Hoopdarshan Episode 79: NBA Finals and India's 3x3 topper Dhruv Barman

Episode 79 of Hoopdarshan accomplishes two agendas: our reaction to the Toronto Raptors becoming the weirdest NBA champions in years... and the rise of 3x3 basketball in India. Co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok are joined by India's top-ranked FIBA 3x3 player Dhruv Barman who tells us about his unlikely journey into a basketball career and why India's 3x3 can make waves at the Olympics.

Barman honed his basketball skills in Gurgaon and Canada, before returning home two years ago to play for Hyderabad and then Team Delhi in the 3BL league. He played in the recent RedBull Reign finals in Mumbai, which we discussed in Episode 79. The new Hoopdarshan also features Kaushik and Karan's thoughts on the Federation Cup, Yao Ming's visit to India, Anthony Davis' trade to the Lakers, the NBA Draft, free agency, 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 

Northern Spartans from Amritsar triumph in the first ever India Finals of RedBull Reign

Indian Gymkhana, Matunga in Mumbai hosted the first ever India Finals of Red Bull Reign - a unique global 3 on 3 basketball tournament on 8th June 2019. With 16 teams (the winners of the respective 12 city qualifiers and 4 wildcard teams) the national finals witnessed high paced basketball across 39 matches. Amritsar's Northern Spartans defeated Team Drop Step from Goa 17-11 in the final to secure the title, and win their ticket to the RedBull Reign World Championship in Toronto later this year.

The winning team were led by the consistent dominance of India's recent national captain Amritpal Singh. He received ample support from Arshpreet Singh Bhullar, Rajvir Singh, and Israel Fernando en route to the title. Northern Spartans had defeated Tune Squad (Delhi-Chandigarh) in the semi-finals 21-14. While on the other side, Team Drop Step reached the final with a tightly-contested win over Income Tax from Ahmedabad, 16-14.

The Red Bull Reign tournaments have been held in over a dozen countries this year. The winners of the Toronto Finals will have a shot at 10,000 USD prize money.

Starting in April 7, Red Bull Reign’s 3x3 was held across 12 cities: Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Aizawl, Guwahati, Delhi, Ludhiana and Jaipur. The city winners from each event came to Mumbai on June 8 to battle it out for the national championship. Four ‘wildcard’ teams, featuring some of the top players in India, were also added to the finals fray. A number of India's other top players took part in the finals in Mumbai, including India’s number 1 ranked 3x3 player Dhruv Barman, Mizoram’s star guard Lalrina Renthelei, Sowkin Shetty, Pratyanshu Tomar, Vinay Kaushik, and more.

Top 3x3 teams from around the country head to Mumbai for Red Bull Reign National Finals

After a two-month, 12-city tour around India, featuring high-level 3x3 basketball action and some of the top present and future talents in India, the first-ever Red Bull Reign season in India will conclude in Mumbai with the national finals on June 8, 2019. The 12 winners of each city's event, plus four wildcard teams, will play out for the national crown at the Indian Gymkhana in Mumbai.

Starting on April 7, the basketball tournament was held in Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Aizawl, Guwahati, Delhi, Ludhiana and Jaipur. This event is a continuation of Red Bull Reign events around the world, including the USA, UK, Canada, Philippines, and more. The National Finals winners in Mumbai will get an opportunity to represent India at the World Finals in United States.

National Finalists

• Team Clutch (Bengaluru)
• Team Phoenix (Chennai)
• Team Loyala (Hyderabad)
• Income Tax (Ahmedabad)
• Team Customs (Pune)
• Team Dropset (Goa)
• Eklaavya Society (Jaipur)
• NFR A (Guwahati)
• Team BBQ Chicken (Aizawl)
• Team Singh (Mumbai)
• Team Punjab Warriors (Ludhiana)
• Team Income Tax A (Delhi)
• Northern Spartans (Wildcard)
• Tune Squad (Wildcard)
• Sports U (Wildcard)
• Excellence (Wildcard)

A number of top Indian players are expected to take part in the day of the national finals, including Amritpal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Yadwinder Singh, Arshpreet Bhullar, Lalrina Renthelei, Vinay Kaushik, and Ravi Bhardwaj.

Hoopdarshan Episode 75: 2019 NBA Playoffs Preview with Akshay Manwani

To preview the upcoming NBA playoffs, NBA analyst and commentator Akshay Manwani joins Hoopdarshan's co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss the battle-royale in the East, the greatness of Giannis and Harden, the challengers to Golden State in the West, and the players, teams, and moments that have defined this NBA season so far.

In addition, Kaushik and Karan also discuss recent Indian basketball news, including the hiring of new head coach Veselin Matic, the launch of Red Bull Reign in India, and the Indian Basketball Hall of Fame.



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 

Red Bull Reign to bring new 3x3 basketball tournament to India for the first time

If you haven't yet heard, 3x3 basketball is the exciting new flavour of the game. And while India struggles to launch its 5x5 ambitions into the higher gear, the shorter, quicker format has swooped in to take over. India has had relatively more success this decade in international 3x3 events, the 3x3BL league made big news in its first season touring all over the country, top Indian 3x3 teams took part in international tournaments over the past year, and the Basketball Federation of India even flirted with their own 3x3 league.

Now, a new contender is set to enter the crowded halfcourt.

Starting in a few weeks, Red Bull Reign will bring its rising international 3x3 competition to India for the first time. Red Bull has invited ballers from across the country to test their skills at this tournament. (via Business Standard).

Starting on April 7, the basketball tournament will be held across 12 cities: Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Goa, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Aizawl, Guwahati, Delhi, Ludhiana and Jaipur. The city winners will battle it out at the national final in Mumbai in the first week of June and the India winner will represent the country at the World Finals later in the year.

Red Bull Reign has been held around the world in recent years, including the USA, Canada, and UK. The competition is open for men who are 16+ years.