Indian hoop dreaming-From makeshift school courts to a Jr. NBA World Championship

This article was first published in my 'Hoopistani' column for The Times of India Sports on December 23, 2017. Click here to read the original version.


I was ten or eleven years old when I first began to play basketball. There was only a small concrete ground available in those days for junior-school kids in my boarding school in Mussoorie. There were no clear demarcation lines, and the estimated length from basket to basket was about two-thirds the size of a regulation court. On one side was a regulation-height rim on a pole with a wooden backboard. On the other side, instead of a pole, there was an old deodar tree, where someone had nailed a backboard against the trunk. We were sure that this rim was a lower than ten feet.

So many of my earliest memories of the game are tied to this makeshift “court”. The high Himalayan altitude, the cold winter air, and sometimes, even homework couldn’t hold us back. My friends and I took part in intense half-court and full-court games, intra-dorm tournaments, and other challenges like “Knockout” or “Air-21”.

Often, a dozen of us would just stand around the basket after dinner for random shootarounds where the rules were simple: you only get the ball if you can rebound it over everyone else, and you can keep the ball as long as you keep scoring. The hunger to have possession of the ball gave me a keen sense of rebounding and forced me to work on my mid-range game. We had to be careful not to throw or pass the ball too hard: on one end, we had offices and dorm-rooms; on the other, there was only a twenty-feet tall fence that separated us from the khud of jungle in the mountain-drop. If the ball bounced down the mountain, well, sorry brother, day or night, you have to go get it.

I fell in the love with basketball, of course, and as time passed, I played on better courts at a higher level, and I stayed addicted to the game as a grew older. I had dreams of greater hoops glory, of course: dreams of playing for my school, or for the Indian national team, or counting down “3…2…1…” and hitting the buzzer-beating game-winner in the NBA Finals.

But I realised very early that these fantasies would remain fantastical. I knew that, despite the opportunities I got, it was already too little, too late.

Fortunately, a new generation of young Indian players can bring their fantasies closer to reality than my peers and I ever could. For this new generation of young hoop dreamers, the NBA is coming closer to India.

Partnering with the Reliance Foundation, the NBA made their most serious advance into grassroots basketball development in India in 2013, launching the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme, with plans to instruct over 100,000 school-kids. Fast-forward four years, and the 2017-18 season of the programme is aiming to engage more than 45 lakh youth from 34 cities nationwide. NBA-affiliated coaches are helping shape physical education curricula in schools and training coaches how to coach the right way. A new generation of kids, who would worry about the ball bouncing down the khud, could now have more opportunities to leap forward in the game than ever before.

In 2018, the best of these young talents will go international. Earlier this week, the NBA announced the inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its-kind competition that will feature the top boys and girls teams ages 14-and-under from the United States and around the world.

The championship will tip off in spring 2018 around the world, featuring boys and girls divisions, each comprising 16 regional champions (eight US and eight international teams). The winning boys and girls teams from eight newly-created USA regional tournaments (Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West), plus teams representing eight international regions (Africa & Middle East, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe, India, Mexico and South America), will compete in the culminating event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Osceola County, Florida, from August 7-12, 2018.

India will send two teams to the competition: one boys’, one girls’. The top performers in the 5-on-5 competitions from the Reliance Foundation Jr NBA Program will make for a city All-Star Team. One boys’ and one girls’ team from each of the eight participating cities will be selected to compete in a National Final. The winners of the National Final will then represent India at the Jr NBA World Championship.

The NBA has appointed Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dwyane Wade and Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker as the lead global ambassadors for the World Championship. The championship could be basketball’s answer to the baseball’s popular international “Little League”.

This is fantastic news not just for young Indian players, but for youth basketball around the world. True, it is only a miniscule fraction of players that will actually get to play in the final event, but the dream of playing in a major junior international tournament should trickle down and inspire young players around the country.

Whether you’re a kid like I was--shooting baskets at a tree-trunk—or an elite young athlete suiting up for India’s youth teams, this is an exciting new development. The opportunity to compete for the best junior teams in India should propel the competitive spirit of more young players, and reward the best ones with an opportunity to showcase their skills at a global stage.

Minnesota Lynx win 2013 WNBA Championship with a sweep over Atlanta

After a season that featured a lot of fresh faces and changes around the league, the Finals of the WNBA came down to a rematch from two years ago – between the Minnesota Lynx and the Atlanta Dream – but the result was very much the same: a 3-0 sweep for the Lynx, who captured their second WNBA Championship in three years after a third consecutive Finals appearance.

Two years ago, the star act of the show was Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus; this time around, Augustus took a backseat to 2011 Rookie of the Year and one of the most dangerous women in basketball – Maya Moore – who led Minnesota to victory with a Finals MVP performance. Minnesota had finished with the best record during the regular season for the third consecutive year – ever since Moore joined the league – and became just the second team in WNBA’s 17-year history to go undefeated in the playoffs (after the 2010 Seattle Storm).

Minnesota closed out the final game of the season by winning game three of the Finals against Atlanta 86-77 on October 10th, led by 23 points by Moore. The victory was sweet redemption after the Lynx had lost in last year’s Finals to the Indian Fever.

The 2013 WNBA season began in late May with optimism of the arrival of Brittney Griner, who was drafted by the Phoenix Mercury and touted as a game-changer for Womens’ basketball. Although she had a decent season, Griner struggled with injuries a little. The Mercury were good enough to get the third spot in the West behind the talents of Diana Taurasi and Griner. They were defeated by the Lynx in the Western Conference semi-finals.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Dream defeated last year’s champions Indiana Fever 2-0.

Los Angeles Sparks’ Candace Parker was named regular season MVP while Elena Delle Donne of the Chicago Sky won the rookie of the year award.

At the end of the year though, the story was all about Moore and the Lynx, who extended their dominance at the top of the WNBA and stamped their stake as the best women’s club team of this era.

USA rules Olympic Basketball roost again

The Men's and Women's Basketball team from the USA ruled the Olympics roast again, both leaving London with gold medals around their necks. While the Men's squad sweated it out in a classic final against Spain, the Women strolled to their fifth straight gold with a blowout win over France. Here is a recap of the memorable Olympics Basketball Tournament.

Click here to read full article

Before Geethu... A look at the WNBA

I must admit that, for an avid-NBA addict, I have been pretty blind towards WNBA-related issues. I knew little (and cared little) about who was who in the league, little about who won the championships and who took the MVP awards. But with news that India's legendary center Geethu Anna Jose has became the first from the country to get a tryout with the WNBA, I feel that it is due time to get a brief look at the league that Geethu could potentially join.

Geethu completed tryouts with three WNBA teams - Chicago Sky, Los Angeles Sparks, and San Antonio Silver Stars between April 27 - May 3. You can click on the above link to know how she did, but to recap, her tryouts went very well and she has left the coaches impressed. There is a good chance that she could be picked to play for the world's best woman's basketball league, but even if she doesn't, the experience she has had in the last few days of practicing with the best coaches will help her and help others in India to follow on her footsteps. If not Geethu, someone from India will make it big soon. It's about time.

The WNBA will enter only its 15th season in 2011. There are a total of 12 teams in the league, and the top four of the six from each conference move on to the playoffs. Each team is allowed a roster space of 11 players.

So firstly, let's take a look at the three teams she tried out for, which I will follow by how Geethu could fit into each squad if she makes it. As it was disclosed earlier, Geethu, at 6'2", plays Center in India, but will have to play small or power forward in the WNBA. One thing that stood out about her trials last week was how the coaches tested her on her perimeter skills.

I will reiterate once again that I'm a mere amateur at WNBA issues and have shamelessly stolen most of the information below from Wikipedia. I will welcome any improvements on the notes below from WNBA experts.

Chicago Sky: The Sky are the only Eastern Conference team Geethu tried out with. Sky play at the AllState Arena in Rosemont Illinois. They are led by head coach Pokey Chatman and their best player is dominating Center Sylvia Fowles, who leads the team in points, rebounds, and blocks. Fowles was part of the All-WNBA first team as well as the All-WNBA Defensive team. The Sky are one of the newer teams in the league, as they were formed in 2005, and they haven't had a very successful history in the league so far, as they have never made it to the WNBA Playoffs. Last season, they finished with a 14-20 record, and were the worst team in the Eastern Conference.
If Geethu joins this team, I guess she will have to fight for the back-up forward spot with 5'11" Eshaya Murphy. Since this is a weaker team than the others, Geethu has a better chance of getting more playing time with them.

Los Angeles Sparks: One of the most storied franchise of the WNBA, much like the other LA squad, the Lakers. The Sparks are in the Western Conference and are one of the original teams of the WNBA, as they were formed in 1997. Since then, they have gone on to win 2 WNBA championships (2001 and 2002) and 3 Conference titles (2001, 2002, 2003). The Sparks play at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, and they are led by head coach Jennifer Gillom. The Sparks have several well-known players on their roster, such as highly touted youngster Candace Parker (who suffered a major injury last season), legendary big Tina Thompson (who led the team in points and rebounds), and point guard Ticha Penicheiro, who led the WNBA in assists last season. But the Sparks didn't do too well as a team, finishing 4th in the West and losing in the first round of the playoffs.
The Sparks are perhaps the most 'attractive' franchise for Geethu in terms of their popularity and success, but with their depth, especially with the return of Candace Parker, there might not be space for Geethu to truly get big minutes and experience. Her best shot would be a back-up forward role, something like what Betty Lennox currently has for the team.

San Antonio Silver Stars: The Silver Stars were formed as the Utah Starz in 1997, and then relocated to San Antonio to become the Silver Stars in 2003. They currently play at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Led by Dan Hughes, the Silver Stars had a slow start to their franchise, but have been better recently, as they represented the Western Conference in the WNBA Finals in 2008. Last season, the Silver Stars ended in third place in the West but were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. They are led in points by power forward Sophia Young, but their best player is perhaps talented point guard Becky Hammon.
This team looks like a good fit for Geethu - they have a balanced offense, with four players averaging in double figures last season, and may have a vulnerability in the back-up forward spot. Geethu could easily fit into the minimal role that was played by Ashley Battle last season, and with improved performances, she could challenge for more minutes.

Outside those three teams, the other teams to watch in the WNBA are last year's finalists Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream, as well as the winners of the two previous years, the Phoenix Mercury and Detroit Shock. If Geethu qualifies, some of the best players that she will face will include Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Tamika Catchings (Indiana Fever), and Geethu's opponent from the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Australian legend Lauren Jackson (Storm).

So that is the scenery with the WNBA... Don't want to get too far ahead of myself here - but even if Geethu fails to qualify, at least finding out more about the league was a good learning experience!