Sacramento Kings unveil Hindi logo with new alternative court

Ever since they finally cut ties with All Star DeMarcus Cousins in February, the Sacramento Kings have ushered in rapid changes to their roster. Out went Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Ben McLemore. In came new VP Scott Perry, Buddy Hield, and a fascinating mix of rookie talent and veterans, including De'Aaron Fox, Justin Jackson, Harry Giles, George Hill, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph and Bogdan Bogdanovich. For a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 11 years, it was yet another attempt at a complete do-over. Over the off-season, the team introduced a new look: new logos, new jerseys, all new everything.

But the very help of the team - majority owner Vivek Ranadive - remains the same. Ranadive, famously, is the first Indian-born owner of an NBA team, and despite his best intentions to make the Kings into a global brand by being leaders in the a high-tech push, the team's on-court failures have cast a dark cloud over all other promotional efforts. Over the years, Ranadive has made a major push in trying to lure the Indian and Indian-origin fan-base to his team, including Bollywood Nights, the team's Hindi-language website, live-streaming a game on Facebook in India, and even signing the first Indian-origin player - Sim Bhullar- to play in the NBA for his fifteen seconds of fame.

This week, the team debuted their latest plans to reach out to India and China for their hope of global fan outreach. The Kings unveiled an alternative court design for the 2017-18 season. "The new black court," says the team's official website, "reflects the design elements of the team’s global marks, including new logos specific to India and China. As part of the franchise’s mission, the team strives to make basketball the premier sport of the 21st century beyond traditional borders."

Look closely at the court, and if you aren't yet distracted by the Lannisters-like new logo in the center, you will notice two smaller logos on each end of the court inside the three-point lines with the words 'राजा' (Raja), the Hindi word for 'King'. The Kings unveiled a similar logo in Chinese characters 国王 which is pronounced as 'Guówáng'.

The team will use these alternative court designs during the games when they wear their new 'global uniforms' at home at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. More details via their official website:

The team will use this customizable floor through the season when wearing the Global Uniform at home. Building a brand that connects with fans around the world will help create an authentic connection with emerging international basketball audiences, from the court up through jerseys, apparel and more.
International elements are present throughout the new design. For the team’s biggest global celebrations, Bollywood and Lunar New Year theme nights, interchangeable panels featuring a new regional logo – a Kings crown featuring the team’s name in Hindi or Mandarin – will be added to the floor. The Kings will use these marks, in addition to the primary logo in future India and China endeavors.

The team will utilize three courts this season – the purple hardwood design from the 2017-18 season will return when the team wears the Association and Icon Edition uniforms, the new black court will be in place during games with global themes and when the team suits up in the Global uniform, and a third court will debut during the season when the team’s fourth uniform is announced.

This is a cool idea I guess, although, once again, I don't see many Indian fans paying attention to the team just because they occasionally have a Hindi word on the floor of a (likely) League Pass game. The Kings have to start succeeding. In their new backcourt of Fox and Hield, they may actually have the start of a wonderful young tandem. It's a pity that they will be playing in the cut-throat Western Conference, because despite their improvements, it seems like it's going to be yet another season outside the playoff picture in Sacramento.

Hoopdarshan Episode 51: Coach Phil Weber on India at FIBA Asia Cup & the New Orleans Pelicans

India's men's national team will be in Lebanon this week to take part in the prestigious FIBA Asia Cup 2017. To help preview our chances at the tournament, the team's Head Coach and NBA veteran Phil Weber joins co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok on Episode 51 of Hoopdarshan. In an informative and entertaining conversation, Weber discussed the players who have impressed him, shared his concerns with the team's fitness level, and took us back to the NBA where he looked forward to a full season with Davis and Cousins in New Orleans.

Join us to hear a lively conversation that includes a breakdown of India's challenge ahead, stories from Weber's days coaching with the Steve Nash Phoenix Suns, news of India's Women's team's success, Kevin Durant and Yao Ming in India, Weber's views on Lonzo Ball, 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 

Warriors-Kings will be first Regular-Season game to be streamed live on Facebook - for India!

When two California teams at the forefront of the NBA's technological push, both with hand-prints of Vivek Ranadive, with international aspirations, meet on "Bollywood Night", a little bit of history is only inevitable. So when the Sacramento Kings host the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night (Monday morning in India), it will become the first time that an NBA regular season game will be streamed live, via Facebook, exclusively for Indian fans!

On Monday, Jan. 9 (7:30 am IST), the NBA will stream the Kings-Warriors matchup to fans in India across the Facebook Pages of the NBA, the Kings and the Warriors. This game, to be held at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, marks the Kings’ fourth annual "Bollywood Night", a celebration of traditional Indian culture, cinema and music.

The game will be geo-targeted to fans in India. The Facebook stream will feature the league’s newly released “NBA Mobile View” feed, delivering a closer shot of the action optimized for viewing on the smaller screens of tablets and phones.

"We are excited to once again take part in an innovative league initiative that will provide a unique experience for our fans in India," said Warriors President and COO Rick Welts. "We are always looking for ways to utilize technology for opportunities to connect with our diverse group of fans throughout the world and are thrilled to engage with our followers in India tomorrow night."

Kings' owner Ranadive, who is the first Indian-born majority-owner in the NBA, used to be a minority owner with the Warriors and introduced the "Bollywood Night" concept in Bay Area in 2011, and then took the 'Night' with him once he bought the majority stakes of the Kings. This game could feature up to six soon-to-be NBA All Stars, including Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, DeMarcus Cousins... and Zaza Pachulia. The Warriors are of course one of the most popular teams in the league and currently have the NBA's best record at 31-6, leading the Western Conference. The Kings have struggled again this season (15-21) but are at 9th in the West and could actually sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

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

अपने पैरों पे खड़॓ होना मुंबई से सेक्रामेन्तो तक.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

Outside, Looking In: NBA All Stars who stayed home for the post-season

“The regular season is where you make your name. The playoffs you make your fame.”

Unfortunately, more than any recent year in memory, a number of stars stopped shining this year even before the playoffs began. By the time the field of 16 of the playoffs was set, an astonishing seven current NBA All Stars were sent home on an early vacation. The NBA is about team-play, but this is also a league of superstars, and – due to injury or team conditions – many of those superstars haven’t been playing meaningful basketball in the most important time of the year. Here are the NBA All Stars who have spent the postseason on the outside, looking in.

Check out my full feature on SportsKeeda.

More wins, less hype: The consistent dominance of LaMarcus Aldridge

He may not get the hype that is showered on many of his peers, but LaMarcus Aldridge has long been one of the most dominant bigs in the league and his consistency has helped keep the ship steady for the contending Trail Blazers this season. Ultimately, like other players with greater ambitions, Aldridge will eventually be judged and remembered for what he does in the post-season: if he can lead his team to greater, consistent playoff success, casual fans are going to get to know him a whole lot better, too.

Click here to read full feature.

A quick chat with Sim Bhullar: Changing the perception of Indian athletes

When the Sacramento Kings signed undrafted 7-foot-5 Canadian giant Sim Bhullar to their roster, they didn't just add extra depth in the Center position behind DeMarcus Cousins. They also made Bhullar into the first player of Indian-origin to make it to an NBA roster. Bhullar has since been in training camp with the Kings, and fans have been hoping that his presence helps the popularity of basketball among Indians take giant strides forward.

Last week, Bhullar was with the rest of the Kings in China for the NBA's annual 'China Games'. The Kings played the Brooklyn Nets in Shanghai and Beijing in two preseason exhibition games. I was able to attend the practices and the games in Beijing and shared some quotes, photographs, and my thoughts about the events earlier.

Before the Sacramento Kings took the floor to practice at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, I got an opportunity to have a quick chat with Bhullar about his goals for the season and his thoughts on becoming the first Indian-origin player in the NBA.

Hoopistani: How does it feel to be here in Beijing with the Kings for the China Games?

Bhullar: It's fun to be here man. It's a beautiful city and I'm enjoying the culture.

Hoopistani: Is this your first time in China?

Bhullar: Yes.

Hoopistani: You mentioned that you have been to India often, though, right?

Bhullar: Yes, I've been to India about four times now. Most recent was about five years ago.

Hoopistani: How does it feel to be on the roster and practicing with the Kings - how is that experience going so far?

Bhullar: It's been good for me so far. I'm enjoying it. I'm blessed to be here. I'm excited for the what's to come for the next couple of weeks and months.

Hoopistani: What's your goal for the season?

Bhullar: Definitely to get better. To help the team in any way I can, and just improve overall.

Hoopistani: Now, how have the team's veterans - especially the big guys - helped you find your NBA feet so far?

Bhullar: They've been helping me out a lot. They're mentors. They've been teaching me a lot of stuff on the court and off the court. They're excited for me to be here.

Hoopistani: You mentioned off-the-court: is there a next leap of professionalism that you have to go through as an NBA player as compared to how it was in college?

Bhullar: Yes, there Definitely is. Because off the court all eyes are on you when people know you're in the NBA. You're always in the spotlight no matter what you do. That's what they tell me: always take care of yourself and think of it as everybody is watching you at all times.

Hoopistani: You've become the first player of Indian descent to be on an NBA roster. Do you feel there is a sense of pressure or responsibility with that? What has been your approach?

Bhullar: I don't really feel the pressure. It's a great thing that I'm the first, but hopefully there are a lot more players to come. It's just basketball at the end of the day for me. So whatever happens, happens.

Hoopistani: Do you feel that your presence as the first of Indian-descent can break the racial barrier in the NBA and they can start looking at players from other backgrounds as well?

Bhullar: Ya, hopefully people can see us as more than just 'workers' and stuff or people who only hold everyday jobs. Hopefully they can see us as professional athletes in football, baseball or something like that. Who knows, maybe it can change the [perception] of the way people think.

Click here for a more in-depth interview I did with Bhullar for NBA.com/India a few months ago.

It's official: Sacramento Kings sign Sim Bhullar to a contract & make him the NBA's first desi ever!

And now, officially, a player of Indian-descent has become a part of the NBA family. If you've been following the desi-hoops noises in recent years, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that this player is the 7-foot-5 Canadian giant Sim Bhullar. And of course, it wouldn't surprise you that the team which picked him is the Sacramento Kings, the first and only NBA franchise whose majority owner is an Indian.

As India awoke to celebrate Independence Day on August 15th, thousands of miles away in a different time zone, Bhullar - born to parents that immigrated from Punjab, India to Toronto, Canada several decades ago - announced via his own Twitter account that the Kings had signed him to his first NBA contract. Further details of the contract haven't yet been announced, but the rookie minimum this year is $507,366, and it can be assumed that it's a non-guaranteed deal to participate in training camp with the Kings from October.

Bhullar, who played the last two years for New Mexico State University (NMSU) and won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament MVP honours in both years declared for the 2014 NBA draft earlier this summer, but wasn't picked by any NBA team on draft night. Only a few days later though, the Sacramento Kings signed Bhullar to join their Summer League roster for Las Vegas, with hopes that the giant Center could earn a potential roster spot.

He didn't exactly make waves at Vegas, but he wasn't given much of an opportunity to make even a tiny ripple. Bhullar only hit the floor in four games at the Summer League for the Kings, playing just about two and a half minutes per game. He only attempted and scored one basket (so, that's a 100 percent from the field!) and grabbed just two rebounds in a total of 10 minutes of action through the entire tournament.

Meanwhile, the Kings did pretty well at the Summer League without much help from Bhullar, as they won the tournament with a final triumph over the Houston Rockets.

Despite his near-absence from meaningful Summer League action, the Kings chose to sign Bhullar, officially making him an NBA player. Bhullar will now attend training camp and will have a chance to prove that he can be a part of the roster on Opening Night of the 2014-15 season.

Despite the odds against him, the big man's chances are looking good. At this point, the only other listed Centers for the Kings are DeMarcus Cousins (aka Boogie Smooth, the people's champ, who needs to be an All Star this season) and Aaron Gray, who was traded to the Kings last December but only played around 10 minutes a game in Sacramento last season. Cousins is the literally and figuratively the centerpiece of this franchise, but if Bhullar can prove his worth to Coach Mike Malone, he may be able to earn some spot as Cousins' backup Center.

In all likelihood, Bhullar will make the team but probably not play too often. Despite his dominant years in college, he may have a much tougher time keeping pace with the speed of the NBA. That said, Bhullar has indeed gotten in much better shape and lost a lot of weight over the summer, and we hope that the hard work that he has put in to improve both his game and his conditioning can reap him some rewards.

Of course, all of this smells like a marketing ploy hatched by the Kings and their Indian-born owner Vivek Ranadive. In just over a year as the new owner of the team, Ranadive has shown great creativity in promoting the team to their existing and potentially new fans. It is all too well known by now that the billion-plus population of India is basketball's most exciting (relatively) untouched market, and many are hoping to capitalize on that potential fanbase. Ranadive's Kings have of course taken the lead in this matter, Over the past year, Ranadive’s Kings have hosted Indian-culture nights, launched the NBA’s only Hindi-language website, and much more. When Bhullar was added to the Summer League roster, the Kings even announced him as 'Indian' under the 'Nationality' column of the team-list, which had to be corrected after a few of us complained on Twitter.

So yes, Bhullar's official signing to the Kings will continue to the trend of popularizing the Kings (and thus, the rest of the NBA) to India. Bhullar's jersey sales won't exactly skyrocket - since most Indians are still new to the NBA - but there should be a noteworthy bump for sure. Hell, I might go buy one, too. Here's a guy who seems to love Butter Chicken almost as much as I do AND he could play backup minutes to Boogie Cousins? That's a no-brainer.

But the big question for the big man now is, can he prove that he's more than just a marketing tool? Bhullar has made desi ballers around the world extremely proud, and now, the next step is to silence all the doubt and the hate by proving that he really does belong in the NBA. The Kings could sure use strong contribution from a talented young big man who can be a beast on defense, a soft touch around the basket, and a wingspan to strike fear in all opponents. He has improved dramatically over the past two years, and hopefully he keeps improving to have a more well-rounded game for the upcoming NBA season.

UPDATE: Kings' owner Ranadive commented on Bhullar's signing, further signifying the India connection in this move:

“I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation,” said Ranadivé. “While Sim is the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA franchise, he represents one of many that will emerge from that region as the game continues to garner more attention and generate ever-increasing passion among a new generation of Indian fans.”      

Simmering Summer? Undrafted Sim Bhullar signed by the Sacramento Kings

It's 2014, and we live in a world where the difference between a historical moment and a forgettable one can be made in under 140 characters.

In case you haven't been paying attention, the NBA Draft was conducted yesterday, a selection to bring in the top amateur and international talents into the world's finest basketball league. After 60 selections over two rounds, one big name went uncalled. That name was of Sim Bhullar. 7-foot-5 by height. Canadian by nationality. New Mexico State by foregone alma mater. And most importantly for our discussion here, Indian by race.

Bhullar was the closest that an Indian-origin basketball player had yet come to be drafted into the NBA, and he missed his chance...

... Until a few hours ago, this happened:

New Mexico State's massive center Sim Bhullar will sign with the Kings, per agent Mike George.
— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) June 27, 2014

Through a simple tweet, TNT's NBA correspondent David Aldridge informed the world (via Bhullar's agent) that the Sacramento Kings are set to sign Sim Bhullar. Since then, there have been no further confirmations or denials of this news, but there certainly has been a whole lotta reaction to it. For the first time, a player of Indian-origin had been signed by an NBA team. It may not be the 'Yao Ming' moment for the diaspora of South Asians worldwide, but it's certainly a major first step into breaking one of the last racial barriers in the NBA.

The fact that it was the Kings who took the plunge with the massive center is no surprise at all. Around this time last year, the Sacramento Kings became the first NBA team to have a majority owner that was born in India: Vivek Ranadive. While the team itself hasn't made any major improvements on court, Ranadive's vision and off the court efforts have transformed the culture around the franchise. Ranadive has already placed importance in reaching out to the untapped market of basketball fans in India and has hopes to turn the Kings into India's favourite team in the near future. It seemed obvious that the team with most interest in reaching out to Indians will be the team that reaches out to the one Indian with (fringe) NBA potential. And now, the obvious seems to have happened.

Bhullar is still far away from actually securing a 'real' NBA contract and suiting up for a team at this point. As a first step, he'll be playing for the Kings in their Summer League team in Las Vegas next month, from July 11-21. Bhullar will have to prove that he belongs among other young rising prospects here. For the past few years, despite his successes with New Mexico State University (NMSU), he was questioned for his motor on court and doubted if he could truly handle the pace of the game at the NBA level. The Summer League will be a shade of what he can expect.

From there on, if Bhullar doesn't make to the final cut of the Kings' roster straight away, he'll probably hope to get a chance with a few teams in the NBA's D-League, including the Reno Bighorns, who are the single-affiliate D-League team of the Kings. If he is able to develop his game from there, he could have another chance of earning an NBA call-up.

It is also my fantasy/Christmas wish/Diwali wish to see Bhullar play alongside DeMarcus Cousins one day to form the most lovable big man tandem of all time. #BoogieBhangra

There is of course, eventually, the overseas option as well. But, as former NMSU state guard (and Euro-ball experienced) Billy Keys suggested to the Las Cruces Sun-News, the wear and tear of travel in Europe and elsewhere abroad could be detrimental to a big man like Bhullar; persisting to play in the US/NBA would really be the best option.

Worst-case scenario? Bhullar was drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters two days before the NBA draft, along with American Football player Johnny Manziel, real football player Landon Donovan, and a guy who holds the Guinness World record for the longest basketball shot. So there's that.

For now, let's remain optimistic that it'll be a 'simmering summer' for Sim in the Summer League. Let's go our various brown/desi/Indian gods and good luck charms and do what we have to do to hope that the big guy gets his chance with the NBA. Let's place good luck charms with lemons and chillies outside the Sleep Train Arena and hope that Bhullar stays clear of too much ghee in his diet. Fingers crossed and all that - an Indian guy (by way of Canada) is nearly in the NBA. The big day of desi-hoops reckoning cometh!

Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings visits India this week

The 2011 NBA Draft - though not the greatest in recent memory - still saw some exciting young players join the NBA. Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Kenneth Faried, Jimmy Butler, and Chandler Parsons were all among the names that were called. But one young 5-foot-9 guard, despite a great college career for the Washington Huskies where he was named as an AP All American Honourable Mention, kept on waiting for his time. Finally, with the 60th and last pick in the Second Round, the Sacramento Kings selected Isaiah Thomas, making him an NBA professional. The tiny guard entered the league with a huge chip on his shoulder.

And then chip kept on getting bigger and bigger. Determined to prove to all the teams that passed him over (twice!), Thomas won the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award twice in his first season and finished in the All Rookie Second Team. In three years in the NBA, he has earned the starting spot for the young Kings, and has upped his scoring averages dramatically every year. In 2013-14, Thomas ended up averaging 20.3 points per game (up by nearly seven ppg from a season ago) and dished out 6.3 assists per contest, leading his squad in that category.

As the 25-year-old continues to improve his game on the court, he is set to become a bigger name off of it: the NBA has announced that Thomas will be visiting India this week, becoming the league's first official visit to India of an active player since Chris Bosh last July. Thomas is scheduled to spend time in Mumbai and Chennai, where he will visit schools, community organizations, and conduct youth clinics. He will also join the NBA's official broadcaster in India Sony SIX to provide analysis of the ongoing NBA Finals become the first NBA player to conduct a Google Hangout in India.

"I’m honored to be representing the Kings and the entire NBA in India this offseason and will do whatever I can to help grow the game here by inspiring children," said Thomas.

Thomas marks the 31st NBA or WNBA player or legend to travel to India since 2006 to help grow the game following All-Stars such as Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard.

Being a young and talented NBA guard isn't the only reason that Thomas' visit to India is a big deal. Thomas happens to man the point for the NBA's first and only team to have a majority Indian-born owner: Vivek Ranadive. A little over a year ago, Ranadive's group officially purchased the Kings and helped them stay in Sacramento. Since then, the Mumbai-born tech entrepreneur has spoken on various occasions of his plans to promote his team and the game of basketball in India. Ranadive had hopes (which seemed to have now died out) of the Kings playing an exhibition game in India in the coming pre-season. The Kings became the first team to launch a Hindi website and wear shooting shirts with the Hindi Devanagari script saying their name. Ranadive even released a classic video reaching out to Indian fans to vote Kings' big man DeMarcus Cousins to the All Star Game.

Since getting the entire Kings team to come play in India wasn't possible (there are many reasons why, plus, they're going to play in China in October), the Kings/Ranadive have done the next best thing: send a top player to China. If not Cousins or Rudy Gay, then Thomas seemed to be a good enough option. Plus, at his size, he will continue the message that the NBA has been preaching to Indian fans for several years, that basketball success requires much more than height. To ensure that message, Muggsy Bogues has been here twice and Brandon Jennings was here back in 2011.

"We are extremely excited to have a member of the Sacramento Kings visit India this summer, and Isaiah’s passion for the game and the community makes him a great ambassador for the sport in India,” said Ranadivé. “One of the key aspects of my NBA 3.0 vision is deepening the global imprint of basketball and India is a prime example of this. Basketball is rapidly becoming one of India’s most popular sports, second only to cricket, and interest in the game is expanding every day. I also have no doubt that India will one day become a hotbed of NBA-caliber talent."

During his stay in India, Thomas will conduct several basketball clinics at schools and community organizations across Mumbai and Chennai. He will provide in-depth Finals analysis for fans in India on Sony SIX. On June 7, Thomas will conduct the first-ever Google hangout to promote the official NBA online store in India, NBAStore.in. A few lucky fans will be selected to interact with Isaiah and showcase NBA merchandise.

He will also be on-hand to tip off the first stage of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA’s Basketball Hoops Infrastructure project. Reliance Foundation and NBA India have partnered to install basketball hoops at schools across Mumbai. IES School in Dadar is the first school to receive the new equipment. Thomas will conduct clinics for students at the IES School in Dadar and at a local government school in Chennai.

Thomas will be joined by celebrity VJ and television star Rannvijay Sing, who will train with Thomas, learn what it takes to be a professional basketball player, and show him the best food Mumbai has to offer.

"Isaiah’s visit to India coincides with The Finals, an important opportunity to grow the NBA’s fanbase in India," said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director of NBA India. “Thank you to Isaiah for visiting Mumbai and for inspiring Indian youth to play basketball."

Hope that Thomas has a good trip and true fans get a chance to interact with him. I will post more information about the precise time and locations of his clinics/visits as it comes it.

I wonder if Ranadive himself will visit India anytime soon - he hasn't made an 'official' trip back to his homeland ever since becoming involved with the Kings (or prior to that, as a minority owner of the Warriors). It would be interesting to see his impact if he personally comes back to India and speaks about the NBA, from the point of view of someone who has seen both worlds. And hopefully, he'll bring Boogie along too.

Here is my running list of every NBA player - past and present - to have visited India.

Sim Bhullar declares! Will he become the first Indian-origin player in the NBA?

One step closer, y'all!

Yes, the rumours which have been flying around for the past 10 days are now true and confirmed. According to New Mexico State, 7-foot-5 sophomore Sim Bhullar, born in Canada to parents from India, has officially declared for the 2014 NBA draft, foregoing his two remaining years of college eligibility. If he is drafted by an NBA team on June 26, 2014, Bhullar could become the first player of Indian-origin in history to have a place on an NBA roster.

Sim Bhullar is a big young man; this news is bigger.

You probably already know Bhullar's story by now: The 21-year-old giant was born in Toronto to parents who had immigrated from Amritsar, India. Sim and his younger brother Tanveer (also a giant) grew up and didn't stop growing. They made a name for themselves at the Kiski School in Pennsylvania, at the Huntington Prep School in West Virginia, and one by one, both joined New Mexico State to play for the Aggies in NCAA Division 1. Sim was named the 2013 and 2014 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament MVP and led the league in blocks (3.37 per game) and shooting percentage (64.8). Last year, he had a major breakout, capturing the imaginations of fans domestic and across the oceans. He helped the Aggies reach the NCAA tournament both years and finished this season with averages of 10.2 points and 7.2 rebounds. His team had a 50-21 record over the past two years for a 70.4 winning percentage.

"I have always dreamed of playing professional basketball and I have decided to officially pursue this by entering my name into the NBA Draft," said Bhullar. "I want to thank my family, friends, coaches, and teammates for all their support during this decision making process. Most importantly I want to thank all the Aggie fans who have followed and cheered us on. The support and love I received here has made my time in Las Cruces an amazing college experience. Aggie Up."

Now that he has declared, Bhullar has a real chance of becoming the first to cross a threshold never crossed yet in the world's greatest basketball league. Indians (or South Asians in general) - despite our massive diaspora across the planet - haven't exactly turned the basketball world on fire. Despite the big numbers, Indians are generally underrepresented at the highest levels of the game (here is a short short-list of every Indian-origin player to ever play NCAA D1 basketball) and back home in India, we are still some steps away from having that one international game-changing talent. Bhullar may not be Indian by nationality, but he is Indian by ethnicity; his progress has been followed by the diaspora closely for several years, and a lot of brown-skinned people - from various corners of the world - will be pumping their fists or doing some bhangra if Bhullar's name is called on draft night.

There are some who have questioned Bhullar's declaration, and the reasons for the criticism are understandable. Despite his awesome size, talent, and potential, Bhullar is still an unfinished product. He has barely been in game shape for the NCAA in the last two years, and at this point, he is nowhere close to being in shape to handle the speed of the NBA. Additionally, by declaring now, he will lose the opportunity to play for New Mexico State with younger brother Tanveer. Tanveer was a redshirt freshman last season and thus never suited up for an official game in Aggies colours next to his brother. The combo of 7-5 Sim and 7-3 Tanveer, two big bad Indians dominating everything in sight, would've been pretty awesome.

Additionally, another year in college would've improved Sim's game and raised his profile among NBA scouts a little more. Currently, DraftExpress ranks him 96 among prospects, although his declaration may raise his standing significantly. Bhullar and his camp must obviously believe that he can impress NBA scouts at and teams at pre-draft camps enough between now and the end of June to be drafted. Some might say that this decision was made too soon, but if Bhullar believes it's the right time (with his market value on the rise) let's just wait and see if it is.

If I had to predict, I'll probably say that the best-case scenario for Bhullar is that he gets picked late in the second round of the draft, somewhere between 45-60. Every NBA team could use a 7-5 behemoth off the bench to be a monster on the defensive end who creates matchup problems on offense in limited minutes. Additionally, NBA teams could also see the 'Indian' marketing angle, and the potential of reaching out to a whole new set of people never before represented in the league.

You know what would be cool? If somehow, the Kings - the first/only NBA team owned by an Indian (Vivek Ranadive) - somehow get their hands on Bhullar. Ranadive has already been pitching hard for Kings to be 'India's team' and has taken various steps to reach out to the Indian audience. The Kings even featured a shooting shirt with their team name in Hindi for 'Bollywood Night' a few weeks ago. Having an Indian wear a shirt with किंग्स in the front makes perfect sense. Also, can you imagine Bhullar coming off the bench for DeMarcus Cousins? I'm already taking credit '#BoogieBhangra' which is going to break Twitter in a few months.

Anyways, we are obviously hoping that Bhullar not only gets drafted but also enjoys a decent NBA career. Any success for him will influence millions of other Indians playing basketball all around the world, without a role model from their own community at the highest level to look up to. Sim Bhullar could be that role model, and his presence among the world's best basketball players in the NBA will not only break a major barrier but also help encourages those million others to continue believing in their basketball dreams.

Sacramento Kings to host Bollywood Night with cultural performances, Hindi shirts, and more

Before Vivek Ranadive became the first Indian-born person to have majority ownership of an NBA team with the Sacramento Kings, he was the first Indian to be a minority owner, with the Golden State Warriors. Ranadive's impact for the Warriors was relatively little, but he did introduce the first iterations of 'Bollywood Night', where the team celebrated Ranadive's Indian culture through music, food, and other events during one home game every season.

Now that Ranadive has taken control of the Kings and reached out to the Indian community near and far more than ever, it was only a matter of time before the 'Bollywood Night' fever hit Sacramento as well.

In their home game against the Lakers on Wednesday, April 2nd, the Kings' Sleep Train Arena will host their first-ever Bollywood Night. According to an official release from the team, this Kings-Lakers game will also celebrate Indian culture and cinema with various performances. The game will also be broadcast live in India on the morning of April 3rd from 7:30 AM.

All attendees to the game in Sacramento will be given commemorative 'Bollywood Night' shirts in various colours. Most exciting of all, the Kings' players will be wearing warm-up shirts with the words 'Kings' inscribed in Hindi - किंग्स - (I WANT ONE!!!!). At halftime, Anjali Ranadive - the daughter of Vivek - will give a pop/Bollywood fusion performance. Other dance performances will include UC Davis student groups LashKara, Sunatya, and the Kings' cheerleaders in Indian garb.

"The ultimate power of sports is the ability to connect people across geographic, economic and cultural lines," said Ranadivé. "The Kings strive every day to provide all of our fans with a unique and lasting experience, which is why we have such strong support from the Indian community here and abroad. Together, we are catapulting basketball as the fastest growing sport in India. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and I also have plans to visit, and we hope to continue sharing the Kings experience throughout India."

These are exciting times to be an Indian NBA fan. With Ranadive at the helm of an NBA franchise, the attention has clearly been shifted to further interaction and involvement of India and Indian culture into the NBA. Ranadive has been hailed as one of the saviour for the Kings in Sacramento; now, his ambitions are to be the man who helps create a market for the game of basketball in India.

As for the Kings' fortunes on court... Well, let's just say that there is always next season. The Lakers-Kings game may be sprinkled with a lot of Indian masala on Bollywood Night, but take a look at their respective records and you find two teams that have only one a combined 51 games this season. The good news it that, with the personalities in Sacramento (the only and only BOOGIE!) and the up-tempo game at the Lakers play, we can be assured that, even though the final result will matter little except in determining lottery chances, the game will be far from boring.

And if the Kings are able to continue their off-court hot streak and the lottery favours them, the injection of a young talent next season might finally see them match their hype towards the Indian fan with real success and results.

The AllMost Stars Team

By now, you've probably seen the 2014 NBA All Star rosters. You've probably voted for many of the starters and you probably agree with most of the reserves that the coaches voted in. But as it is with every year, the list of players snubbed at the All Star Game becomes almost as interesting as the list of those who did make it.

This year is no different. Every team feels like their star should be an All Star, and argues incessantly to the relative merits of their own representatives over the others. Then, there are those like Grantland's Zach Lowe, who argued that there are no 'snubs' in the West, just great players unfortunate in the wrong conference. It's true that the conference imbalance also makes for imbalanced All Star teams. And at the end of the day, each team can only have 12 players, so no matter what a personal definition of an 'All Star' is, the final list cannot fit them all. Now whether or not you agree with the contentious voting system (fans for the starters + coaches for the reserves) is a whole different issue.

Here is my list of nine Almost All Stars this season, or AllMost Stars. One could make an argument for most of them to make the East or West squads, but only a few of them could truly replace someone less deserving actually in the final roster. One of them will definitely make it though, since Kobe Bryant has been ruled out to injury and the NBA's brand new commissioner Adam Silver will make it one of his first duties to choose a replacement in the West.

West

Goran Dragic: 'The Dragon' has been an absolute monster this season, and if the NBA wants to find another guard to take Kobe's spot, Dragic should be a no-brainer. Dragic has been the heart and soul of the Phoenix Suns, who are the league's most amazing story this season. He has lifted the team up from the expected tail-end of the West up to sixth place. He's averaging a career-high 20 points per game this season to go with over six assists. Most impressively, he has helped the Suns survive the loss of Eric Bledsoe without missing a step in their rankings.

Anthony Davis: Davis could give Dragic a run for his money in the race for Kobe's replacement, despite playing a completely different position. First of all, Davis would become the only representative of the All Star Game's host city - New Orleans - in the game. Davis has improved his game dramatically this season and is putting up historically impressive numbers. Davis is averaging 20.4 points, 10.3 rebounds and a league-leading 3.3 blocks a game this season for the Pelicans, developing into a rare, dominant two-way big man. Despite the fact that the Pelicans are far outside the playoff race in the West, he has a PER of 27.1, fifth best in the league. Ultimately, it's his team's losing record that kept him out of the West roster.

DeMarcus Cousins: Cousins missed the roster because of his team, too, which are currently bottom-feeders in the West. But don't blame it on 'Boogie' - Cousins has been an absolute beast, enjoying his best season with career highs in points (22.6 ppg) and rebounds (11.6 rpg) as well as enjoying the NBA’s highest usage rate.

Mike Conley: The numbers - although impressive - might not scream 'All Star', but don't let the Grizzlies' slow pace fool you into ignoring Conley's contributions. Averaging a career-high 18 points per game, Conley helped keep the Grizzlies barely afloat in Marc Gasol's absence, and upon Gasol's return, helped the team propel to a 9-2 streak. Still, it might be too little too late in the West, which is loaded with talented guards including Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and James Harden.

Tim Duncan: A veteran of 14 All Star games, T-Robot missed the cut for only the third time int he last 16 years! With the Spurs suffering a mix of injuries, Duncan has helped Parker in keeping the team near the top of the West and is still putting up consistently impressive numbers. With 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, it's clear that Duncan - even as he pushes close to 38 - hasn't conceded to Father Time just yet.

David Lee: A regular double-double machines, Lee's offensive numbers could put him in All Star consideration nearly every season, and this year, he has been the second-best player for the successful Warriors. Lee rounds up four big AllMost Stars out West, and I would've picked any of them in the spot over Dirk Nowitzki. Lee has averaged 19 points on 51.6 percent shooting and 9.8 rebounds this season.

East

Lance Stephenson: Probably the biggest snub of either conference, Stephenson has been rightly miffed at being snubbed by Eastern Conference coaches to make the Eastern reserves, despite being the third-best player in the conference's best team, leading the league in triple doubles, and being a lock-down defensive player. Stephenson is averaging career highs across the board and could be one of the top choices for the Most Improved Player award. For now, he has made it clear that "I already had a chip on my shoulder and it made me even worse. Now I'm going to kill everybody who is in front of me."

Kyle Lowry: I would've chosen Lowry over DeRozan as the Raptors' lone representative at the All Star Game in New Orleans. Head to head, DeRozan has a slight scoring edge, but Lowry rebounds and assists better, and has been slightly more consistent. It's close, but I think DeRozan's injury and Lowry's play in his absence sealed the deal for me. The Raptors have been the surprise team of the East thanks to both these players, standing atop the Atlantic Division. I think both of them and Lance Stephenson could have been picked over the last Eastern guard spot, which shockingly went to Joe Johnson.

Jeff Teague: With the Hawks hanging on to the third spot in the East despite Al Horford's absence, it could be argued that the team should've been rewarded with a second All Star besides Paul Millsap. Besides John Wall, Teague has been the best point guard in the East and is averaging career-highs across the board, including points (16.9) and assists (8).

*The East is too awful for me to give any another considerations, so Aaron Afflalo, Al Jefferson, have to deal with being the snubbed snubs.

Playoff Blues: The NBA’s top five players to have never made a playoff appearance

The NBA would be a whole different world if legacies and greatness was measured on the performance of the regular season alone. Unfortunately for many – it isn’t. The regular season is just heating up the oven and aligning of the positions, the real fun and games begin with the playoffs. Which is why no amount of All Star appearances or big stats can be a substitute for a role in a post-season game.

Here are NBA’s five best players at this very moment who – despite their talent and achievements – have yet to qualify for the playoffs.

Click here to read full feature.

Boogie Cousins - The People's Champion - wants Indians to make him an All Star

Kings' Center DeMarcus 'Boogie' Cousins is the most interesting guy in the league, the 2013-14 MVP, and also the bearer of complete joy and peace, and you can't tell me otherwise.

Here are some numbers if you're not convinced:

• Cousins has the league's highest usage rate (33.2 percent)
  
• He's averaging career highs in points (23.3), rebounds (11.5 - fifth in the league), assists (3.1), steals (1.9), and field goal percentage (49.4 percent).
  
• He's third in the league in points/100 possessions (35.31), behind only these two guys: Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
  
• He has the fifth-best Player Impact Estimate in the League, behind just Durant, LeBron, Chris Paul, and Kevin Love.
  
• He's tied for third in the league in points in the paint.
  
• He's also leading the league in the all-important category of technical fouls (10), becoming the obvious heir apparent to Rasheed Wallace. With all the points, domination, and potential for crazy, Boogie is must-watch TV.
  
• And in case you were wondering, yes he also leads the league in total fouls committed at time of writing (135).
  
• The Kings still suck, but not as bad as they used to. With Cousins' improvement this year plus the addition of Rudy Gay and more roster movement, this team is looking at a 30-win season for the first time in about six years.
  
• Cousins says things like, "Some guys are All Stars because their team is good. That’s not an All Star."
  
• He wants to be the first big to take part in the All Star Skills Challenge. Which will be awful and incredible at the same time.
  
• LeBron James thinks that Cousins is an All Star. And LeBron is the self-proclaimed 'Chosen One'. The Chosen One Has Chosen.
  
• He was Santa Claus on a bicycle.
  

In a league where big men are going extinct or rediscovering themselves primarily as defensive specialists, DeMarcus Cousins is a throwback to the not-so-distant past, a big and bulky man in the middle who dominates the post and gives us flashbacks of Shaq. Within a year or two, he's going to be the best Center in the league.

But is he an All Star this season?

Never mind the fact that the West front-court is loaded with more talented (and popular, since voting matters) players like Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, and more. There is at least one very influential person who thinks that Boogie Cousins deserves to be an All Star this season. And this person is asking you - the Indian basketball fan - to do something about it.

Mumbai-born Vivek Ranadive became the first Indian owner of an NBA team when he purchased the Kings over the summer. Ranadive has since helped keep the team in Sacramento, change the culture of the organization, and sprinkled in some Indian elements to appeal to the audience back home. He has also handed Cousins a contract extension, making him the sure-shot face of the franchise for the next several years, and also had dreams of making his big man into a star in India.

Now, Ranadive has released this amazing video appealing to fans in India to vote Cousins into the 2014 NBA All Star game.

 

Aaaahhhh so much goodness. To quote a classic movie from the late 90s, "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in." The fake Taj Mahal backdrop, the Boogie highlights, and of course, a special appearance by the man himself in the very end, adding a 'Namaste India' as part of his humble appeal. How could you - citizens of all countries in the world - not vote for him after watching this?

Appealing to the Indian audience is smart: India has the world's second-largest population, and if a fraction of them can be convinced by Ranadive's mission, they can pour in thousands and thousands of extra votes for the mercurial big man. China, another billion-plus country, dominates NBA All Star voting by its sheer numbers, which is why Yao Ming (who is Chinese) was an All Star nearly every season and Jeremy Lin (who has Chinese grandparents) has more votes than Harden, Westbrook, Parker, or Lillard. Of course, unlike the Chinese, the majority of Indians barely care about the NBA. And as far as we know, Cousins doesn't have any Indian origins. So, don't expect there to be a revolution of Indian All Star voting.

Or maybe this image will change your mind?

Keep boogying, Boogie.

Sacramento Kings sign partnership with Indian company Krrish Group & Jimboy's Tacos

NBA, India, and Tacos.

So get your head around this announcement. Sacramento Kings - the first NBA team owned by an Indian-born (Vivek Ranadive) - have signed a deal with Indian real-estate company the Krrish Group and Sacramento-based Mexican food chain, Jimboy's Tacos. The Krrish Group will open multiple franchises of Jimboy's Tacos in India. And the Kings will promote this relationship through in-arena, broadcast, and digital advertising. Win, win, win?

So here are the points of interest:

- Ranadive has made his intentions very clear in the past to expand the Kings' business relationships with India, and on the Kings' opening night this season, displayed a bonanza of Shaq-cricketing, cheerleader-Bollywooding, and curry concession-eating action. But this is their first official business partnership with an Indian company. "I am thrilled that The Krrish Group shares our global vision and sees the economic potential of a partnership with the Kings," said Ranadive. "Given the increasing popularity of basketball and the Kings in India, we hope that this will be the first of many important business partnerships from the region. As we strive to become India's home team, we are proud to call The Krrish Group and Jimboy’s Tacos our partners."

- The Kings aren't finished. The press release for this news made it clear that they'll be announcing several more business partnerships with India next season.

- Jimboy's Tacos who? The relatively small taco company might be known in certain parts of Sacramento, but none of my Southern California brethren had ever heard of them. Still, their website promises that they were voted "Best Taco" by Sacramento Magazine.

- No Del Taco, no El Pollo Loco, no Loteria. Even Taco Bell only has two outlets in India (I think), both in Bangalore. Jimboy's are somehow going to become the biggest American franchise of Mexican food in India. Vivek Ranadive is a valuable friend. "We are excited to be part of Vivek (Ranadive]'s 3.0 initiative as we begin our national and international expansion," said Karen Knudson Freeman, CEO of Jimboy’s Tacos.

- Who are the Krrish Group, apart from being a company named after a horrible Bollywood superhero franchise? They are a real-estate company, originally founded in 1983 as a liquor manufacturers. They are dynamic real-estate players in the Delhi-NCR region, are building skyscrapers in Sri Lanka, and own a team in India's badminton league.

- "The Indian consumer and retail market has literally been exploding during the last 10 years and the trend is projected to continue for many years to come, with the restaurant sector projected to grow more than double in the next 5 years," said Prakhar Gupta, Vice President of Business Development for The Krrish Group. "With a dynamic and fast growing business portfolio, we see our partnership with Jimboy’s and the Kings as a perfect opportunity."

Since purchasing the Kings earlier this year, Ranadive has directed a business philosophy coined "NBA 3.0," which focuses on investments in technology, globalization and deep community partnerships.

This is just the first step. Both Sacramento Kings fans and Indians should start getting more familiar with each other: there's going to be a lot more force-fed into this unlikely relationship in the coming years.

Speaking of force-feeding, DeMarcus Cousins must be really looking forward to this. Something tells me that he would be the perfect brand ambassador for all types of tacos.

Sacramento Kings become the first NBA team to launch a Hindi website

क्या बात है!

The Sacramento Kings - recently bought by Indian-born software mogul Vivek Ranadive - have become the very first NBA team to launch a website for the team in Hindi, in an effort to connect closer with fans in India.

The site - Kings.com/Hindi - went live recently as the next step in an ongoing process by Ranadive to bring the team closer to 'home'. At this point, most of the content on this site are introductory articles about various Kings players and a look-ahead at their first matchu-ups of the season. In addition, the website has highlighted the recent visit by the Sacramento Kings cheerleading team to India for the NBA Jam.

"A key facet of our ownership group's vision is for the Kings to become India's home team," said Kings President Chris Granger. "Between our dance team performing in India this summer, a live telecast on Sony Six for our home opener, and the launch of the website, we are committed to reaching out to India, and all of Asia, in a comprehensive way. This is just the beginning."

NBA teams having multilingual websites is of course no new thing. The Warriors and the Heat have websites in Chinese already, while the Heat also have a Spanish language site. But the Kings have become the first to break the language barrier for the Indian audience that is more comfortable reading in the Devanagari script.

Many Indians with access to technology and the internet are of course comfortable with reading, writing, and conversing in basic English (thanks a lot, colonization), but Hindi content will definitely open up the access to many more. Internet access is slowly beginning to reach all strata of Indian society, and many more major websites around the world will start to produce Hindi content for their new viewers. The NBA - and particularly the Kings - are just ahead of the curve with this one.

That said, a lot of the Hindi content of the website simply reads as Google Translated and unedited versions of the English writing. And as we all know, translating every single word and phrase can sound a bit weird: 'shuddh' (शुद्ध) Hindi has many words that even the best speakers struggle with a little, and many Hindi speakers/readers just use English words for several words/phrases anyways.

Here are some examples: On the site, "Go Kings!" is translated as "चलो, किंग्स!" "A closer look" reads as "समीप से देखना". "Position Analysis" is "स्थिति विश्लेषण". The Small Forward/SF position reads "एसएफ".

(At least the "Kings" aren't translated as "राजाs").

Ranadive became the first Indian-origin majority owner of an NBA team during the summer when he purchased the Kings and helped them remain in Sacramento. Since then, he has taken various steps to reach out to his homeland. He spoke about bringing the Kings to India for an exhibition game next year. The Kings' first game of this upcoming season (versus the Nuggets) is also going to be telecast live in India in what Ranadive hopes can become "the biggest opening night in the history of the NBA." Sacramento Bee writer Ryan Lillis also revealed that a cricket field was going to be set up next to the Kings' Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento for opening night, as a nod to Indians in the area. Before joining the Kings' ownership, Ranadive was a minority owner with the Warriors, where he organized "Bollywood Night" for three consecutive seasons.

The Kings' efforts will definitely arouse some interest and curiousity in the short term, especially amongst fans in India who are still novices to the NBA. I say that because most hardcore fans of the game in the country already have their favourite teams and players, and if you found me one Kings fan in a group of a 100 I would call you a liar. A Hindi website isn't going to turn a Lakers, Heat, Celtics, Bulls, Thunder, or Spurs fan to suddenly gain respect for Greivis Vasquez's court-vision or Marcus Thornton's range.

But like many other NBA situations, one man can change it all. Kevin Durant created fans for Oklahoma City, Kobe Bryant has people caring for the Lakers, and LeBron took a whole bandwagon from Cleveland to Miami. The man responsible for long-standing fame and interest in the Sacramento राजाs will be none other than DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins is a lot of things - good and bad - and will infuriate fans just as much as excites them. But he does have the raw potential in turning into one of the best big men in the league, and if he is ever able to take that step, he will make the Kings exciting enough to devote a Bollywood love song to.

Until then, new Kings fans in India will have to settle for game recaps of losses every night. Now available in Hindi. Go राजाs!