Hoopdarshan 108: NBA Academy India's Pritish Kokate + Finals talk

After years of perseverance, Pune-based Pritish Kokate found his dream come true in true 'filmi' fashion to become one of the recruits in the prestigious NBA Academy India. Kokate joins Hoopdarshan 108 to speak to Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about his hoops journey, the 'Coco On Air' podcast, and to discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's legacy after the amazing NBA Finals. 

 Also in Episode 108, Kaushik and Karan break down more of the NBA postseason, celebrate Milwaukee's long-overdue title, preview the Olympic Men's basketball tournament, and speak about Karan's trip to the holy grail of Butter Chicken, Aman Chicken in Ludhiana.

 

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!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Hoopdarshan Episode 105: Marc Pulles on NBA Academy India's brightest prospects

Over the past few years, the NBA Academy India has helped a number of bright Indian prospects take the next leap into placements abroad, include G-League's Princepal Singh, Amaan Sandhu, Riyanshu Negi, and more. Director of NBA India's Basketball Operations Marc Pulles joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok on Hoopdarshan to discuss his grassroots work in India, Princepal's improvements, and coaching Luka Doncic. 

Marc Pulles Llopis has been a basketball coach for over twenty years, including working with the youth basketball teams of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Andorra, in his homeland, Spain. He has served in NBA Operations in India for nearly five years, leading the growth of the NBA's Academy in Greater Noida, grassroots initiatives like the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, and more. 

Also in Episode 105, Kaushik and Karan discuss good news in Indian basketball, the 3BL league, and preview the second round of the NBA playoffs.

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!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

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!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Hoopdarshan Episode 87: Best of the 2010s with Gopalakrishnan R. and Akshay Manwani

Join Hoopdarshan in a double-sided bonanza episode, where hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok wave goodbye to the 2010s by discussing the best of the last ten years. In Part 1, we are joined by Indian basketball writer Gopalakrishnan R. to create India's Men and Women's All-Decade teams. In Part 2, we welcome NBA India expert Akshay Manwani to debate our All-Decade starting fives. It's peak Hoopdarshan, straddling a foot in each of our favourite hooping worlds.

Gopalakrishnan R. is the founder of the Indian basketball platform Ekalavyas which promotes and curates hoops content from around the country. Akshay Manwani is a writer, commentator, and broadcast guest for Sony/TEN's coverage of the NBA in 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!

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and more NBA legends land in Mumbai for first-ever NBA India Games

When I started this blog, almost exactly ten years ago, the mission was to capture the spirit and stories behind Indian basketball, the NBA, and any fringe ideas that somehow connected the NBA with India. There weren't many of the latter. I wrote back then about trips made by Kevin Garnett and Robert Parish to India, which flew so under the radar in the pre-social-media explosion that hardly anyone in the nation knew about it. I wrote about Dikembe Mutumbo showing up at the St. Dominic Savio High School in Mumbai with disbelieving excitement. I celebrated little-known clips, like the NDTV interviewing Shaq at the All Star Game about India, because there was so little other content to look for.

10 years later, with a slew of NBA activities in India including grassroots programmes, the elite Academy, India-specific programming, and superstar visits, we have come far away from those early days. This weekend, the NBA will host the first-ever NBA India Games at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai, two preseason matchups between the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings. It's the first time in history that entire NBA teams are in India, on our home soil, to play in an official NBA match - even though it's only an exhibition.

For years, I've kept a running list of every NBA player to ever have set foot in India, from Garnett in the mid-2000s to Kevin Durant a couple of years ago, and dozens upon dozens more in between. It was a growing list, but still manageable, as player visits happened a few times a year, and with some research, I had been able to keep track of every such event, organised by the NBA or otherwise.

Now, the cup runneth over. Landing in Mumbai this week, some of the players include: Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, TJ McConnell, Aaron Holiday, Naz Mitrou-Long, CJ Wilcox, Justin Holiday, TJ Leaf, Doug McDermott, Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, TJ Warren, Goga Bitazde (Pacers), Bogdan Bogdanovic, Yogi Ferrell, De'Aaron Fox, Kyle Guy, Buddy Hield, Cory Joseph, Trevor Ariza, Marvin Bagley III, Harrison Barnes, Nemanja Bjelica, Richuan Holmes, Isaiah Pineiro, Caleb Swanigon, Dwayne Dedmon (Kings) and many more. In addition, the coaching and executive staff of the two teams include more former NBAaers, such as Nate McMillan, Popeye Jones (Pacers), Vlade Divac, and Luke Walton (Kings). This is the second India trip for Barnes and Divac.

Additionally, NBA legends Detlef Schrempf (formerly Mavericks, Pacers, SuperSonics, Trail Blazers) and Jason Williams (formerly Kings, Grizzlies, Heat, Magic) are also in India as 'icons' of the Pacers and Kings respectively.

There will be many more NBAers setting food in India for this big game, and I'll make sure to keep track and update our (massive) list accordingly. For now, make sure to enjoy the game and follow my daily updates all week on NBA India's official website. Follow me on Twitter @hoopistani for real-time updates live from Mumbai from all the major events.

We've come so far for NBA and India - and hopefully, we have a lot further to go!

Rajesh Sethi named new Managing Director of NBA India

The National Basketball Association (NBA) on Wednesday, September 11 named Rajesh Sethi, an accomplished media and technology executive with more than 20 years of experience in leading and managing global brands, as Managing Director of NBA India. Sethi, who begins with the NBA on Sept. 12, will report to NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum.

Sethi succeeds Yannick Colaco as NBA India's MD, who stepped down from his position in March.

As MD, Sethi will oversee the league's basketball and business development initiatives in India and will be supported by the region's senior leadership team.

Most recently, Sethi was with the Essel Group, a leading business conglomerate in India, where he held various leadership roles with the group's entities, including SITI Networks, Zee Entertainment and Ten Sports. Since 2017, he has been the Chief Business Transformation Officer of SITI Networks, one of India's leading cable television systems operators, and he spearheaded the creation of multiple new offerings for SITI Networks' consumers. Prior to SITI Networks, Sethi was the CEO of Distribution and Sports Business at Zee Entertainment. Additionally, he was the CEO of Ten Sports, a subsidiary of Zee Entertainment, where he oversaw the global sports broadcasters' sports channels. Earlier in his career, Sethi was the CEO and Region Director for South East Asia of Allianz Global, a specialty insurance provider, and held executive roles with General Electric in India and Tata Motors.

"Rajesh's extensive experience in the media and broadcast industry combined with his leadership and management abilities make him the ideal person to lead our efforts in India," said Tatum. "We look forward to working with Rajesh to help take basketball and the NBA to new heights in India at a time when the game has never been more popular across the country."

Sethi joins NBA India at perhaps the most crucial time-frame in their short history. In less than a month, the league will host an NBA preseason game in Mumbai for the first time, landing the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers for two matchups in Mumbai on October 4-5. The game promises to bring unprecedented attention to basketball and the NBA's operations in India. With so much stake from the NBA's high demands of operations from abroad, Sethi and the rest of the organisation will have the responsibility of ensuring that the ball bounces the right way.

"I am thrilled to join the NBA at such an exciting time," said Sethi. "The league has done a wonderful job of growing its presence in India, and I look forward to working with all our partners and colleagues here as we explore new ways to increase basketball participation and engagement."

Hoopdarshan Episode 81: Harman Singha and the Street Ball League

In Episode 81 of Hoopdarshan, actor, producer and NBA anchor Harman Singha joins us to talk about his latest brainchild: Mumbai's 3x3 Street Ball League. In a conversation with co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok, Singha discusses the conception of the league with celebrity co-owners, playing 1v1 against his brother Rannvijay Singha, his background loving the NBA, and the best food to eat in Jalandhar.

Harman Singha is an Indian actor, writer, and producer, famous for the web series A.I.SHA and for NBA India coverage on Sony SIX. Harman is one of the co-founders of the Street Ball League in Mumbai, for which they've brought together several celebrities from the city to invest in teams in their league including Esha Gupta, Melvin Louis, Sara Khan, Gursimran Khamba, and more.



Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.

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

Hoopdarshan can be found on...

• - iTunes: Hoopdarshan 
• - Hoopdarshan on Soundcloud 
• - On Twitter: @Hoopdarshan 
• - Facebook.com/Hoopdarshan 

NBA announces marketing partnership with Indian multiplex chain INOX

For true fans, the most intense NBA games are more entertaining as any blockbuster or award-winning movie. There's drama, there's action, there's suspense, there are gasps, cheers, some comedy, some heroes, some villains, and a whole lotta fun.

So, it only makes sense that the NBA's next partnership in India is with a multiplex group, one that will bring the NBA brand close to where you watch your favourite movies.

On Friday, right in the midst of the NBA Finals, the league in India announced its marketing partnership with India's second-largest multiplex chain, INOX Leisure Ltd. (INOX), with plans to integrate the NBA into select cinemas across Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

As the NBA's Exclusive Multiplex Partner in India, INOX will introduce numerous NBA elements in and around its cinema houses, including co-branded inflatables and popcorn buckets, NBA posters and NBA jersey wall displays. INOX will host screening parties for select games throughout the NBA season, along with meet-and-greet sessions with former NBA players.

"With a clear focus on curating the best experience for our patrons, we have continuously been working on partnerships to help us elevate their cinema-going experience," said Alok Tandon, CEO of INOX Leisure Limited. "This partnership with the NBA adds a global touch to our brand offering and a new dimension to INOX, and we invite our patrons across the country to come forward and experience the NBA for themselves."

"We are thrilled to partner with a dynamic brand like INOX to further connect with our fans in India," said Diane Gotua, NBA Vice President of Global Business Operations. "This is an ideal way for us to generate awareness and engagement for the NBA at a large scale and reach new and existing fans alike across the country."

This is fantastic news: not only will it increase visibility of the NBA's brand and players across to a new urban movie-going audience in India, but it will also allow for the exciting possibility of live game showings on the big screen. Of course, the timing of live games will always remain an issue all those time zones away from North America, but the league has already introduced new schedules in the course of the last few seasons to better suit primetime viewing hours for Indian fans. Hopefully, by the time next year's Finals roll around, I'll get a chance to watch the top teams in a 'movie theatre' atmosphere.

NBA announces India's teams for 2019 Jr. NBA Global Championship

For the second consecutive year, two squads of talented junior players will represent India at the 2019 Jr. NBA World Championship, set to be held once again at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida from August 6-11, 2019. The 20-member contingent of Indian boys and girls will participate in this massive tournament against the top 13-14 year-old players from across the world.

The Jr. NBA Global Championship will feature boys and girls divisions, separated into USA and international brackets that begin with round-robin play and continue with single-elimination competition. The winners of the USA and international brackets will play in the global championship games on Aug. 11.

The 20 Indian players were chosen following a two-day selection camp at the NBA Academy India in Delhi NCR in late April, observed by Sacramento Kings player Harrison Barnes. The camp featured 40 participants in the 13-14 age group from the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Skills Challenges, City Competitions and National Finals.

Sachin Yadav and Moumita Mishra will both return for their second appearance in the annual youth basketball tournament.

In the inaugural event last year, India's boys lost in the first elimination round to eventual international winners, Africa and Middle East. India's girls lost in the same stage to China.

India's teams for 2019 Jr. NBA World Championship

Boys

• Sachin Yadav (Delhi)
• Dev Premi (Mumbai)
• Arnav Gupta (Bengaluru)
• Pranav Varma (Hyderabad)
• Karan Pashi (Kolkata)
• Janmejay Singh (Chandigarh)
• Md. Kaif (Varanasi)
• Harsh Dagar (Delhi NCR)
• Lokendra (Delhi NCR)
• Kushal Singh (Varanasi)

Girls

• Riccha Ravi (Mumbai)
• Moumita Mishra (Bengaluru)
• Jeevika Kumar (Chenna)
• Manmeet Kaur (Punjab)
• Irin Esla John (Kerala)
• Osheen Singh (Jabalpur)
• Bhumika Sarje (Pune)
• Dhara Phate (Nagpur)
• Shomira Bidaye (Nagpur)
• Muskan Singh (Patna)

Six prospects selected for NBA India Academy after the ACG-NBA Jump Finals

This season's ACG-NBA Jump programme brought together 49 of the brightest young prospects from around the country to a final showcase: a three-day camp at the NBA Academy India to determine the handful among them who could have their brightest dreams come true. And on Friday, May 3rd, in the presence of an NBA champion, six names were called out to join the existing class of talents at the Academy in Greater Noida.

Now in it's fourth year, the 2019 ACG-NBA Jump National Finals marked the culmination of a talent search that comprised of scouting across various district, state and national championships. An open submission through TV, Print and social media were offered allowing players to submit video entries showcasing their basketball skills, athletic ability and attitude. NBA Champion and Sacramento Kings' Harrison Barnes was present through the two-day camp and shared his personal drills and training techniques with all the finalists. He was also involved in the selection of the new prospects for The NBA Academy India.

The selected prospects are:

• Kushal Singh - Uttar Pradesh
• Janhejay Singh - Chandigarh
• Arvinder Singh - Punjab
• Hanos Singh Sindhu - Punjab
• Jitendra Kumar Sharma - Rajasthan
• Vikrant Ghanghas - Haryana

Karan Singh, Managing Director, ACG said, "It is encouraging to see how the athletes have grown into better players and are getting bigger international opportunities to play and represent. What is most exciting this year is the talent we are witnessing is getting better and we now have athletes from those cities and states which earlier did not have similar access."

Former NBA champ Harrison Barnes to visit India next week

Harrison Barnes probably didn't think that his summer would unfold this way. The former NBA champ (with the Golden State Warriors) started the 2018-19 season with the Dallas Mavericks, but was traded before the deadline in February to another rebuilding squad, the Sacramento Kings. And, less than two months into his stint with Sacramento, Barnes is not a representative for the Kings in the opposite end of the globe, carrying the team's flag to India in anticipation for the biggest offseason yet in Indian NBA history.

In October this year, the NBA will hold two preseason games in India - between the Kings and Indiana Pacers - for the first time in history. Barnes, a smooth-scoring forward and the newest member of the Kings, will be visiting India to promote the continuing growth of basketball in the country and the upcoming NBA India Games 2019 from April 28 - May 3, 2019, announced the NBA.

Barnes will first stop in Delhi NCR on April 28 to attend the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA National Finals at The NBA Academy India. He will then travel to Mumbai for live television appearances on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3's NBA wraparound shows on April 30, before returning to Delhi on May 3 to attend the National Finals of the fourth ACG-NBA Jump, India's national basketball talent search programme.

"This trip to India will be a great opportunity for me to get a sneak peek of the local culture before the upcoming preseason games in Mumbai this October," said Barnes. "I look forward to being a part of that historic event, and I'm excited to help support the NBA's various basketball development initiatives in India."

A 6-8 forward, Barnes was drafted into the NBA 7th overall in 2012 by the Golden State Warriors, where he grew into a solid foundation piece as the team - led by Stephen Curry, Klay Thomspson, and Draymond Green - developed into a championship contender. He was in the Warriors starting lineup as the team won the 2015 NBA title and remained an integral part of the team that won a record 73 games in the 2015-16 regular season, only to lose in the Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers. To make room for their historic acquisition of Kevin Durant in 2016, the Warriors let Barnes go to the Dallas Mavericks. He played two-and-a-half years in Dallas before being traded to Sacramento in exchange for Zach Randolph and Justin Jackson.

In 28 appearances with the Kings, Barnes averaged 14.3 points and 5.5 rpg. The 26-year-old will serve a veterans role for the Kings squad that will visit India, who are boosted by exciting young players like De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Bogdan Bogdanovich, and Marvin Bagley.

NBA India's Managing Director Yannick Colaco to step down from his position

For the past handful of years, the NBA's brand has grown in India exponentially and in a variety of players, like an uber-talented offensive player finding a myriad of ways to land the ball in the basket. The league has expanded its relationship with domestic partners, grown the grassroots programmes, reached out to more fans than ever through TV and social media, welcomed more NBA stars to our shores, and this year, announced the first ever NBA preseason game in India.

While the league's logo has been in the forefront of this growth, the man in the backgrounds helping to manage the league's India office was Yannick Colaco. Now, after six years as the Managing Director and Vice-President of NBA India, Colaco will step down from his position.

Colaco was hired for his current role in February 2013. NBA VP of global business operations Diane Gotua will relocate from New York to the NBA’s Mumbai office to lead the business in India on an interim basis and oversee the search for a new managing director.

"The NBA’s popularity and business in India have seen significant growth under Yannick’s leadership over the past six years," said Mark Tatum, the Deputy Commissioner of the NBA. "We thank Yannick for his contributions during his tenure as Managing Director and are grateful to have Diane assist with the transition."

"I am extremely thankful to have played a part in the growth of the NBA in India," Colaco said. "From broadening the distribution of our games to our plan to bring the live game experience to fans, the NBA’s business in India has never been better. It has been incredible living and breathing the NBA everyday over the past six years, and I look forward to applying my NBA experience as I move onto my next professional challenge."

Colaco spearheaded several programmes to help the NBA grow in India, including the formation of the NBA's partnership with Reliance Foundation for their grassroots basketball training programme, the launch of the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida, the increase in live NBA games on Indian TV (with introduction of Hindi commentary too), the growth of India's retail presence through NBAStore.in, partnering with fantasy sports website Dream11, and much more.

While his tenure will leave a positive legacy for the NBA in India, his departure does come at an inopportune time, with the NBA preparing for the first-ever NBA India Games featuring the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers this October. Hopefully, the transition to new leadership is smooth to oversee the Games and the NBA's next major steps in the Indian market.

NBA has launched a game-show in India called Jabong Hoop Wars. It's a thing.

Here are some facts:

- The NBA is expanding in India in a big way, with grassroots basketball training programmes, the elite-level Academy, visits from top players, and for the first time this year, an NBA preseason game in India.
- One of the NBA's avenues for reaching out to a larger, younger audience - an audience that aren't necessarily core-NBA fans to begin with - is employing social -media celebrities for events and ad campaigns. Hence, Rannvijay Singha and Bhuvan Bam at the All Star Weekend, or Rannvijay Singha and the rapper Divine on the 'This is why we play' ad campaign, or Rannvijay Singha in... Well, you get the point.
- The NBA has a partnership with merchandise seller Jabong for the NBA Store India.
- Now, Jabong and NBA India have a game show. It's called Jabong Hoop Wars.

The first two episodes of Jabong Hoop Wars are available to stream online. The show is hosted by Benasha Soonawalla. It features three contestants who take part in several rounds of loosely-NBA-related games. At some point, a special guest shows up to spice things up a bit, presumably.

Here, for example, is Episode 2:



Round 1 was a trivia round, where contestants were asked easy questions to begin with, such as what team plays home at the Madison Square Garden, and which player won an Oscar for the short "Dear Basketball" (The clues for the latter were: John Legend, Kobe Bryant, Morgan Freeman).

Priyank Sharma, who we are told is an actor/dancer, was the special guest. Round 2 was a basketball challenge of shooting free throws while running on a treadmill.

Round 3 was some form of dumb-charades on a trampoline.

This is the show. End of facts.

Indian prospects Harshwardhan Tomar and Grishma Niranjan to take part in Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at 2019 All Star Weekend

The biggest basketball stars in the world will be in Charlotte this weekend for the NBA All Star extravaganza. So will local, national, and international celebrities, bringing in their own star power. The global media will turn its lenses for this massive basketball festival.

But in midst of all the fun, there will also be a lot of serious sport, of course. And while most of the world keeps its eyes on the NBA stars, a new crew of young international prospects will be taking the courts in Charlotte, too, with the hope to announce their presence as basketball's next big things. The NBA and FIBA announced that the top 63 boys and girls from 31 countries and regions around the world will travel to Charlotte for the fifth annual Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp. The camp, which will feature several NBA players and coaches as mentors, will be held from February 15-17 at the Queens University of Charlotte Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation as part of NBA All-Star 2019.

And, as it has been the case for the past few years, a couple of rising hoop stars from India - Harshwardhan Tomar and Grishma Niranjan - will be representing our tricolour flag in Charlotte, hoping to make a big impression in front of scouts and coaches to further their own careers, and also return home with an experience of a lifetime.

Originally from Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district, the 6-7 forward Tomar (18) made waves several years ago when he was picked to play for Italy's Stellazzurra Academy. Since then, Tomar has represented India's national teams at the U18 and U16 FIBA Asia stage. Last year, he was among the 8 winners of the ACG-NBA Jump programme to win admission to the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida.

Niranjan (17), a point guard from Bengaluru, is the reigning MVP of the NBA Academy India's second women's camp, held in Greater Noida last month. She also represented India at the last FIBA Asia U16 Championship.

According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the BWB Global Camp has quickly ascended to the top of NBA executives' calendars as a must-scout event. "It's become somewhat of a "rite of passage" for internationals vying to join the NBA, something that is reflected in the number of players drafted since its inception in 2015," Givony wrote. Some of the big international names to watch will include Deni Avdija (Israel), Amar Sylla (Senegal), Killian Hayes (France), Khalifa Diop (Senegal), and Matej Rudan (Croatia).

2019 NBA All-Stars Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro), 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick and former BWB camper Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), and 2017-18 All-Rookie Second Team member Bogdan Bogdanović (Sacramento Kings; Serbia) will serve as coaches at the BWB Global Camp. They will be joined by NBA veteran Festus Ezeli (Nigeria), former NBA players Adonal Foyle (St. Vincent and the Grenadines) and Michael Ray Richardson (USA), Women's Basketball Hall of Fame member Jennifer Azzi (USA), former WNBA players Allison Feaster (USA), Ashley Battle (USA), Taj McWilliams-Franklin (USA), Astou N'Diaye (Senegal) and Andrea Stinson (USA), as well as select players participating in NBA All-Star 2019. Charlotte Hornets assistant coaches Dutch Gaitley (USA), Nate Mitchell (Canada) and Ronald Nored (USA), along with 76ers assistant coach John Bryant (USA) and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen (USA) will also serve as BWB Global coaches.

Photo: NBAE/Getty Images

Players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, 5-on-5 games, and daily life skills seminars focusing on health, leadership and communication. One boy and one girl will be named BWB Global Camp MVPs at the conclusion of the three-day camp.

The campers will attend the Rising Stars event, All-Star Saturday Night, and the 68th NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center.

The full list of BWB Global Camp 2019 participants is available here.

Last year's BWB Global Camp featured India's Pushpa Senthil Kumar, Princepal Singh and Sejin Mathew.

2018: The Year in Indian Basketball

India is complicated: that is not breaking news. There are goods and there are bads, there are opportunities and risks, there is optimism in the horizon and pessimism that lurks in the dark corners.

And basketball in India, of course, is a microcosm of the country itself: complicated, topsy-turvy, and often undefinable. Indian basketball in 2018 positive results, negative news, losses (lots of losses), and big wins that signalled bleak hope from the future from alternative sources. Here's a look back at the year's biggest highlights:

- University of Calicut completed an incredible three-peat at India's most prestigious national women's collegiate title - the 2018 All India Inter University Women's Basketball Championship for Women - in Chennai in the beginning of the year.

- A couple of rivalries - some old, some new - were reignited at the biggest stage in domestic Indian basketball during the finals of the 2018 Senior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai. The tournament, featuring the finest teams and players in the country, came to a conclusion with big victories for Indian Railways (Women) and hosts Tamil Nadu (Men), both of whom lifted championship trophies with victories over Chhattisgarh and Services respectively.

- The basketball tournament at the first-ever Khelo India School Games (KISG) in February was won by Kerala (Girls) and Punjab (Boys) at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

- Three Indian players - Sejin Mathew, Princepal Singh, and Pushpa Senthil Kumar - were among 43 prospects, ranging in age from 16-18, from 36 countries around the world for the Basketball Without Borders camp at the 2018 NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles, USA in mid February.

- And at the 18th Asian Games Invitational Tournament 5x5 Basketball Test Event in Jakarta in mid February, India's Senior Men's team lost in the gold medal game to hosts Indonesia.

- Indian basketball descended into turmoil in late February when an alleged "clerical error" by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) disqualified two of India's top players - Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh - from taking part in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Bengaluru, despite both players having returned to India from their pro leagues in the NBA G-League and NBL Australia respectively. Without those two and the injured guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, India lost both games to Jordan and Lebanon at home and fell to 0-4 in the qualifiers.

- Indian basketball stars Amjyot Singh and Jeena Scaria were honoured at the Times of India Sports Awards 2018.

- First-timers in the Asian circuit, Australia, routed hosts China in the final to win gold at the delayed FIBA U16 Asian Championship in Foshan in early April. India finished last among the 13 participating teams.

- Over the weekend on April 14-15, Australia's Women and Men both won their respective finals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Basketball tournament in impressive fashion at home. India returned from Australia losing all their games in both Men and Women's divisions.

- In early May, former Lakers center (now with the Bucks) Brook Lopez visited India to promote youth basketball development initiatives for the NBA.

- With Lopez in attendance, the youth teams from Bengaluru and Delhi won the girls and boys (respective) Jr. NBA National Finals in Greater Noida to qualify for the Jr. NBA World Championship later in the year.

- In a battle of 3x3 basketball rights, the Basketball Federation of India announced a controversial ban of 3x3 players hoping to participate in national 5x5 basketball events, and vice versa. This was done primarily to thwart the growing clout of the FIBA-approved 3BL basketball league announced earlier in the year.

- Out of a tryout of 50, eight players were chosen to join the existing contingent of the NBA India Academy in Greater Noida

- In the final of the 32nd Federation Cup National Basketball Tournament in Chittoor in early May, IOB (Chennai) exorcised years of demons against the dominant ONGC squad to win a memorable title, ending ONGC's five-year run at the top. In the women's final, Kerala's young squad added another feather to their cap, defeating neighbours Tamil Nadu in the final.

- Rajesh Patel, the most-decorated coach in Indian basketball, passed away in early May. I wrote an obituary on The Times of India Sports.

- In mid May, at the 69th Junior National Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Ludhiana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu (Women) and Kerala (Men) celebrated with the title, after impressive victories in their respective finales.

- NBA Academy India held a first-ever Women's camp in Greater Noida from May 27-29. Sanjana Ramesh of Bengaluru and Vaishnavi Yadav from Allahabad were named the camp's Co-MVPs.

- The 2018 Basketball Without Borders Asia Camp was held in India for just the second time from May 29-June 1. The fourth and final day of BWB Asia 2018 concluded in thrilling fashion as the 66 campers from 16 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific competed in championship games and a pair of All-Star games. India's Sanjana Ramesh shone among the continent's best and was named women's MVP.

- The BFI made controversy again by banning two of India's star players - Amjyot Singh and Palpreet Singh - from Indian basketball for a year citing "indisciplinary activities".

- Two more games. Two more losses. India's ill-fated road to the 2019 Basketball World Cup ended with road losses to Syria and Jordan. They finished 0-6 in the First Round.

- Khelo India announced in July that 40 young basketball players had been selected for talent development scholarship.

- New Zealand won 2018 William Jones Cup for Women in Chinese Taipei (July 25-29); India (0-5) finished last.

- The inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship was held in Florida, USA, from August 7-12. US Central won both boys and girls divisions. India's junior teams also took part.

- 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.

- The first Indian player to ever be drafted into the NBA, Satnam Singh made another first, joining the St. John's Edge of Canada's NBL this season.

- China swept across all categories of basketball at the 2018 Asian Games, winning gold in the Men's, Women's, 3x3 Men's, and 3x3 Women's events in Jakarta. India's women took part and returned winless.

- At the 35th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls, held in Udaipur, Rajasthan in the first week of October, Rajasthan (Boys) and Punjab (Girls) emerged as champions.

- Also in October, seven-time NBA champ Robert Horry made his second trip to India to celebrate start of new NBA season.

- India hosted the 2018 FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Women in Bengaluru from October 28 - November 3. 16 of the top teams in the Asia and Oceania took part, divided into higher (Division A) and lower (Division B) sections. China's U18 team raced to grab the the gold medals. And for the third time in various women's FIBA Asia events, India - starting in Division B - played a perfect tournament to win promotion to Division A.

- Uttar Pradesh (Boys) and Maharashtra (Girls) win 2018 Sub Junior Nationals in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) in mid November.

- Undisturbed by the drama back home, Indian star Amjyot Singh returned to OKC Blue of the NBA G-League for second season.

- Mr. UTEP 2-Step Tim Hardaway visited India to promote the growth of basketball and NBA India's recently announced McDonald’s NBA-themed promotion.

- Sanjana Ramesh (17), already enjoying a stellar year, made history by becoming only the second Indian to receive scholarship from NCAA Division 1 programme - Northern Arizona - which she will join in fall 2019.

- Zarkawt BCA won season 5 of Mizoram Super League in Aizawl, making it their second win in two editions of the tournament in the same year. Once again, Mizo basketball legend Lalrina Renthlei was named MVP.

- The year ended on a high: the NBA officially announced that India will host their first-ever preseason games, in Mumbai, in October 2019. The games will feature the Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings and are bound to become a flagship moment in the history of basketball/NBA in the country.

The NBA India Games will surely be the most anticipated event for the game in 2019, but there will be FIBA Asia events and more individual achievements for India to look forward to. Hopefully, there is less drama and more focus on the growth of the game to meet India's potential!

NBA officially announce first-ever preseason games in India: Indiana Pacers vs. Sacramento Kings in October 2019

It's time to finally write that new chapter in basketball history: after much anticipation over the years - including leaked rumours just a few months ago - the NBA has made it official: for the first time in history, India will host two NBA preseason games between the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings next year. This will also be the first time any North American league has staged games in India.

The two matchups of NBA India Games 2019 will be held on October 4-5 at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai. The announcement was made on Thursday by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum and NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco in Mumbai.

"Our inaugural NBA India Games will help further untap the enormous basketball potential in a country with a thriving sports culture and a growing, young and engaged population," said NBA's Commissioner Adam Silver. "We thank the Kings and Pacers organisations for participating in this historic event."

In addition to the games, the league and its partners will conduct interactive fan activities, Jr. NBA youth basketball programming and NBA Cares community outreach events that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mumbai. The NBA India Games 2019 will be promoted by BookMyShow and AEG and supported by a roster of marketing and merchandising partners. The games will air live in India, and will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital and social media.

"We are proud to be the first global sports league to bring games of this scale to India," said Colaco. "The NBA and basketball have never been more popular in India, and fans will get to enjoy world-class showcases for our sport between two exciting teams in the Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers."

The Kings are the first (and only) NBA team with an Indian-born owner, Vivek Ranadive. Ranadive will fulfil his long-running dream of bringing the Kings to India for an exhibition game, and particularly to his hometown of Mumbai. Under Ranadive, the Kings helped Canadian Sim Bhullar become the first player of Indian-origin to play in the NBA. The Kings have the longest current playoff drought in the NBA (12 years) but feature an exciting young team who are finally turning things around this season. Led by guard De'Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, Willie Cauley-Stein, and featuring this year's No. 2 draft pick Marvin Bagley, they have become one of the top scoring teams in the league and currently hold a 16-15 record.

The Pacers have a much sunnier present-day outlook, as they stand 20-12 and look healthy for a mid-tier playoff spot in the East. They are led by All Star Victor Oladipo, rising Lithuanian forward Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovich, and Myles Turner. They have one of the league's best defensive units, and in Oladipo, likely the biggest star at this showcase.

"The Sacramento Kings are proud to be playing in the first NBA games ever held in India," said Ranadive. "As an Indian-American, it is an honour to help bring this historic moment to the country where I was raised. The sport is experiencing tremendous growth in India and we are excited about continuing to expand the NBA’s reach to fans across the globe. The world wants to watch basketball and India is a fast-growing new frontier."

"We are thrilled to be one of the first two teams to play the first-ever game in India and proud to be part of the expanding NBA worldwide footprint of our game of basketball," said Herbert Simon, Pacers' owner.

Tickets to the games will go on sale at a later date. Fans can visit nbaevents.com/indiagames to register interest for information and tickets.

Since 2006, more than 35 current and former NBA and WNBA players have visited India on behalf of the NBA. The NBA office in Mumbai opened in 2011. The NBA Academy India, an elite basketball training center in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) for the top male and female prospects from throughout India and the first of its kind in the country, officially opened in May 2017.

8 winners of ACG-NBA Jump programme set to join NBA Academy India

Earlier this week, 50 of the best young basketball players from around the country were invited from a national talent-search programme - the ACG-NBA Jump - to take part in the ACG-NBA Jump National Finals at the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida. After two days of rigorous training, scouting, and tryouts, the NBA has chosen eight winners from around the country. These eight young players will join the ranks of other prospects at the NBA Academy India and be at the forefront to receive what the NBA has called a "holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development and life skills."

After the finals on May 3-4, the ACG-NBA Jump winners are:

• Harsh Dagar (13) - Haryana
• Lokendra Singh (13) - Rajasthan
• Pranav Prince (15) - Kerala
• Lalhnepuia Chhakchuak (16) - Mizoram
• Abhi Joshi (14) - Punjab
• Aryan Kumar (14) - Delhi
• Harshwardhan Tomar (17) - Madhya Pradesh
• Pritish Kokate (16) - Maharashtra

17-year-old Tomar is the most experienced member of this group, after having represented and captained India in FIBA U16 Asia Championship and previously played at Italy's Stellazura Academy. Pune's Kokate has also played at a high level in the past, including an U15 international camp in Qatar.

NBA center Brook Lopez of the Los Angeles Lakers was in attendance for the National Finals of the ACG-NBA Jump as well as the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA Finals at the Academy this week. Indian basketball star and recently a player for the NBA G-League's OKC Blue Amjyot Singh also attended the programme.

The NBA Academy India - an elite basketball training centre connected to similar NBA Academies around the world - opened at the Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in May 2017. Read more about how the Academy hopes to help realise India's basketball potential in my feature for SLAM Magazine.

50 basketball players from across India selected to participate in 3rd ACG-NBA Jump National Finals

The NBA has announced 50 elite youth talents from around India who will participate in the 3rd ACG-NBA Jump National Finals, which will be held at the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida on May 3-4. The ACG-NBA Jump has been NBA India's national talent search programme for India for the past few years. This year's top performers will be in contention to win a scholarship to join the NBA Academy India.

ACG, the first official partner of The NBA Academy India, will provide 50 players from around the country with the opportunity to be selected into the NBA’s elite basketball training centre at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). At the end of the two-day camp, the top prospects from the ACG-NBA Jump National Finals will be identified to receive scholarships and training at The NBA Academy India.

"The ACG-NBA Jump program is a great platform for players to develop and showcase their potential," said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. "Together with ACG, we look forward to welcoming the next class of elite prospects and providing them with world-class coaching and training to help them fulfil their potential both on and off the court."

"We are proud to become the first official partner of The NBA Academy India," said Karan Singh, ACG Director. "This new partnership builds upon the success of the ACG-NBA Jump program, which identified the first group of elite prospects to receive scholarship and training at The NBA Academy India."

The 2018 ACG-NBA Jump National Finals marks the culmination of a nationwide scouting programme which comprised of regional clinics and an open submission that allowed players to submit video entries showcasing their basketball skills, athletic ability and attitude.

In the 2016 ACG-NBA Jump program, 22 prospects were selected to receive scholarships and training at The NBA Academy India. Palpreet Singh, winner of the 2016 ACG-NBA Jump talent search program, was selected by the Long Island Nets in the 2016 NBA G League Draft. The NBA Academy India officially opened in May 2017 and builds on the NBA’s existing basketball and youth development initiatives in India.

Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA National Finals - featuring the country's top young players - to be held at NBA Academy India from April 29

In December, the new season of NBA's grassroots teaching initiative - the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme - was launched to engage over 45 lakh youth in 34 cities around India. Now, as the season of hoops reaches completion, the best of the best from around the country will gather together in Greater Noida to determine India's national champions - and qualify for a first-time opportunity to compete in the Jr. NBA World Championship!

The NBA announced that the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA National Finals will be held at the NBA Academy India in Greater Noida from April 29 - May 2. The competition will bring together eight boys and eight girls teams composed of the top 10 players from each Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA City Tournament in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kerala, Kolkata, Mumbai and Punjab.

The winning boys and girls teams will advance to the Jr. NBA World Championship from Aug. 7-12, 2018 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida.

The Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its kind global youth basketball tournament for elite 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls teams from around the world, will have boys and girls divisions, each comprised of 16 regional teams that will receive all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the inaugural event. The championship will include round-robin competition followed by single-elimination tournaments. The teams will be chosen from winners from eight newly-created USA regional tournaments (Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West) and international regions (Africa & Middle East, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe, India, Mexico and South America). Winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play in the World Championship game on Aug. 12.

"The Jr. NBA World Championship adds another significant layer to the NBA’s existing youth basketball programming and development efforts in India," said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. "The new global youth basketball tournament will provide Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA participants with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage and learn the core values of the game from their peers from around the world."

In addition to the on-court competition at the Jr. NBA World Championship, boys and girls from dozens of countries from around the world will participate in off-court activities – often alongside current and former NBA and WNBA players – including life skills education, physical and mental wellness programming and NBA Cares community service projects.

The Jr. NBA World Championship will align with the NBA and USA Basketball Youth Guidelines, which promote player health and wellness and age- and stage-appropriate rules and standards. All coaches participating in the Jr. NBA World Championship will also be required to be trained and licensed.

Fox has signed a three-year deal with the NBA to televise the Jr. NBA World Championship event.

NBA launches "Swag ka Khel" to reach Indian fans through multimedia and on-ground activities for the Playoffs

NHL great Wayne Gretzky had said once that, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take", but the true embodiment of "shooting your shot" was probably NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who made a career and won titles and awards out of shooting and missing and shooting again. The NBA's strategy in expanding in India seems like that Kobe ethos, too: there always seems to be another shot, another approach at developing the sport, another way to make basketball bigger than ever for Indian fans.

The latest shot by the NBA and their Indian broadcast partners Sony Pictures Network (SPN) is "Swag ka Khel" - the sport with swagger. For the NBA playoffs this season, the NBA and SPN launch a multimedia and on-ground campaign to reach more fans than ever in more Indian cities and to the regional language belts as well. The 360-degree marketing campaign rolled out across television, radio, outdoor, online and on-ground activation across 14 cities – Pune, Nagpur, Nasik, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Lucknow and Kanpur.

Swag ka Khel will include everything from Hindi in-game commentary during the playoffs and interactive zones around the various cities with interactive virtual reality games as well as contests designed to engage fans. According to BestMediaInfo, NBA legends, dance teams, mascots etc. will take part in the little basketball melas.

Yannick Colaco, the Managing Director of NBA India, said, "Our market-specific campaign is focused on creating awareness and relevance to our audience that enjoys NBA Games in Hindi. We have seen a significant rise in the viewership since the launch of the Hindi commentary, especially on prime-time Sundays. We will continue to cater to the demand for NBA, and engage with our audience across markets in India to grow the game of basketball."

Rajesh Kaul, the president of Distribution and Sports Business of SPN India said, "As the popularity of NBA increases steadily over the years, the time is right to increase the reach. From insights we have gleaned, we know that NBA is building significant traction in the Hindi-speaking markets. So far, we have telecast a total of 45 NBA matches with live Hindi in-game commentary. Our attempt to expand the viewership base through Hindi commentary has been extremely successful with over 13 million viewers and to fuel this further we are launching our new campaign titled Swag ka Khel."

Schedule for Swag ka Khel on-ground activities:

• April 14-15 - Pune - Phoenix Market City.
• April 21-22 - Ahmedabad - Alpha Mall.
• April 28-29 - Chandigarh - Elante Mall.
• May 5-6 - Faridabad - SRS Mall.
• May 12-13 - Gurgaon - MGF Mall.
• May 19-20 - Lucknow - Sahara Ganj Mall.
• May 26-27 - Kanpur - Z Square Mall.