The top player in Indian Basketball - Amjyot Singh - joins Hoopdarshan in Episode 82 to discuss his suspension from India's national team, his experiences playing in the NBA G-League, taking part in the 3x3BL in Punjab this season, and rating Gurudwara langar food. In addition, co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok catch up on all the happenings from the Indian basketball universe.
Amjyot Singh is one of the most accomplished Indian basketball players. Hailing from Chandigarh, he has played for and captained India's national team in several important tournaments. He has played professionally in the NBA's G-League for the OKC Blue and the Wisconsin Herd, as well as the D-League and BJ Summer League in Japan. Singh is one of the nation's top 3x3 players as well, starring in numerous international events for his clubs.
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.
I have been a basketball journalist in India for nearly a decade, with most of the work coming in the form of research, typing out the written word, and more recently, speaking about the game with interviews on the Hoopdarshan podcast. But over the past weekend, I was able to check a box that I hadn't ever considered to even dream of: in-game commentary!
The second season of India's FIBA 3x3 basketball league, the 3x3BL, tipped off at the Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar on Friday, August 2. The new season of the league featured 12 men's teams divided into two conferences, and, for the first time, six teams for women in their own conference. I was honoured with an invite to commentate on the first two days of the event, during the live streaming broadcast of all of the round-1 men's matches for 3BL's Facebook and YouTube pages.
It was a confusing, strange, educational, and ultimately, a fun experience. Although I have had experience talking about basketball thanks to my podcast, I usually play the role of the 'colour' commentator, as in, the one that brings in deflections and hype to the story, instead of the 'play by play' guy who tells the story as it is. In Jalandhar, however, I was the only one on the commentary desk, which meant that I had to play both roles: narrating the action as its happening, and peppering it with 'colour' whenever necessary.
I have a fairly good knowledge of the big-name Indian basketball players (I have been responsible for making many of those names 'big' in the first place) and of the backgrounds of these players. But at least half of the participating players at the event were new to me, and I had to learn about them in research right before the event or on the fly as I commentated. This meant that, while I had a treasure trove of information to share about the likes of Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh, Inderbir Singh Gill, Palpreet Singh Brar, etc., I stumbled often matching the face to the name on the back of the jersey with some of the other players. This, of course, led to a few errors and rookie mistakes, like erroneously calling Team Gurugram's Rajan Sharma "Ranjan" for most of the day!
Another early challenge was the quick pace of the game. Basketball is a fast game anyways, but 3x3 - where possessions change in a matter of seconds and big moments happen quickly one after the other - is even more boosted up. In the first few games I commentated, I tried to talk about everything: every cut, every pass, every shot, every turnover, and it led to me sounding as if I was on fast-forward. As the day progressed, I learned to slow down and focus on slightly-bigger things. As it is with basketball players who put in practice in the fundamentals, the game itself slowed down for me.
3x3 is a new-ish version of the game for me, too. And often, I would forget that the outside arc is a 2-point shot, not a three. I had to correct myself on air several times. There was a big moment in the first semi-final of Day 2 between Mumbai and Kolkata where Mumbai was down by two points and Inderbir Gill took an outside shot to tie the score. My instinct, however, made me think it was a three, and I shouted, "Inderbir for the win". He made the shot - and within the next split second, I corrected myself and mentioned that the games are now tied, that we are now going into overtime. As an aside, that was the most exciting game of the weekend and many other players told me that it was one of the greatest 3x3 games they'd ever witnessed.
Finally, one of the major confusions for me in the first day was the balance between the crowd at the arena (in LPU) and the live-streamers online. I had originally intended to only be the voice for the live-stream, and thus, set out with the agenda of commentating only for audiences at home. But halfway through, my voice made it out into the PA system at the arena, and suddenly, every play-by-play description and every backstory was being heard by the fans and the players. It left me in a bit of a lurch: do I be hype for the crowd (but disturb the players) or I do the professional job for the broadcast. On Day 2, I was back to only-broadcast, which I think helped me focus better.
Day 2 was much more enjoyable. I was more confident after the first day's experience of my pace, about coordinating with the broadcast director and the on-floor PA, about when to interject background facts and when to talk about game. I had better energy and was able to react better to a lot of huge moments on the floor. One of the best things that happened was that I got an opportunity to interview several guests during the broadcast who sat next to me, including Dhruv Barman, Kiran Shastri, Amjyot Singh Gill, Richard Xalco, Lalrina Renthlei, and more. I've always been better in conversation and interviews, and jumping back and forth between them and the basketball action felt more in my wheelhouse.
Another lesson - for myself and for those aspiring to commentate on basketball events - was the importance of having 'filler' information. As in, background stuff to talk about that isn't necessarily about the live action. There are many moments in the game including timeouts or referee-disputes when I had to keep talking about something - anything - just to ensure that the audiences stay engaged. I did background research on Jalandhar, on the basketball history of Jalandhar, and several of the top players in action. In addition, I gave opinions about the changing style of basketball, on tactics, on history, of the larger picture of Indian basketball, and more. You can never be too prepared for the 'empty' time!
All in all, I enjoyed my time behind the mic, and enjoyed watching some of the highlights later posted by 3x3BL with my jokes and exclamations. It is a different challenge to be smooth without interruptions and stammers for a live audience, and I gained new respect for those who do this job at a professional level. I hope that this experience was able to improve my own game - and I'll look forward to the challenge again!
In Episode 81 of Hoopdarshan, actor, producer and NBA anchor Harman Singha joins us to talk about his latest brainchild: Mumbai's 3x3 Street Ball League. In a conversation with co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok, Singha discusses the conception of the league with celebrity co-owners, playing 1v1 against his brother Rannvijay Singha, his background loving the NBA, and the best food to eat in Jalandhar.
Harman Singha is an Indian actor, writer, and producer, famous for the web series A.I.SHA and for NBA India coverage on Sony SIX. Harman is one of the co-founders of the Street Ball League in Mumbai, for which they've brought together several celebrities from the city to invest in teams in their league including Esha Gupta, Melvin Louis, Sara Khan, Gursimran Khamba, and more.
Hoopdarshan is the truest voice of Indian basketball, and since we're such hopeless fans of the game, it will become the voice of everything basketball related we love, from the NBA to international hoops, too. On every episode of Hoopdarshan, we will be inviting a special guest to interview or chat to about a variety of topics. With expert insight from some of the brightest and most-involved people in the world of Indian basketball, we hope to bring this conversation to a many more interested fans, players, and followers of the game.
Two years ago, young Jagshaanbir Singh Jhawar was in the first class of prospects selected by the NBA Academy India, joining a group of two dozen young players that took a risk into the unknown, into something that had never been done before, with the hope of unlocking a bright future with their basketball skills.
This week, Jhawar has officially become the first of the group to unlock that dream.
After two years of honing his skills at the NBA Academy in Greater Noida, the 19-year-old, 6-foot-10 big man from Jalandhar has been offered a scholarship to play for Golden State Prep (GSP) in Napa Valley, north of San Francisco and the home of the Golden State Warriors in California. He will join GSP's post-graduate programme starting next month.
Jhawar represented India's U18 squad at the FIBA U18 Asia Championship last year, where he averaged 1.3 ppg and 4.3 rpg in a backup role. He was also part of the NBA's Asia Pacific Camp held in China in 2017.
"This programme will be a new challenge, and I'm positive that at the Golden State Prep I will hone my skills further," said Jhawar. "I would like to thank the team that at the NBA Academy India that contributed to my growth and prepared me to take this next step forward."
"We are excited to have a player of Jagshaanbir's calibre joining our programme," said GSP's founder Jeremy Russotti. "We are certain that his on-court abilities coupled with his reading of the game will make him an ideal candidate of our team."
In her excellent, long profile of Jhawar and his father Tejinder Pal Singh, Shivani Naik noted how the young man who grew up idolising Tim Duncan has added many of the former NBA star's skills to his game, both on-court, and his humility off of it.
Jhawar has already developed a physical low-post game on both sides of the floor. Hopefully, the experience of playing alongside other high-ranked young players with GSP will hone his skills further and prepare to him to unlock the next level, the next dream.
India's largest interactive youth basketball festival - NBA Jam tipped off its third season on October 28th. The travelling basketball festival will be held in a record 24 Indian cities for the next four months with plans to engage more than a million college students nationwide. India's first NBA draft pick Satnam Singh and former NBA player Jason Richardson will be among the special guests for the programme's tip off this year. You can register your team for the open 3x3 basketball tournament at: www.nbajam.in.
The traveling interactive youth festival will encourage and develop basketball participation across the country. In partnership with Sony SIX, NBA Jam powered by Jabong will provide an authentic basketball experience by combining exciting oncourt competition with lifestyle elements including interactive games, contests and live music performances. Through the strength of its association with college festivals, more than 3,500 teams from more than 1,000 colleges across the country will play in the event’s 3-on-3 tournament. NBA talent, including NBA legends and dunk teams, will travel to select cities to conduct clinics and interact with fans.
"NBA Jam powered by Jabong has grown tremendously over the last three years, and we are excited for its continued expansion as we travel to a record 24 cities this year," said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco. "Along with our partners Jabong and Sony SIX, we are committed to growing the game in India by getting more fans of all ages to experience this unique festival."
Free registration for the 3×3 tournament within NBA Jam powered by Jabong is now open at www.nbajam.in. Registration is available for teams of men and women ages 16-24 who are enrolled in college at the time of the tournament. As the official NBA Jam apparel partner, Jabong will create an NBAStore.in Experience Zone at every NBA Jam venue that will allow fans to browse through the latest NBA merchandise and apparel on display. Fans who shop at these Experience Zones will also receive giveaways from Jabong and discounts for on-the-spot purchases.
Jam Schedule
October 28-29, 2015 Jalandhar (Lovely Professional University)
October 30-31, 2015 Ahmedabad (MICA)
October 31-1 Nov, 2015 Kanpur (IIT, Kanpur)
November 6-7, 2015 Goa (BITS, Goa)
November 13-14, 2015 Bhubaneshwar (Xavier's Institute of Management)
Richardson will make his first stop in New Delhi on October 29 where he will engage with Ramjas School students as part of the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme . Then he will go to Ahmedabad on October 30 to participate in NBA Jam at the MICA Institute where fans will have the chance to meet him. Richardson will then visit Mumbai on October 31 for a live television appearance on Sony Six's NBA morning show 'Around the Hoop'.
"I understand that basketball is growing rapidly in India and I can't wait to experience the excitement firsthand," said Richardson, "It's encouraging to know just how many boys and girls across the country are picking up the sport and I look forward to meeting with some of the promising young talent India has to offer."
The 6-foot-six Richardson was the fifth pick from Michigan State in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. Over the course of his 14-year NBA career, he also played for the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets), Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers before retiring in 2015. He was named in the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2002 and is a two-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion (2002 and 2003).
Last year's NBA Jam visited 16 cities across India and reached more than 400,000 students.
With the expectation to engage over 750,000 youth basketball players and train PE teachers at more than 1,000 partner schools across India, the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme returns with a bang for it's second year today. The programme is set to expand from three Indian cities to eight for the new season: Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kottayam, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. The programme, which was launched last year by the Reliance Foundation and NBA in India, focuses on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into each participating school’s physical education curriculum.
The ambitious programme was already a massive step forward to tapping the inner basketball star in hundreds of thousands of Indian basketball players through the easiest medium: PE and sports classes in their schools. For the 2014-14 season, the programme gets even bigger and better. After being held in Mumbai, Kochi, and Kottayam last year, this year's programme will involve the previous three plus five more cities. It will run from September 2014 to February 2015, expecting to engage more than 750,000 youth across 1,000 schools. Fifteen coaches will oversee the programme and anticipate training more than 1,000 local physical education instructors in the process.
Jagannatha Kumar, Head, Reliance Foundation commented, "We are happy to announce the expansion of our Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme for the second year in succession and are confident that this initiative will instill strong values in the children in their formative years. It is very gratifying to learn that the implementation and the start of the program is eagerly awaited not only by the children but also by their parents, as they too are looking forward for their children to excel in sports! This program is also aimed at unlocking the aspirational energy of the youth in our country by allowing young upcoming talents to blossom. Further, this initiative will empower the youth to participate effectively in making this basketball initiative a great success."
"The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme reflects our commitment to increase participation in basketball among the youth of India, and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle," said Yannick Colaco, Managing Director, NBA India. "The Reliance Foundation continues to be an excellent partner in this commitment, and we look forward to working with the children, coaches and educators from these eight cities."
Reliance Foundation and the NBA have developed a weekly curriculum for coaches to use while teaching basketball to students. In addition, the programme will implement a new three-phase player development system:
Weekly Elite Training Camps: The top boy and girl in each age group - U10, U13, and U16 - from each school will be invited to weekly camps in each city that will be conducted by the coaches and focused on advanced techniques. Each player will be tracked and provided a report card on his or her progress.
Regional Elite Camps: Coaches will conduct an intensive, four-day camp at the conclusion of the programme for the top 80 children in each city.
National Elite Camp: The top 120 youth from all of the eight cities will be selected to attend a four-day national camp conducted by NBA India coaching staff.
The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme also consists of a Train the Trainer program for local coaches, in-school basketball sessions for children in grades 3-10, elite training camps, as well as Hot Shot, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 competitions. Each participating school receives essential equipment to encourage and facilitate participation among its students, including basketballs, whistles, air pumps and coaching guides.
Last year, the programme engaged more than 140,000 youth, 40 percent of whom were female, from 225 schools. The programme trained more than 250 coaches and distributed over 4,500 basketballs to partner schools. NBA legend Muggsy Bogues and WNBA player Swin Cash were in Mumbai and Kochi to conduct coaches and player clinics and support the programme.
Here is complete eight-city schedule for 2014/14 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA programme:
Ludhiana and Jalandhar: Sept. 6 - Nov. 7
Kochi and Kottayam: Sept. 29 - Nov. 29
Delhi: Oct. 6 - Dec. 11
Kolkata: Oct. 17- Dec. 18
Mumbai: Nov. 6 - Feb. 5
Chennai: Nov. 13 - Feb. 7
The Reliance Foundation and the NBA also recently announced a project to install basketball hoops in more than 50 schools across Mumbai as part of their joint commitment to developing basketball infrastructure in India and to facilitate access to the game.
