Spain’s Real Madrid win record ninth Euroleague Basketball title

A year after their football team recorded the epic ‘decima’ – the 10th European championship – Real Madrid’s basketball team did the team and the city proud too, winning the 2015 Euroleague Basketball title at home in Madrid. With the final held against Greece’s finest Olympiacos on Sunday, May 17th, Real Madrid pulled away in the game’s last four minutes to clinch the victory, 78-59. It was Madrid’s ninth Euroleague title, the most of any team in the championship (just like their cousins out on the football pitch).

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2015 NBA Playoffs - Expert's Bracket Challenge - Conference Finals

Even as the weather gets hotter, this is the time of the year that I usually like to have some hair on my face.

Let me explain. Over the last few years, I've adopted the tradition of growing a playoff beard every time my favourite NBA team - the forever hexed New York Knicks - make the NBA Playoffs. I refuse to shave and let the beard grow for as long as the Knicks survive, which is usually not very long. Still, in about a month and a half, I can get halfway to looking like Nikola Mirotic. Since the Knicks are terrible and have only made the playoffs three times in the last decade, my opportunities to challenge Niko or James Harden in the only way I possibly can have been scarce. This year, as my Knicks finished bottom of the Eastern Conference, any hopes of voluminous facial hair growth were shaved away months ago.

Fortunately, there are other ways to unleash my inner child for the playoffs, and involve some of my more sensible friends, too.

Welcome to the 2015 NBA Playoffs Expert's Bracket Challenge. Before the playoffs, I joined ranks with fellow fans and experts of the NBA in India - Akshay Manwani (@AkshayManwani) and Kaushik Lakshman (@_kaushik7) - to turn this season's playoffs into our own mini competition, and in the process, give the fans of the game some hoops food for thought. Akshay suggested the idea and the rules before the playoffs begin, and after two rounds, we are still in fierce competition. Beard or no beard.

Here are the rules again: Each of us will get +2 for getting the series result correct. Additionally, if we get the scoreline right, we get a bonus of +1. You can find our First Round predictions here. Below, we move on to the tally on the scorecard and then make our predictions for the Second Round. Keep yourselves updated and feel free to give us your own predictions in the comments section at the end of this post.

After getting all his winners' predictions rights in the First Round, Akshay held a commanding lead over Kaushik and I. Matters got a little more interesting after our Second Round predictions: While all of us predicted that the Warriors would beat the Grizzlies, we shared the spoils with wrong calls on some of the other three series.

Scorecard

• Akshay Manwani: 26
  
• Kaushik Lakshman: 21
  
• Karan Madhok: 16
  

Akshay is still holding on to a healthy lead as Kaushik tries to catch up and I continue to get my butt kicked. How will the scorecard look after our Conference Finals predictions? Let's get right into it!

Eastern Conference Finals: Atlanta (1) vs. Cleveland (2)

Akshay’s pick: The Hawks managed to finally put it past a tenacious Washington team. That series may have had a different result had John Wall played all six games for the Wizards. Even so, it’s a terrific result for an Atlanta franchise that is the only team left in the postseason now without a true superstar talent. All the three other teams have at least two other marquee names.

But this is where Atlanta’s lack of superstar talent should catch up with them. LeBron James has already shown that even the absence of Kevin Love, a half-fit Kyrie Irving and a suspended J.R. Smith didn’t matter in their series against the Bulls. James played big for the Cavs in that series and when he gets going, there is hardly a player in this league that can stop him. If Irving is in a better place in terms of his health than against Chicago and the likes of Matthew Dellavedova, Smith, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson can give James good support, it won’t matter that the Hawks won the regular season series 3-1. Cavaliers win 4-2.

Karan's pick: Despite losing Kevin Love at the end of the first round and having their other stars hobbled in the Second, the Cavaliers have marched in the Conference Finals, mostly riding the back of their star player LeBron James, who also backs up as the single-most determining factor in bringing some post-season cojones to the Cavaliers. Without him, the Cavs would be inexperienced and motorless. But with him, they have one of the league’s best players and most experienced winners who has been to the NBA Finals four years in a row. This stuff matters.

The Hawks are a better defensive team, are better coached, and are in much-better sync with each other. And yet, they lost their regular season momentum by the time April rolled around and struggled to defeat Brooklyn and Washington in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Hawks haven’t been offensively elite for the last two months, while the Cavs – with or without Love – have continued to march on. Atlanta’s 3-1 regular season advantage over the Cavaliers isn’t going to matter much now. Cleveland’s offensive consistency and the gift of LeBron James will take them through to the NBA Finals. Cavaliers win 4-2

Kaushik's pick: The Cavaliers hobbled but found a way past the uninspiring and inconsistent Bulls. The main reason for that of course is LeBron James (said to the tune of that kid from the viral vine) and for as long as anyone has this guy on their team, odds have to be in the said team’s favour. Kyrie is injured, Love is out, and we don’t know whether the suddenly consistent threat of Shumpert, Dellavedova, JR Smith etc will continue. At the same time, the Hawks still seem off from their dominant midseason selves.

On paper though, Hawks seem like a great team to beat the Cavs. They have the shooting, they have the ball movement, and they have the defensive capability to limit the very predictable LeBron-centric Cavs offense. But they’re not playing to that potential and that’s why I am picking the Cavaliers to go through. Even though all the teams remaining are not very ‘playoff experienced’ I think LeBron does and he will give the entire team that edge. Apart from that, the series will be won on small things like Tristan Thompson’s rebounding advantage and that’s why I will put my money on Cleveland. Cavaliers win 4-2.

Eastern Conference Finals: Golden State (1) vs. Houston (2)

Akshay’s pick: The Rockets made an epic comeback after an epic meltdown against the Los Angeles Clippers. What that result against the Clippers must have done for the Rockets is that they would now back themselves against any opponent irrespective of the odds.

But the Rockets are also 0-4 against Golden State from the regular season. Yes, a couple of those games were played before Josh Smith, Corey Brewer and Pablo Prigioni came to Houston, but then the Rockets had Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas playing for them at that time. Not only does Golden State have the offensive weapons to score, but they play at a great pace and have a terrific defense. I would also expect Andre Iguodala being called upon to play significant minutes against James Harden. Marreese Speights situation is not yet known, but even without him, the Warriors have a deep bench. In a battle between the league’s MVP and the runner-up in the MVP race, I expect Stephen Curry and his Warriors to come up trumps. Warriors win 4-2.

Karan's pick: In my Conference Finals preview for SporstKeeda yesterday, I ranked each NBA team in the playoffs in a ‘trump card’-like fashion in their attributes against each other, based on advanced stats and some of my own analysis. The Warriors ended up being ranked top four in six of my seven categories in the playoffs: defense, offense, star player (MVP Stephen Curry), team chemistry, coach, and depth! The only problem is that there are very few players experienced with post-season success in the team. The ability to stay measured in grueling playoff situations is a major attribute in the NBA.

The Houston Rockets, surprisingly, have that ability. Harden and Howard, their two stars, have both been to the NBA Finals. Jason Terry, Corey Brewer, and Trevor Ariza have each won a championship, and Coach McHale has won many. Houston showed great heart in their comeback win over the Clippers. But against the uber-talented, heart is all they can have. Warriors are better in every department, and unlike the Grizzlies in Round 2, they will have an opponent in the Conference Finals who will allow them to play their preferred style. Warriors win 4-1.

Kaushik's pick: Old School NBA fans won’t like this series. It will be low on defense and high on pace, three-pointers, and just many things unfamiliar to the playoff basketball universe. The Warriors were shocked a little by Memphis’ grit and grind style, but they showed great character in coming back and proving to everyone what made them such a good team in the regular season. Houston shocked everybody by coming back from 3-1 down in the series and are extremely high on confidence. They have really progressed as a team from the start of the series. They have purposeful ball movement, high performing role players and are riding on their stars being stars in Howard and Harden.

The Rockets will wish they had Beverley fit to harass Curry, but they will be giving up big time in the back-court but it is almost the opposite in the front court. They haven’t faced an intriguing playmaking-finishing combo like Smith & Howard. To add to that there will also be an amazing Curry – Harden MVP race narrative. However, I think Golden State is playing with the swagger of a champion team and are in an over simplified way, a better, more consistent version of what the Houston Rockets aspire to be. Warriors win 4-1.

Top Trumps: Who has the ultimate powers to win the NBA Conference Finals?

Do you remember playing with trump cards? It wasn’t always about who is stronger, it was about who is able to harness the right power (or attribute) at the right time against the right opponent.

Think of NBA teams as trump cards, too. Each team has a different attribute (offense, defence, coaching, star player, team chemistry, bench, etc.) and through a seven-game playoff series, almost each of those attributes gets called upon. An underdog may be able to pull off an upset once in a while; but to beat a better team four times, each team (or trump card) would truly need to have several better attributes than its opponents, or be able to evoke its minimal advantage multiple times.

Now, I’m going to pull out my NBA Team Trump Cards and start predicting. The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are here: who has the right attributes to beat their opponents four out of seven times? Let’s judge each team based on their ‘trumpable’ ranks, shall we? Rankings below are made of advanced stats from the post-season (out of 16) and a little bit of my own opinions.

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Hoopdarshan Episode 5: Francisco Garcia, India Women's basketball, and the BFI mess

Before he leaves India after serving two years as the head coach of India's National Women's team, the Spaniard Francisco Garcia joins Hoopdarshan hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok for an entertaining conversation in Episode 5. Garcia discusses a variety of topics, including leading India to our best-ever FIBA Asia Championship performance, the attitudes of Indian women in the sport, his fractured relationship with the Basketball Federation of India, and the Spanish flamenco dance in 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'.

Garcia was hired by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to be the Women's national team's head coach in June 2013 and 20 years of coaching experience in the past in Spain, Denmark, and Finland. enjoyed a relatively successful two year stretch, famously helping India finish at a best-ever fifth-place at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship and helping a younger side to a bronze medal at the 2014 Lusofonia Games. Later in 2014, Garcia also coached the team to a 6th place finish at the Asian Games in Incheon. He has been active in taking his knowledge to the grassroots level, coaching players and other coaches at various events around the country over the last few years. His contract was not extended by the BFI and he will be leaving India by the end of May 2015.



Hoopdarshan aims to be the true 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
  

Hoop Dreams: 2 Indian-origin players in Australia discuss the struggles and sacrifices of the basketball life

For many casual fans of the game, the dream of playing elite basketball starts and ends with the NBA. Fortunately, for the vast majority of serious basketball players around the world, there is no shortage of opportunities in various other professional and semi-professional leagues of varying levels. Just like the top players in the world striving to make it in the NBA, there are players around the world toiling day and night to succeed on the basketball court - their stories are just not told as often.

A few weeks ago, I was approached by two basketball players of Indian-origin in Australia - Pratik Keskar and Mahesh Padmanabhan - who gave me an opportunity to tell you two such stories. Keskar and Pandmanabhan are both pursuing their hoop dreams and have had to make sacrifices in their personal and professional lives to balance basketball and the world outside it. Since they are not Indian citizens, neither player can yet fulfill their dreams of representing India at the international level (India, unlike other FIBA nations, doesn't allow naturalization of foreign citizens). They are both hoping that - if India ever gets their own professional basketball league - they can fight for an opportunity to be a part of it.

Keskar (24) was born in Hyderabad in India (his parents are from Pune), but grew up between New Zealand and Australia. He's a 5-foot-10 combo guard who has played basketball for the Auckland U17s and U19s and for the Shelton Blazers in Auckland. He is currently playing in the UBL for Norwest Giants (semi pro) and working towards playing in professional leagues. He has also worked in the IT industry for the past three years.

Padmanabhan (27) was born and bred in Sydney, Australia, to parents from Chennai. He's a 6-foot-1 combo guard who has played in NSW Waratah League (semi-pro league), the Hornsby Spiders in 2010 and the Norths Bears in 2013-2014. He is currently working as a physiotherapist.

I sent questions to both players, and their answers shed some light on the lifestyle, challenges, and ambitions of them and others in their shoes.

How difficult is the basketball journey? Talk about how much work you guys have to put in just to play at the level you do, the pitfalls, the sacrifices, and the problems you've faced, both personal and professional.

Keskar: The basketball journey for me has been quite hard. I have been playing basketball for about 14 years now - starting when I was ten years old in New Zealand and now in Australia. I feel that I have always had the talent to take it to the next level, but coming from a Indian background education always came first. So after high school I had to focus on my professional career in IT rather then basketball (although I was still playing). Once university started it became very tough to play basketball at a higher level, not only mentally but physically as well. I feel like my actual journey is really starting this year since I have taken a year off to dedicate and focus solely on basketball. It was a very tough decision to give up a successful working career in a great position with a great company. I felt like this was the right age where I could make this move, because the likelihood of getting the chance to play professionally falls the older you get. The sacrifices I’m making this year also includes a big financial sacrifice (living on my own paying rent, bills and less social activities). There are also problems that occur, often in the form of injuries - I have already had a major ankle sprain, which made me lose about 6-8 weeks of training and playing as well as some shoulder instability in my left shoulder. But I am continuing to work towards and focus on the goal to play professionally.

Padmanabhan: The basketball journey is tough, but doing anything at the highest level where you aim for perfection is tough. I don’t wish it was easier, I love the challenge. That being said, coming from a cultural background where education is such a big priority, I have had to study full time, work part time and train and play basketball all simultaneously; and now I am working full time and playing and training for basketball at the same time, but that’s part of it. I understand that hard work and having an unbreakable work ethic is the most important thing, controlling things that I can, to put myself in a situation where if an opportunity arises I’ll be ready to take it with two hands.

What do you hope to make out of your hoop dreams? Where do you ideally want to see yourself?

Keskar: I see myself playing basketball in a pro league. Right now I’m aiming to make it in any professional leagues around the world. If a pro league was to start in India I would definitely be eager to play in my home country, if given the opportunity. But even if I don’t make the pro leagues, I still definitely want to be involved with the sport within the basketball world. I would want to continue contributing to the sport, especially through development programs for the youth. I do personal one-on-one coaching in Sydney for a few players and I thoroughly enjoy helping others work on their game and improving them as players. There is a huge interest in the sport in India and basketball has the potential to become India’s national sport, right up there with cricket and hockey. I want to be a part of that.

Padmanabhan: I want to play professional basketball at the highest possible level I can, that is my goal, as broad as it is. I see myself doing that, I constantly picture it. I think India would be an incredible place for that to happen if a professional league began.

Do you follow basketball in India? What is your impression of the sport there?

Keskar: Yes, of course I follow basketball in India. I have been following it for about three years now. There was a stage when I was keen to play for the Indian national team so I got in touch with Scott Flemming about trying out. But the rules to play for India are such that you need to be an Indian citizen. Unfortunately it does not allow for OCI players, which is what I am. My impression is that the rate at which basketball is progressing in India is phenomenal. There is definitely a huge market for the sport. If a pro league started in India, I can see it flourishing, very much like the soccer league In india which was established in 2013-2014.

Padmanabhan: I do keep an eye on basketball events in India like national basketball games and big university/college meets. I actually played in a tournament in Malaysia where I played against the Karnataka state team and that really opened up eyes to the potential of the sport of basketball in India. I think the sport has such big potential in a country like India where people are so passionate about their sports. I think the sport is growing and I understand there are strong links with the NBA to make that happen. I think a professional league in India would be an amazing step forward and I really hope that happens, not just for an opportunity for me, but for so many other passionate Indian basketballers.

How would you like to contribute to Indian basketball?

Keskar: I want to take my passion and love for basketball and apply it in India. I would be keen to play for India if I am given the opportunity. I have always dreamt of representing India as a basketball player so if the rules on playing for the national team were to change then I would love to represent India as a basketball player. Otherwise, I’m hoping to represent my home state of Maharashtra if a pro league started in India. I am also particularly keen to contribute to the development of basketball in India - whether it is through coaching, assistant coaching, or organizing youth development camps. There is a lot of youth enthusiasm for basketball and a strong potential for it to become a booming league/industry in India, akin to hockey and soccer, maybe even cricket. This is what I want to contribute to and be a part of.

Padmanabhan: First and foremost, I would love to play professionally in India if the opportunity arose. With being a professional athlete, obviously there are responsibilities as a role model and to the community in general, all of which I would love to take on. I would also love to represent India as a basketball player. I am not sure of the rules and regulations around people of Indian decent playing for the national team, but that is something I would love to do. In addition, I would love to be involved in the growth and development of the sport. Having played semi-professional basketball in Australia, a strong basketball country and having coached also, I think I can bring a lot in terms of knowing the sport and developing it at grass roots levels and beyond to university and professional levels. I just see a potential for a huge boom in the sport (that has already begun) from the other side of the world, and am itching to be involved.

Documentary on Indian basketball star Prashanti Singh shortlisted for National student film award

Prashanti Singh - the former captain of India's Senior Women's team and one of the four 'Singh Sisters' to have taken women's hoops in India by storm over the past decade - was the subject of the recent documentary 'BA3 - Bosky, Basketball, Banaras' by Akshay Luthra of the Asian School of Media Studies. It was recently announced that the documentary has been shortlisted by the National Students' Film Awards (NSFA).

The documentary, which is just under 25 minutes long, charts the story of Singh - known popularly as 'Bosky' among friends and fans - as she picked up the game of basketball in her hometown of Varanasi (or Banaras) and rode passion all the way to India's national team, leading as captain and delivering India to some of their biggest recent victories. The journey also touches on Singh's struggles to be taken seriously as an Indian women choosing sport against tradition and her rebound after being shockingly dropped by the national team selectors.

Until recently, the documentary was available to be watched freely on YouTube, but the uploaders have since removed it.

Singh's origin story is like that of many others of India's elite women athletes that come from small towns and lower income households. In her case, the story sees her climbing all the way to the top of the totem pole and become one of India's best players. Among other highlights, the documentary focuses on how Singh fought against society as a woman in Varanasi to become an elite basketball player. Her sisters - Pratima, Akanksha, and Divya, all of whom played national or international level basketball for India, too - are featured too: they discuss their family background and how a supportive mother helped them achieve their dreams.

Several of Prashanti Singh's coaches - past and present - also speak in the documentary about the shooting guard's tireless work ethic and will to become the best.

"Basketball is my life, it means everything to me," Singh says of the game that made her, and she also discusses the heavy weight of leadership when she served as India's captain. There is some in-depth discussion of her greatest performances, including the time she led India to a huge upset victory over Korea at the William Jones Cup in 2011.

In 2012, Singh was the center of some controversy when she was surprisingly cut from the national side. The documentary digs out the reason behind this controversial decision and Singh's own reaction to it. She talks about her thoughts of quitting the game, and how her passion for the same game kept her fighting for a rebound opportunity back to the national squad.

The documentary provides many moments of unintentional comedy, all coming from the voice-over narrator and his quirky choice of words. Nevertheless, it can prove inspirational as Singh looks to be a role model to future Indian players. This NSFA nomination will help shine the light further on the player and on Indian basketball as a whole.

Basketball Federation in a 'freeze'; India can't participate in U16 FIBA Asia qualifiers

Whenever there is a major Asian tournament, India's Men's teams of all age levels (senior, U18, U16) have to complete the formality of qualifying for that tournament, which we do by winning the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) qualifiers against our neighbours. Facing off teams from weaker federations in South Asia like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives, there is rarely ever a threat posed to the Indian side. With the 4th U16 FIBA Asia Championship for Men looming later this year, the top youth players from SABA nations will once again head to Bangladesh for the qualifying round of that tournament. This year, however, India - who were the U16 SABA champs two years ago - face a more dangerous threat than any basketball team before.

Themselves.

Due to a power struggle that has made politics a priority over basketball for the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), India will not be able to participate in the upcoming U16 SABA Qualifiers for the 4th FIBA Asia U16 Championship. The qualifiers are set to be held in Dhaka (Bangladesh) on May 19-20 while the U16 FIBA ABC is scheduled from October 29 - November 7 in Semarang, Indonesia. Until this year, India had always won the SABA qualifiers gold for this tournament and, in the last three iterations of the U16 FIBA ABC, finished 10th, 10th, and 11th respectively. This will be the first time that an Indian U16 team will not play in the qualifiers or the actual championship.

This information was confirmed yesterday to me by a FIBA Asia source, "As things stands, BFI is under a 'freeze'. Therefore India cannot participate in the U16 qualifiers."

India's internal struggles had already dented their ambitions in another way for the U16 FIBA ABC earlier. Until recently, the tournament was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from July 2-12, giving India a rare chance to play host to a major FIBA Asia championship. Unfortunately, the instability at the top of the BFI caused FIBA to change the host country (Indonesia) and the tournament dates (now to late-October).

The BFI currently has two opposing executive committees and are headed to conflict. In late March, two different meetings were held on different dates in different cities to select the leadership body of the BFI. One group chose Karnataka's K Govindraj as BFI president, the other picked Maharashtra's Poonam Mahajan. The first side controls the finances, the second has capture over the BFI head office in New Delhi. Without a clear fix to the situation, only a lengthy court battle (not the basketball court, although that would've been fun) can provide some clarity to this fight. Until a winner is chosen, the federation has been considered 'frozen' in the eyes of FIBA and can't participate in or hold sanctioned FIBA events. FIBA's official website has removed the names of India's federation office bearers.

What is perplexing, however, is that despite being disqualified from participating in the SABA qualifiers in Dhaka later this month, the BFI is still holding an U16 selection camp for players in Pune (in a decision made by the committee led by Mahajan and Roopam Sharma). The participating players and coaches are being left in delusion about their future with Team India.

It is the players, eventually, who are the biggest sufferers of all this drama. Until the BFI figures out its issues, basketball players in India will continue to miss their opportunity to showcase their skills against Asia's best and earn the experience needed to blossom their skills further. While the administrators on top play their power games, the real players are being robbed of their opportunities.

This is not the first bit of trouble caused by the BFI political fight and it certainly won't be the last. Earlier this month, all of India's foreign coaches - Men's Head Coach Scott Flemming, Women's Head Coach Francisco Garcia, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Tommy Heffelfinger - either resigned or were not given contract extensions, and all will be leaving India soon. Our national team has already fallen at the first hurdle of the U16 FIBA ABC; if the BFI doesn't arrive to a solution soon, India may miss out on the U16 FIBA Women's ABC and the two biggest senior Asian tournaments later this year: the FIBA Asia Championship for Men and Women.