Zoran Visic and Phil Weber in India and India's performances at the BRICS Games.

Here is my comprehensive running list of every NBA player to ever visit 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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International Basketball Association: Will Adam Silver's promise hold true for the NBA's global expansion?

Nearly a month ago in London, on the eve of the NBA's now-annual 'Global Games' regular season matchup - featuring the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks this year - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made an eyebrow-raising statement to the English media. With an eye on the future of global sports leagues, Silver said that he wants to launch four European franchises, adding that, "It is our manifest destiny to expand."

Between the time that David Stern - Silver's predecessor - took over the helm of the NBA in the early 80s till Silver succeeded him last year, the NBA's global face has changed drastically. The league has become one of the most profitable and lucrative worldwide and its biggest stars have brand name recognition across all the continents. Over the past decade, the NBA Global has pushed the league into further reaches, bringing NBA teams and stars closer to international fans than ever before.

Now, on the week of the NBA All Star Weekend where two Spaniards (Pau and Marc Gasol) will be the game's starters, the Rising Stars Challenge will feature a USA vs. World game, international players will take part in the weekend's several smaller events, and Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan will become the first Indian to play in the All Star Celebrity Game, the question of this 'manifest destiny to expand' is sure to be posed ahead of Commissioner Silver again. In London, Silver spoke about expanding the game to Europe, but eventually, the Asian markets like China, Philippines, and potentially India will also shape the changing international nature of one of the world's fastest-growing leagues.

During the Global Games in London, Silver had admitted that the NBA had fallen behind in expansion schedule to the NFL, who have plans to start a franchise in England. "It will be easier logistically for them to pull it off," said Silver, "It would be difficult for us to have one team in Europe. We’d have to put both feet down. That would mean having four franchises in Europe."

Via the Guardian

He said that the arena infrastructure was improving across Europe with US-style arenas in place or under construction in England, Germany, France and Spain.
"We’re not there yet. I know that as much growth as we’ve seen, we have a long way to go before we can sustain four franchises in Europe,” said Silver, who has worked at the NBA since 1992. “On the other hand, I believe it’s our manifest destiny to expand."

Because of the talent and infrastructure in many European countries (excluding England, who are relative minnows in basketball), the continent is an obvious next shore if the NBA is to expand its borders across North America. It Silver's words are to hold true, the European expansion may still be up to a decade away. But is a sports league separated by the great distances of the Atlantic Ocean truly feasible, no matter how efficient and comfortable modern day travel may get? The time zone differences could add another caveat to the plans. Of course, there have been arguments that the NBA and Silver are getting ahead of themselves here, especially when there are more suitable markets in North America that deserve and are more primed to host an NBA team.

Still, the winds of change - and the future - are inevitable: the reality of the future is a smaller, flatter world, where business - including the business of playing sports - will become more global.

While the NBA's first steps as explorers of an expanding league seem to be in Europe, it is China and India - if the two massive populations are able to iron out their creases - that might end up being the most profitable future endeavours. In present day India, infrastructure, mismanagement, and organizational problems are clear red flags against any NBA dreams. Additionally, India has to first show that they can launch and handle our own basketball league before the NBA can even glance in this direction. Still, we are talking of decades into the future now, and Silver's comments about Europe may yet prove to be a foreshadow of the eventual reality by the middle of the 21st century.

The NBA isn't expanding anywhere outside of North America anytime soon, but - whether or not it is still under Adam Silver's leadership - the expansion will eventually happen one day. And by then, we'll have an international basketball association for a truly international sport.

Hey now – you all are All Stars!

Becoming an All Star is an important milestone in the career of an NBA star, and NBA greats are judged by – among other things – the number of times they earned that ‘All Star’ moniker. The results of the fan ballot for this year’s starters will be announced on January 22 and the full roster with the fan’s votes will be out on January 29. But before that happens, here is my list of who deserves to make the NBA All Star teams this season.

Click here to read the full feature on SportsKeeda.

A New NBA season for a New India

Anticipating a transformative year for NBA fans in India

This article was first published in my column for Ekalavyas.com on November 3, 2014. Click here to read the original post.

Pau Gasol is one of the many NBA stars to have visited India in recent years.
Photo: Karan Madhok

I remember the first time I watched the NBA on TV. It was the mid-90s and I was more interested in watching Duck Tales on Doordarshan than ‘alternative’ games like basketball on Star Sports. The definition of sport used to begin and end with cricket. Although I’d heard of names such as Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson, they hardly meant anything to me.

I remember catching a brief glimpse of a regular season game between the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic, featuring stars like Karl Malone and Penny Hardaway. A few years later, my interest spiked when the Los Angeles Lakers signed this rookie named Kobe Bryant, who was making every basketball fan excited for the future. I began to play basketball more often, and thus, I cared more about the highest level of the game. The names seemed larger than life: Payton. Iverson. O’Neal. Rodman. Miller. Robinson. Garnett, and more.

I watched the Jazz once more in 1998. This time, they were in the NBA Finals, and by sheer luck, it happened to be the final game in a Bulls uniform for a certain Michael Jordan. I saw the steal, the push-off, and the last shot. The seeds of a love affair had been sowed. A year later, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby, and Larry Johnson carried the eighth-seeded New York Knicks to an improbable Finals’ appearance, and in the process, the team won me over as the primary object of my affection.

Those who have followed the NBA in India from the early internet or pre-internet days will attest: it wasn’t the easiest love affair to have. We were limited to two or three early morning live games a week. We got our hands on SLAM Magazine occasionally, played NBA Live 99 on our computers, and waited 10 minutes each time on a dial-up network for the old nba.com website to load.

It was all worth it though, because the challenge of access made us treasure the NBA even more. There were no casual fans: you either cared deeply about the NBA or you had never heard about it at all. While many of my friends discussed Sachin and Ganguly or The Undertaker and Kane, I wanted to jump like Vince Carter and pass like Jason Williams.

Fast forward to the present day, and the smaller, more connected new world has made life wonderfully easier for the new Indian NBA fan. The internet has been a boon. Now, even thousands of miles away from Los Angeles or New York, you can follow your favourite players minute-by-minute updates on social media like never before. NBA highlights are only just a couple of YouTube clicks away. The League Pass has made almost any game accessible live through the course of the season every day. There is no bit of news, rumour, or meme that escapes the attention of a fan.

TV broadcasts have improved dramatically, too. From the time of two games a week, Sony SIX and Ten Sports double and tripled that number, and now, we are at the apex of NBA viewing options in India: Last year, Sony SIX signed a deal with the NBA to broadcast an NBA doubleheader nearly every day of the season, showing up to 14 games live weekly. That schedule is likely to continue again this year, making an NBA game as essential part of an Indian breakfast as that cup of masala chai or filter coffee.

Perhaps the biggest step forward over the last half decade is how, instead of the Indian fan constantly reaching out to find the NBA, it’s the NBA that has reached back to find the Indian fan. The NBA’s presence in India has grown steadily over the past six years. Now, the NBA has an India-specific website, an office in Mumbai, and staff dedicated to further help grow their presence in the country. Over the past six years, dozens of NBA players have visited India to hold clinics, take part in charity events, and promote the game.

There was a time when finding an old Michael Jordan poster among scraps in a random stationary shop in Mussoorie was one of the highlights of my year. Those days are long gone. From social media interactivity to regular, easy access to all types of NBA related information, jerseys, and other products, nothing is too out of reach for a fan anymore. The power of the NBA’s most popular teams and superstars have made names of places like San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Cleveland seem almost as familiar as Ranchi, Aurangabad, or Coimbatore. The NBA has taught me – and many other fans – more about North American geography than any school-teachers ever could have.

Once known only among small niche circles, basketball has become one of the fastest-growing sports in India. Viewership of live NBA games – according to NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco – went up by over 200 percent last year. NBA India has close to half a million fans in India on Facebook. Everything – from jersey and merchandise sales to celebrity endorsements – is on the upswing in India.

The new Indian NBA fan lives in a world where an Indian (Vivek Ranadive) owns an NBA team (Sacramento Kings). That owner has plans to bring the NBA’s Commissioner for a trip to India next month and is looking forward to hosting India’s first-ever NBA exhibition game.

When I asked Ranadive a few weeks ago about why he felt that India can be a special destination for the NBA and basketball, he replied, “I think that basketball is destined to be the premier sport of the 21st century. It’s a game that can be played by boys, by girls, indoors, outdoors, by one person, a few people, in cities, in villages, in rich countries, poor countries. It doesn’t require a lot of space. I don’t expect it to surpass cricket as the national pastime [in India], but I think it can be a strong number two... I think basketball is perfect for the Indian situation…”

Ranadive’s Kings also made Indo-Canadian Sim Bhullar the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA team. Bhullar was cut from the team recently, but his brief flirtation with the NBA opportunity brought even more attention towards the Indian fanbase. Although Bhullar was born and bred in Canada, the NBA and the Kings made sure to highlight him for his Indian heritage, and he was invited by Ranadive to be a part of the ‘India Day’ parade in New York this Independence Day. 

It is in this exciting new environment that the new NBA season begins over the pond in North America. Just like it has been over the last few years, I’m excepting another transformative season for NBA fans in India, where the numbers of online followers, TV watchers, merchandise customers, and most importantly, NBA-inspired basketball players in India will all rise.

Indian basketball fervour will never match China, where it is estimated that there are 300 million basketball fans. While it will remain a niche activity here in comparison to cricket or football, NBA basketball is carving out its own unique space in the Indian sport ‘fanosphere’. Rest assured, there is much optimism in the air for Indian NBA fans and the future is much brighter than the past.

If you’re already an old fan of the game, rejoice, for we are at the cusp of the NBA’s golden years in India. If you’re not on the NBA bandwagon, now would be a good time to jump in. Just like the English Premier League (EPL) before it, the NBA is primed to become one of the favourite foreign leagues for more and more mainstream Indian sports fans to follow.

When I look back to 20 years ago, it’s strange to imagine a world where NBA access to me was limited to little more than a couple of games per week, old trading cards and repeat broadcasts of ‘Space Jam’. Today, it gives me immense pleasure to see a large number of Indian fans embracing the game and to see their love affair become into a smoother ride. Like Ranadive said, basketball can be perfect for the Indian situation. I hope that 20 years from now, the NBA would have helped the rise of basketball as a sport across every city and village in our nation.

Gasolina: A celebration of Pau Gasol as one of basketball’s All Time great international players

Few international players have had his measure of success in the modern era as Pau Gasol, who helped usher in Spain's golden generation and made La Roja the world's most feared basketball team outside of USA. Here's a celebration of Gasol's stellar international career.

Click here to read the full feature.

International Watch: Ranking the top 10 FIBA World Cup players outside the USA

Although the USA – the world’s number one ranked team – were an automatic favourite to be crowned champions at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, few predicted that they would achieve the feat with such relative ease, winning each game by an average margin of 32.5 points per game and continuing their 63 game unbeaten streak in international basketball contests. But don’t let the Americans’ dominance distract you from the top performers from the rest of the world, many of whom, even in defeat, used the World Cup stage to further define their legacies.

Here are the top 10 players from the 2014 FIBA World Cup outside the USA. Click here for full feature.

USA stamps basketball dominance with another FIBA World Cup win

Without Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Blake Griffin, or Carmelo Anthony. Without even Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Kevin Love, or Paul George. On paper, the 2014 World Cup featured a younger and 'weaker' USA side. This wasn't the 'redeemed' USA side that - since their last competitive loss in 2006 - had been undefeated and dominated opponents in every international basketball tournament since. This was, what many critics called, the 'C Team', the youngest USA side since the NBA began sending professionals back in 1992.

But basketball games aren't won on paper; Team USA's so-called 'C Team' turned the 'C' into 'Championship', defending the rebranded FIBA World Cup title for the first time in their history with a dominant performance that easily blew out the rest of the global competition. Winning every game by an average margin of 32.5 points, Team USA went an undefeated 9-0 at the World Cup in Spain, capping off their wonderful tournament with their best performance in the final: a 129-92 victory over Serbia in Madrid on Sunday, September 14.

After a slow start as Serbia raced to a 15-7 lead early in the game, USA bounced back with a 15-0 spurt and never looked back. USA made the most of the shortened international three-point line, hitting 11-16 threes in the final. Kyrie Irving (26) and James Harden (23) were the chief perpetrators as Serbia had no answer for the American onslaught. By the end of the contest, eight of the 12 USA players had scored in double figures en route to the 37 point win.

This was USA's fifth gold medal at the FIBA World Cup, tying for top slot with the former Yugoslavia. They have now won 63 straight games - 45 in official FIBA events and 18 in exhibition play - and are automatically qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

USA won all of their group games with relative ease, yet, because of their slow starts and the quality of their opponents, doubts remained about the true talent of this young team. By knocking out Mexico, Slovenia, Lithuania, and then Serbia on the way to the gold, USA went on to erase all such doubts. Kyrie Irving was named tournament's MVP, but this was far from a one-man effort: the likes of Kenneth Faried, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, DeMarcus Cousins, Klay Thompson, and more came up big from game to game to keep the Americans at the head of the race.

Since breaking up with Yugoslavia, the silver in 2014 was Serbia's first ever medal at the tournament. Serbia were the competition's unlikely finalists: they won only two of their five group games to sneak into the knockout stage, and then, they suddenly found a way to turn their performances around. The Serbs blew out favoured opponents like Greece and Brazil and held on to win in a classic Semi-Final over France to reach the final.

France won the bronze medal by scraping past Lithuania 95-93 for a close win on Saturday. Led by 27 points by Nicolas Batum, France bounced back from a fourth quarter deficit to claim victory. Lithuania's high scorer was their young center Jonas Valanciunas, who finished with 25 points and nine rebounds. France, who won last year's EuroBasket, will be happy with their performance at the World Cup, especially since they were able to win a medal without the likes of Tony Parker or Joakim Noah in their lineup.

The biggest disappointment at the World Cup was the performance of hosts Spain. Featuring the likes of Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka, Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Rudy Fernandez, Spain entered the tournament at full strength and seemed to have all the pieces to be the only true challengers to USA's ascent. This was perhaps the last opportunity of Spain's "golden generation" heralded by Pau Gasol to beat the USA and claim their second World Cup win after 2006. Alas, after a fine start in the group stage and the round of 16, Spain were shocked in one of the great upsets in world basketball by France in the Quarter-Final. A defensive masterclass by the French knocked out the Spaniards and ended any hopes of the dream USA-Spain clash in the Final.

Final Standings

• 1. USA
  
• 2. Serbia
  
• 3. France
  

All Tournament Team

• Kyrie Irving (USA) - MVP 
• Kenneth Faried (USA) 
• Milos Teodosic (Serbia) 
• Nicolas Batum (France) 
• Pau Gasol (Spain)

World Cup Shot Clock: 24 things to look forward to for the FIBA Basketball World Cup

Over the next two weeks, some of the top basketball players in the world will face off at the FIBA World Cup, the biggest global festival of hoops. From top contenders, exciting new faces, dark-horses, and a little bit of history, here are 24 things that you need to look forward to for the World Cup.

Click here to read full feature

Market Men: Biggest names on the NBA’s trading block

3 PM Eastern Time on February 20th – that’s when the NBA market shuts down. And with the deadline looming, teams around the league are exploring, contemplating, and imagining. Some are imagining opposing players in their own jerseys, some are imagining hording up future draft picks, and some are focused single-mindedly on the accounts chart, hoping to clear up as much cap space as possible. Some wanna get better now, some wanna get better later, and some are clueless.

There aren’t too many big names or current All Stars involved in serious trade rumours this season, but here are the top players that could be on the market if their team gets an exciting offer or two.

Click here to read full feature.

Every NBA player to have ever visited India - The Comprehensive List

When Satnam Singh's name was called 52nd on the 2015 NBA Draft Night, he became the first Indian to be drafted into the world's finest basketball league. While he still has miles to go before he makes his first appearance in an NBA game, he sat set the wheels in motion for many other Indians to potentially follow him to the league. But while we wait for Indians to make it to the NBA, there has been no shortage of NBA players from coming to India.

India has great potential as a basketball market, and over the past half a decade or so, the NBA has come to realize and support that potential. Dozens of NBA players have already stepped foot on Indian shores in recent years, most of them sent by the NBA itself, but many others visited with other personal and professional agendas. Apart from imparting leading basketball training clinics, many of the visits were also highlighted by charity events.

I've been keeping a tally of these visits ever since the inception of this blog. Looking ahead to the future, and it seems that the number of these visits will only increase - the new Indian-born owner of the Sacramento Kings Vivek Ranadive has even dreamt of bringing the entire squad for an exhibition game in India.

So, before the numbers get too out of hand, here is the running list of every NBA player - past and present - to have visited India. Although I have scoured recent history comprehensively, there is no doubt that I may have missed visits several older visits, or visits done in complete privacy without any media fanfare (for example, Phil Jackson may or may not have spent the late 70s trekking across the Himalayas). Feel free to contact me to update the list with any such cases.

Kevin Garnett: October 2006 - In his last year's as a Timberwolf, KG took part in an adidas promotional trip through Asia which seemed to be years ahead of its time. He visited schools and adidas stores New Delhi and Bangalore, and stopped by the Taj Mahal in Agra.

Dominque Wilkins, Sam Perkins, Ronny Turiaf, Kyle Korver, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson: July 2008 - The NBA's Basketball Without Borders Asia camp was held in New Delhi in the 2008 summer. A group of former and current NBA players - headlined by none other than the Human Highlight Film himself - came to India for the event. Although they were there for coaching programmes at BWB in New Delhi, they also visited the Taj Mahal. Korver started his trip in Kolkata, where he took part in charity work with the foundation left behind by Mother Teresa.

Robert Parish, Marty Conlon: November 2008 - Former Celtic great Parish and retired big man Conlon came to Mumbai for the NBA/WNBA Hoop School programme. Conlon, who works with the NBA office, has made several more visits to India.

AC Green: April 2009 - The former Laker came to Mumbai to inaugurate a basketball court in Nagpada.

Baron Davis: July 2009 - When B-Diddy was with the Clippers, he took a summer trip to India to kick off the NBA Jam event at a mall in Mumbai.

Dikembe Mutombo: December 2009 - The fearsome Mount Mutombo himself was in Mumbai and Chennai to unveil new basketball courts in both cities.

Marty Conlon: July 2010 - Conlon returned to India to assist the NBA Challenge event in Bangalore.

Dwight Howard: August 2010 - Howard was still with the Magic when he made his trip to India, and, at its time, it was the most important visit by an NBA player yet. The NBA sent him to the Delhi-NCR region and to Bangalore for a promotional trip. Dwight took part in fan events at malls, visited a zoo, and held a clinic in Bangalore with India's national team.

Pau Gasol: August 2010 - Just weeks after Howard, the NBA sent another big All Star - Pau Gasol. Gasol went to Delhi and Mumbai, taking part in NBA Cares programmes and holding clinics in schools in both cities.

George Gervin: February 2011 - The Iceman - along with WNBA star Katie Smith - came to India in a trip sponsored by the US Department of State and the NBA. They held clinics and charity events in Delhi and Mumbai.

Shawn Bradley: March 2011 - Quietly, without any fanfare, the former NBA center volunteered at a leprosy colony in the Thottanaval village in Tamil Nadu as behalf of the Rising Star Outreach.

Brandon Jennings: May 2011- While still with the Bucks, the NBA sent Jennings to Mumbai and he also made the first official NBA visit to Pune. He Attended Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Skills Challenge Finals in Mumbai, held clinics in both cities, and took part in charity events with Magic Bus.

Boris Diaw: Summer 2011 - The San Antonio Spur came to India to intern under photographer Steve Winter who was working on a wildlife photography project on tigers at the Bandhavgarh National Park in Umaria, Madhya Pradesh.

Kenny Natt: May 2011-June 2012 - More people perhaps remember him as a coach, but Kenny Natt was also a journeyman NBA player for most of the 80s. After serving as interim head coach of the Kings, he came to India as the Head Coach of the Senior National Men's squad. Over the year he spent in the country, Natt traveled to several cities attending training camps, tournaments, and coaches' coaching programmes. He held clinics with the national squad of course and the junior squads too. He led India to the FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, in 2011. And much, much more.

Steve Smith: September 2011 - While working with NBA TV, Smith came to Delhi-NCR to help inaugurate NBA Jam and also spend some time working out with India's U16 squad.

Muggsy Bogues: January 2012 - The NBA's shortest ever player came to New Delhi where he interacted and trained young players in local schools.

Raja Bell: July 2012 - Bell was in New Delhi, where he trained with India’s National Men’s Team and participated in a variety of fan events and basketball development programmes.

Robert Horry: September 2012 - Mr. Big Shot came for the launch of NBA 3x tournaments to Delhi-NCR.

Luc Longley: October 2012 - The former Chicago Bull Center visited India for the Finals of the first-ever Mahindra NBA Challenge National Championship in New Delhi.

Jerome Williams, Paul Grant, Anthony Bonner: December 2012 - The Junkyard Dog Jerome Williams and a couple of retired NBA journeymen joined an American squad called 'Superpower' to take part in the legendary Savio Cup Tournament in Mumbai. They won the tournament.

Chris Bosh: July 2013 - In the most-hyped trip made by an NBA player to India to date, Chris Bosh visited Mumbai amidst much fanfare. The "#NamasteBosh" promotions laid the groundwork for this big visit, which Bosh made soon after capturing his second NBA title with the Heat. Bosh visited sites around Mumbai, announced new season of NBA Jam, held development camps, visited schools and colleges and took part in charity event. He also made a personal visit to the Taj Mahal.

Horace Grant, Ron Harper, Peja Stojakovic September 2013 - The three former champions from various squads came to Mumbai for the NBA Jam Finals. Grant visited New Delhi as well.

Muggsy Bogues: Feburary 2014 - Bogues returned to India to assist with the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Programme in Mumbai and Kochi.

Isaiah Thomas: June 2014 - In one of his last public appearances as a Sacramento King, Thomas conducted basketball clinics at schools and community organizations across Mumbai and Chennai, provided in-depth analysis to the NBA Finals on Sony SIX, and more.

Bruce Bowen: October - November 2014 - The three-time former NBA champ of the San Antonio Spurs was in India as the 2014-15 NBA season tipped off. Bowen attended NBA Jam and Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA events in Kolkata, Gurgaon, Chandigarh, and Ludhiana, His was the first official NBA visit to Kolkata. 

Vlade Divac: December 2014 - Former King and Laker Vlade Divac accompanied Kings' Indian owner Vivek Ranadive and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to a trip to India. Divac visited a school in Mumbai as part of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme and took part in a UNICEF visit LTMC Medical College in Mumbai.

Cedric Ceballos: January 2015 - The former NBA All Star and Slam Dunk contest - who played for the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, and several other teams in the 90s - came to India to host the UBA Men's National University Basketball Championship in Chennai and judge the tournament's slam dunk contest.

Shandon Anderson - March 2015 - Anderson was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of Bengaluru's Jain University's four-day sports festival VIE 2015. He played in the NBA for a decade after becoming the 54th pick by the Utah Jazz in 1996, later moving to the Rockets, Knicks, and finally, the Heat. Random.

Sim Bhullar - May 2015 - The first NBA player of Indian-descent, the 7-foot-5 Canadian Center who played for the Sacramento Kings, Bhullar came to India soon after the Kings' regular season ended. His trip was a perfect culmination of hoops, fun, cultural exchanges, and glamour. In Mumbai, he mingled with Bollywood top brass like Abhishek Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, and Ranveer Singh, andwas a special guest on the IPL cricket show Extraa Innings. He surprised young basketball players at YMCA courts in Bandra, joined young players in a Jr NBA camp in New Delhi, and spoke to the media about his hopes for more Indians to follow him into the NBA. He took part in the ‘#Simsanity Challenge’ put forth by Indian fans in social media, fitting into an Auto-Rickshaw and saying Indian tongue-twisters. In Amritsar, he reconnected with his Punjabi roots and paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before heading to Pingalwara, a home for individuals suffering from incurable and terminal diseases, to which his family made a contribution. In Chandigarh, he conducted a basketball coaching clinics.

Jason Richardson - October/November 2015 - 14-year retired veteran and two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson came to India from October 29th - November 1st 2015 for a three-day promotional tour of the country for the NBA Jam and the continued growth of basketball in India. Richardson travelled to New Delhi, Ahmedabad (Gujarat), and Mumbai to conduct basketball clinics for players and coaches alike and engage with fans at two of the NBA's premier events in India: the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme and NBA Jam.

Brian Shaw - February 2016 - Former NBA champion (3 times, with the Lakers) and ex-Nuggets coach Brian Shaw came to India in February 2016 to promote the NBA. During his trip, he tipped off premier NBA events like the ACG-NBA Jump National Finals in Greater Noida, NBA City Finals in Jaipur, and NBA Jam in Mumbai. His most significant contribution was at the ACG-NBA Jump Finals, where he helped choose Palpreet Singh Brar as the competition's winner and India's representative to the NBDL trials.

Joe Courtney - March/April 2016 - Former NBA and global basketball journeyman Joe Courtney came to India in March 2016 to broadcast season 2 of the UBA Basketball League in Hyderabad.

Robin Lopez, Seth Curry - April/May 2016 - Center Robin Lopez and guard Seth Curry - at that time belonging to the New York Knicks and Sacramento Kings - travelled to Noida and Mumbai from April 28 - May 1 to support the continued growth of basketball by conducting youth clinics and interacting with local fans. They engaged with players at Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Elite National Camp and took part in Sony SIX's show 'Around the Hoop'.

Shawn Marion - November/December 2016 - Former NBA champ Shawn Marion came to Mumbai and New Delhi for a five-day trip, where he took part in the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, chatted with fans live on NBA India's Facebook page, conducted a junior NBA camp at the ITL School in Delhi, and inaugurated the 2016/17 ACG-NBA Jump programme in Mumbai. The obligatory 'Around the Hoop' appearance was made, too.

Alex Scales - February/March 2017 - Scales played one game for the San Antonio Spurs in 2005, and thus qualifies for this list. The 38-year-old shooting guard played in a dozen countries around the world before accepting the invitation to come to India to play for the Mumbai Challengers of the UBA Basketball League Season 4.

Kenneth Faried - May 2017 - Faried, 'The Manimal' of the Denver Nuggets, visited India to promote the NBA playoffs, visit the Taj Mahal, dip Parle G into chai, appear on Sony SIX's "Around the Hoop" show, and meet young fans at the NBA Zone at the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon.

Yao Ming - July 2017 - Chinese basketball legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming arrived on India to watch the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup 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). Without much fanfare, Yao sat in his corner at the Sree Kantaveera Stadium, took in some high-level basketball action.

Kevin Durant - July 2017 - Reigning champion with the Golden State Warriors, Finals MVP, former MVP, four-time scoring champions, Kevin Durant became definitely the greatest player to set foot on Indian soil,landed in New Delhi. Durant was greeted with a happy set of fans when he landed in Delhi, and the fandom got considerably more star-studded at a reception with some of India’s biggest sports and entertainment celebrities on his first night. The next morning: Durant got to work. His foundation donated two basketball courts to the Ramjas School in New Delhi and he interacted with young schoolkids at the courts’ inauguration. Later, Durant headed to the NBA’s state of the art elite India Academy in Greater Noida, where he trained several of India’s top teenage basketball prospects. Durant’s time at the Academy ended up as he was joined by hundreds of more young players from the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, as well has a few thousand who checked in via a live-stream from around the country, to create a Guinness World Record for “largest basketball lesson” (3,459 attendees). Durant visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, too.

Andre Miller - October 2017 - One of the most-reliable passers of the past few decades, former NBA point guard Andre "The Professor" Miller visited Mumbai and Delhi-NCR from October 27-29, 2017. Miller appeared on the SONY SIX show "Around the Hoop", trained young players at the NBA Academy India, and hosted a coaching session at the Apeejay School in New Delhi.

Michael Ray Richardson - November 2017 - The former All Star, who played in the late 70s and 80s for the Knicks, Suns, and Nets, visited the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida to interact and train the young players. He also went to Mumbai for 'Around the Hoop.

Kevin Martin - January 2018 - The retired shooting guard visited Mumbai, Delhi, and Greater Noida to coach in the Reliance Jr. NBA Programme, the NBA India Academy, and appear on "Around the Hoop" on Sony SIX.

Sam Vincent - April 2018 - NBA journeyman and champion with the '85 Celtics, Sam Vincent came to India for 'The Great Basketball Hunt' in New Delhi.

Brook Lopez -May 2018 - Lopez, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, followed his brother Robin's footsteps to visit India in Spring 2018. He attended the finals of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme as well as the ACG-NBA Jump, both held in early May in the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida. Lopez also visited the Taj Mahal in Agra during his trip, went to Mumbai to watch an IPL game, and showed up on the "Around the Hoop" show on Sony SIX.

Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, Corey Brewer, Chris LeVert, Darvin Ham - May/June 2018 - The NBA, FIBA, and the BFI came together to host the 2018 Basketball Without Borders Asia camp in India, ten years after it was held last here in New Delhi. This year's camp was in the NBA Academy India in Noida. Olynyk (Heat), Powell (Mavericks), Brewer (Thunder), LeVert (Nets), and former player and current assistant coach Ham (Bucks) were part of the large contingent of NBA/WNBA players/coaches to come to India for the BWB programme. The players and coaches worked with 66 top youth players from across Asia from May 30 - June 2. The players also got a chance to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra during their trip.

Robert Horry - October 2018 - "Big Shot Bob" made his second visit to India prior to the beginning of the 2018-19 NBA season. He worked out with the prospects at the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida and visited Mumbai to appear on NBA broadcast TV shows.

Tim Hardaway - November 2018 - "Senior" Hardaway, the five-time All Star who played for the Warriors, Heat, and more in the 90s, visited India to lead basketball clinics, engage with Indian basketball fans and appear on Sony's NBA wraparound show "Saturday Morning Live."

Rashard Lewis - January 2019 - The first player of New Year 2019 to visit India was Rashard Lewis, star with the Seattle Supersonics and Orlando Magic, and champion with the 2013 Miami Heat. Lewis visited Mumbai and Bengaluru to lead the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programmes.

Harrison Barnes - April/May 2019 - The Sacramento Kings' forward Harrison Barnes was in India in the height of the summer to promote the upcoming 'NBA India Games' later this year, in which his Kings will play against the Indiana Pacers. Barnes fully immersed into the India experience, visiting heritage sites, gobbling up Indian food, playing Cricket, and much more. He spent most of his time between Delhi-NCR and Mumbai, with a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra in between. At the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida, Barnes he worked with finalists of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme and the ACG-NBA Jump.

Yao Ming - June 2019 - The former Houston Rocket, Basketball Hall of Famer, and president of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao Ming returned to India for the draw ceremony of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, in Bengaluru.

SLAM Online Top 50 2013/14 - No. 34: Pau Gasol

I wrote this feature for SLAM Online, and it was originally published on their website on October 1, 2013 as part of the ongoing 2013/14 SLAM Online Top 50 series.

We, the people, tend to forget.

We tend to be prisoners of the moment, getting caught up completely in the here and now and completely lose sight of the past in favor of the present. And in the new age of instant gratification, everything from our Twitter timelines to the most recently updated unsolicited opinions from the comments’ sections reminds us that everything that happens in the present is far more valuable and important than whatever has happened in the recent past.

And the recent past hasn’t exactly been flattering to this member of the SLAM Top 50.

Our opinions of Pau Gasol—one of the greatest big men of the past 10 years—have been masked by his horrible and unfortunate ‘12-13 season. Paired next to Dwight Howard, Gasol finished the season with career lows in points (13.7 ppg), field-goal percentage (.466), and his Lakers’ career low in rebounds (8.6). Tendinitis in both knees, a concussion, and a tear to the plantar fascia of his right foot accumulated to hold the Spaniard to a career-low 49 games during the season.

Once considered among the best players in the League (Gasol peaked at 10th in the SLAM Top 50 back in 2010 and has never been out of the top 20, until now), Pau isn’t even the best ‘Gasol’ in the League any more. His younger, tougher, grizzlier brother Marc is currently the League’s darling and reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Pau, meanwhile, has diminished in the public’s eye, going from ‘Dominant Big Man’ to ‘Marc’s Older Brother’ in a matter of years.

But don’t let those years fool you into believing that the Older Gasol is going to fade away any time soon. Don’t let his ill-fated partnership with Howard last season mask the fact that Gasol is still perhaps the most technically gifted big man in the League, an efficient and effective offensive combination of footwork, finesse, upper body strength, soft hands, and the increasingly rare ability to dominate the post facing or backing away from the basket.

We, the people, have forgotten how Gasol’s arrival sparked the Lakers (who were stuck in mid-table purgatory before him) to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two Championships. We have forgotten that he was named an All Star—his fourth appearance—and to the All-NBA Second-Team just two years ago. We have let from our minds the image of Gasol dominating the American frontline in the 2012 Olympics to finish with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the gold medal game and bringing the Spanish squad as close as anyone has been in recent years to upsetting Team USA.

Now at 33, Gasol is surely far removed from his prime years, but the road ahead promises to be better than the forgettable season that he has just left behind. In losing Howard, the Lakers have been forced to ally their faith in Gasol, and in a season that offers mostly days of darkness for the Laker faithful, Gasol’s form could be a welcome ray of hope.

With Howard manning the middle, Gasol never full settled in the power forward position, as the perimeter-oriented Mike D’Antoni offense attempted (and failed) to turn him into a jump-shooter. When the two big men shared the floor, Gasol averaged .92 PPP (points per possession) on 46.1 percent shooting from the field. In his 707 minutes without Howard, however, those numbers improved to 1.07 PPP on 47.8 percent shooting. His rebounding rate spiked in Howard’s absence, too (via ESPNLosAngeles.com). As a center last season, Gasol posted an impressive PER of 22, in compared to a mere PER of 15.4 while playing power forward (via SportsMedia 101). His best years as a Laker have always come in the center position. In the regular absences of Andrew Bynum, the Lakers’ most successful offenses involved Gasol as center with Lamar Odom shifting to power forward. In the coming season, Gasol will share the space in the middle with Chris Kaman, a natural center but one who has the ability to stretch the floor and give Gasol his comfort space in the middle.

Last season was a tragicomedy of Hollywood proportions for the Lakers, and Gasol’s fortunes were synchronous with the fortunes of the team. He was cursed with injuries, was forced to play out of position in D’Antoni’s offense and failed to mesh with the new point guard, Steve Nash, on his squad. But if we are hell-bent on being true prisoners of the moment, even the failures of ’12-13 are the distant past.

We, the people, can start thinking about the present now. We can remember the last time we actually watched Gasol play: in the final month of the last season, Gasol posted averages of 17.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game, leading the Lakers to win seven of their last eight games and to a spot in the playoffs. Bryant’s end-of-season injury unceremoniously ended all chances of a Laker revival in the post-season, but Gasol had given a glimpse of his return to form.

And then there’s the near future. A future where Howard is gone from Laker-land, where Bryant’s timetable to return from the Achilles injury is unclear, where Nash is a few more months closer to touching 40, and where the other options include names like Kaman, Nick Young and Jordan Farmar. But Gasol—who chose to skip out on Spain’s bronze-medal performance at the EuroBasket championship—is expected to be at 100 percent health at the start of the Lakers’ training camp and is expected to keep the franchise afloat for the upcoming season.

Minutes after Howard announced that he would be taking his talents to Houston, Bryant posted a picture on Instagram that assured the world that he was still unaffected by our collective amnesia. It was a picture of him and Gasol together, with “#Vamos” as a rally cry for the road ahead.

And as we all look at the road ahead, we, the people, the fans, can expect to start remembering again. Remembering the joys of watching one of smoothest big men in the League at work. And remembering that the past can still be relevant in the future.

Follow more of SLAM's Top 50 rankings here.

India will be blessed with the presence of Sir Christopher Bosh next month

We're 2-2 into the 2013 NBA Finals, and within a week from now, Chris Bosh could become NBA Champion for the second consecutive time in his career. But even if he doesn't, the resume of the 'third' of Miami's Big Three will be looking pretty good this summer. A championship (or two?), three consecutive Finals' appearances, eight All-Star appearances, one Olympic gold medal, career averages of 16.1 points and 8 rebounds per game, and getting to play with some of the best players of our generation on the nightly basis. Plus he's perhaps the most GIF-able player of our time and an interstellar prince in a different multiverse.

And if you're a fan of any or all of the above, you'll be more than excited to hear that the NBA will be bringing Christopher Wesson Bosh to India for the first time in July. The league hasn't released any more specific details, but a press release today announced that Bosh will be in Mumbai a few weeks after the NBA Finals to conduct a series of events to grow the game of basketball and the league’s fanbase in India.

Drafted fourth by Toronto in the loaded 2003 draft (which also included Miami teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, as well as Carmelo Anthony), Bosh played for the Raptors for the first seven years of his career before moving to the Heat as a free agent to create the 'Big Three' in 2010. He has been the third wheel for the Heat ever since as they have made three consecutive visits to the NBA Finals.

Bosh's trip to India is the highest-profile NBA visit since the league sent Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol (separately) in India back in the summer of 2010. Gasol even showed up with the Larry O'Brien trophy after he helped the Lakers win the championship that summer.

Bosh’s activities in Mumbai will include (via SportsKeeda):

Elite Development Clinic: Bosh will conduct a clinic for the top basketball players in India, including members of India's National Basketball Team!

Magic Bus NBA Cares Event: Bosh will participate in an NBA Cares event and basketball clinic as part of our overarching NBA Cares partnership with Magic Bus, a local NGO. The partnership, announced during NBA Commissioner David Stern’s trip to Mumbai in April, uses sport to impact underserved youth across India.

Sony Television Shoot: Bosh will be integrated into various Sony SIX TV programs.

Social Media Promotion/Fan meet and greet: Bosh will interact with lucky fans who will win the opportunity to meet him through various digital and social media promotions. He will also help launch NBA India’s first-ever Instagram account with photos from his trip.

Attend local events and tour Mumbai: Bosh will attend high-profile local sports and cultural events and take a city tour which will be captured by SONY and NBA Entertainment.

We will surely get more information in a few weeks, including the exact dates of his visit and the places where he will visit in Mumbai. We are sure to hear from 'The Boshasaurus' himself of course, but will have to wait until he deals with some more pressing issues (like the San Antonio Spurs) confronting him at this point.

Until then, whet your Bosh-appetite (or Boshetite) with this:

All (of my) Stars

The All Star Game is a mostly a popularity contest, and the sooner we come to grips with that, the happier the rest of our existence will be. Fans are allowed to vote for their All Star starters because fans are given the freedom to pick and choose who they want to be seen. Unfortunately for the Basketball Gods, us fans don’t always want the right things. We want our favourites at the All Star Game, even if our favourites don’t deserve it as much as better (or healthier) alternatives.

So in annual All Star fashion, fans made some selections and people had a problem with some of those selections. This year’s list of ‘undeserving’ starters includes Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard, two immensely popular yet less productive big men. With the recent season-ending injury to Rajon Rondo, it’s also clear that some else from the East (probably young Kyrie Irving) will get the starting nod. The rest of the starters on both coasts (Wade, LeBron, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Kobe, Durant, and Blake Griffin) have justified their popularity with strong All Star caliber play on court.

Screw it! I find myself on the other side of the fence, the side which very strongly believes that fans should be given exactly what they want! The side that wants to see his favourite players on court and the players that he dislikes far away!
My side also happens to be the side that believes that a player’s ultimate value shouldn’t be judged based on the number of his All Star appearances (which are a popularity contest for starters and only a mid-season judge of talent for the reserves) but on the number of First, Second, or Third All NBA Teams that they get named to at the end of the season. Kobe’s popular because he’s been to the All Star Game 15 times; he’s great because he’s made the All NBA First Team 10 times.

With those long disclaimers out of the way, I get to the crux of my point. Here are the players whom I would like to see the starting fives for the East and West teams. I’m going to pick players for each conference on the basis that the NBA set for the All Star Voting: two backcourt and three frontcourt players per team. They don’t all deserve it and they won’t all make you happy. But for one reason or another, these happen to be my favourite players in the NBA. They’re my All Stars:

East

Backcourt

Derrick Rose: You read that right. Derrick Rose. The man who hasn’t played a single NBA game all season. Or played a single game of basketball since the end of April 2012. But Rose is my favourite player and it would be incredible to see him make a comeback with the All Star Game. Even after the devastating injury, I believe that Rose will have enough in his tank to remain one of the most exciting players in the league. Rumour is that he has begun taking full contact in practice with the Bulls, and should be ready to suit up for the Chicago Bulls soon after the All Star Weekend. I would just like to pre-pone his return a little.

Dwyane Wade: Wade has made a career out of proving his doubters wrong. Underrated in his own draft class, he became one of the biggest stars in the league and rode his way to a championship and Finals MVP in just his third season. He recovered from devastating injuries to come back and lead the league in scoring. He adjusted his game to fit in alongside LeBron James and pitched in just enough whenever needed to win another championship last season. And despite the naysayers, he continues to be one of the elite players in the conference. And despite the fact that LeBron mostly overshadows him now, Wade still has the ability to be the best player on the court on any given night.

Frontcourt

Carmelo Anthony: As a Knicks fan, I was always a little sceptical about how ‘Melo would fit in and how he could really elevate this team. This year, most of that scepticism has ended. Anthony has been playing like an MVP contender and the Knicks are one of the best teams in the league. His game does have a lot of faults, but I’m willing to overlook that: ‘Melo is one of the most dangerous scorers of all time, and this season, has become one of my favourite players.

Kevin Garnett: We will be seeing this forward pairing in the real All Star Game anyways, and it’s going to be extremely interesting especially considering the recent clash between Garnett and Anthony (#HoneyNutCheerios). From being a man-child in the mid-90s in Minnesota to graduating as a do-it-all MVP and then moving up as an elder statesmen, leader, and defensive monster in Boston, Garnett is a rare breed of stars in the NBA. He is already a champion and one of the greatest players in history. He is not having his best season so far, but with Rondo injured, expect him to fight till the very end for the Celtics.

Amar’e Stoudemire: Amar’e? – really? – Amar’e?? Yup. Forget the oversized contract, the injuries, the fact that he’s now a bench player, the lack of defensive ability, or the fire extinguisher incident. Amar’e is one of those players I like and I don’t expect anyone to understand why (Warning: I like a lot of players like that). When he’s on song, he’s a lot of fun to watch. And it was his arrival in New York back in 2010 that has made the Knicks’ turnaround possible. Amar’e was the first big name player to sign with the Knicks and bring hope back to the Garden. Anthony followed suit, and even though the two have struggles playing together, the Knicks would’ve been juggling for a lottery spot if he hadn’t signed with them three years ago. So thanks, Amar’e. Stay away from fire extinguishers though.

West

Backcourt

Jeremy Lin: To those who’ve been living under a rock, Mars or North Korea for the past year: last February, this Asian-American guy from Harvard who used to crash on his teammates’ couch and didn’t have a guaranteed NBA contract got propelled by injuries around to start for a team that played in the world’s biggest basketball market. He went – for the lack of a better phrase – absolutely apeshit. He broke scoring records, he was named the Player of the Week, he appeared on cover of magazines, he hit game-winners, he outperformed some of the game’s best, and he led his disappointing team to a lot of wins. Then, people figured out his weaknesses and shut him down, and then he got injured. Then, he left that city to go play in Houston for a lot of money. This season, he hasn’t been good in Houston, but he hasn’t been horrible either. But in my heart, Linsanity lives forever. So there.

Ricky Rubio: Need I really make a case here? Sure Rubio’s been recently and not lived up to expectations this season. But it’s still Rubio, one of the most exciting playmakers in the game and a devastatingly good defender when he’s on song on the other end of the floor. The Timberwolves and Rubio have been struggling recently, but I still want to see him start in my All Star team.

Frontcourt

Metta World Peace: If you’ve been following my blog or my Twitter feed for long enough, you perhaps already know of my unexplainable fascination with the man formerly known as Ron Artest. Metta has been one of my favourites for a decade. From the highs of a Defensive Player of the Year award and a crucial role in a Championship team to the lows of the Malice at the Palace and a dozen other half-crazy incidents through his career, I’ve had Artest’s, I mean, Metta’s back. What can I say: he’s hilarious. And he needs to be an All Star!

Kevin Durant: Leading scorer en route to a historically great shooting season top MVP candidate perhaps ready to become the best player in the NBA makes his three pointers look like layups can score 30 points with his eyes closed is the man everyone wants to take the last shot has the sweetest game in the league could be one of the greatest pure talents in the game for all time just 24 years old and is just too awesome for punctuation.

Pau Gasol: Metta’s Laker teammate has been going through a lot of ups and downs in recent years. His arrival to the Lakers in 2008 rejuvenated them and he helped guide the team to three Finals and two championships. But he has been struggling since mid-2011 and – outside of dominating performances for Spain – hasn’t been himself in the NBA. Still, I believe he’s one of the most purely gifted and intelligent big men in the league and a sentimental favourite.

There. Regardless of whether or not any other fans show up, now here is an All Star game I’d like to watch!