Indian basketball player Satnam Singh signs with St. John's Edge of Canada's NBL

Satnam Singh's sensational basketball journey - from far-off Punjabi village to the elite IMG Academy to the NBA Draft, the G-League, and the Indian national team - has taken another new twist. On Thursday, September 6, the St. John's Edge of Canada's National Basketball League (NBL) announced that they have signed Satnam to a one-year contract for the 2018-19 season.

Satnam - a 7-foot-2 center from Ballo Ke village in Punjab - is the first and only Indian to be drafted to the NBA (Dallas Mavericks) and the first Indian to play in the G-League (Texas Legends). After two years with the Legends, Satnam returned to play for India's national team back home for the past one and half years. He was also the subject of the Netflix documentary "One in a Billion" in 2016.

After playing for the IMA Academy in Florida from age 14-19, Satnam declared for the 2015 NBA Draft and was picked 52nd in the second round by the Mavericks. He never made an NBA appearance but played for the Mavericks' Summer League team and their G-League affiliate, the Legends. During his two seasons with the Legends, Satnam averaged 1.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 7.1 minutes per game. He shot .410 (16-for-39) from the field and .588 (10-for-17) at the free throw line. He has played for India at various major international events, including the three senior FIBA Asia Cups/Championships (2011, 2013, 2017).

The contract and negotiation with St. John’s Edge and Satnam was facilitated by Cornerstone Sport, a sport management and talent representation agency, which exclusively manages Indian skipper Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and others. Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport, said, "India is a young, emotional country and always looking for icons to look up to. And Basketball as a sport has always been popular in India. Satnam Singh, his journey this far and now signing with the Edge in Canada gives us all someone to look forward to, to follow and encourage."

"I am really excited to be a part of St John’s Edge," said Satnam. "It's a very proud moment, and I am sure this will encourage many others to pick up basketball as a career. I am very thankful to everyone who supported me and helped me become who I am today."

I interviewed Satnam briefly on Friday morning, where he added, "I am happy that I will get playing time, which I didn't get in my stint with the NBA/G-League. I had been in India for one and a half years and didn't find any opportunities beyond the Indian national team. I want to make the most of this chance to improve my game as much as possible over there. I feel that I will play with a lot of good players who will help me improve, and from there I hope to make it back to the NBA."

Dough Plumb, Head Coach, St. John's Edge said in a press release, "We’re excited to add Satnam to our team, he brings a history of NBA and International playing pedigree to our team. It’s remarkable to truly understand where he’s come from and where he is today. This is a great signing not only for our organisation but for our league."

The NBL of Canada was founded in 2011 and expanded to ten teams - including the St. John's Edge - in 2017. In their inaugural season in 2017-18, the Edge finished second in the Central Division and were defeated in the Division Finals (league semi-finals) by the eventual winners, London Lightning.

Hoopdarshan Episode 62: Satnam Singh returns to Indian Basketball

Indian basketball star Satnam Singh makes his 3rd appearance on the Hoopdarshan podcast, joining hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to talk about his return to India, experiences of playing in the NBA G-League, and future ambitions for an NBA return. Satnam was the first NBA draft pick from India, played for the Texas Legends for two years, was the subject of the documentary 'One in a Billion', and is now preparing to help India in the Asian Games later this year.

Kaushik and Karan also discussed the passing of Indian basketball coaching legend Rajesh Patel, the results of the Junior Nationals, and broke down some of the most-compelling story-lines from the NBA Conference Finals



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 

How the G-League has become a stepping stone for India’s NBA dreams

This article was first published in my 'Hoopistani' column on The Times of India Sports on November 4, 2017. Read the original version here.

Amjyot Singh is used to being a centrepiece on the basketball court. For the past six years, the 25-year-old, 6-foot-8 power forward has never played for a basketball team where he hasn’t featured in a leading role. He has been India’s leading scorer for half a decade of international competitions, starred at the domestic level for IOB (Chennai), Punjab Police, and the UBA League’s Delhi Capitals, and even when playing professionally abroad, has been a game-changer for successful teams in the Summer and Development Leagues in Japan.

But on a Friday night in Oklahoma City, deep in the Great Plains of central United States, Amjyot was sidelined. He sat on the bench through the whole game as the Oklahoma City Blue—the NBA G-League team that had drafted him two weeks earlier—secured a tense comeback victory over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. It was the first time since he was a wide-eyed teenager in Chandigarh that he wasn’t an important contributor to his squad.

And yet, he would count it as one of the greatest days of his life.

Just two days before the game, Amjyot had secured his place in the final roster of the Blue, ensuring a contract with the team and suiting up in the team’s blue-and-white jersey. The day before the game, Amjyot posed proudly in his new ‘Singh 13’ jersey.

On his nonguaranteed contract, his future is blurry. He could be cut in the chance of an injury, of another prospect, or a player sent down from the Blue’s NBA’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is likely to be the last man off the bench on the Blue’s roster until he proves his worth. But even in these uncertain times, the G-League possibility has shown him a path forward to his dreams that international prospects like him couldn’t even have envisioned several years ago.

The NBA, the world’s finest basketball association, launched their official Development League in 2001 with just eight teams, but with the ambition for it to eventually become into a true minor league ‘farm’ system to develop talent. Over the past decade and a half, this minor league has grown rapidly. Now, the recently renamed ‘G-League’ has 26 teams, each with a one-to-one affiliation with an NBA franchise. Over the past four years, around 15 percent of G-League players have received “call-ups” to play in the NBA.

The NBA remains every basketball player’s ultimate destination, the finest level of the game with promise of legacy, competition, fame, and money. But only the rarest of the rare cases make it to this stage.

Most other hoop dreamers around the world have to settle for other options. Players in North America have had a competitive NCAA college basketball circuit and other minor leagues. Professional leagues around the world—from Europe to China to Australia—have been alternative tickets to basketball success for so many others while they kept their NBA ambitions alive.

But the expanded presence of the G-League has helped create the most direct secondary option for players who are on the cusp of an NBA roster, who need to refine and retool their games enough to make those dreams come true. Additionally, it has become an option for NBA teams to stack their assets, to oversee young, raw players develop into future potential contributors.

Two and a half years ago, Punjab-born seven-footer Satnam Singh made history when he became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA. Satnam was picked by the Dallas Mavericks, who immediately placed him in their minor league affiliate squad Texas Legends. Satnam played for the Legends for two years, earning bit minutes off the bench and never impressing enough to warrant an NBA call-up. Last month, he announced that he would be leaving the G-League behind to continue his basketball journey back home in India.

Last year, Palpreet Singh, another Punjabi big man, was drafted into the G-League by the Long Island Nets, but he never made the team’s final roster after training camp.

When he was drafted with the 103rd pick of the 2017 draft (the 25th pick of the fourth and final round) by the Blue, Amjyot became the third Indian citizen in a space of three years to begin an affair with the G-League.

Amjyot is the eldest, most-experienced, and most talented of the three, but still no closer to playing in the NBA itself. No Indian has yet made an NBA debut. The rise of the G-League, however, has suddenly opened new doors for Indian prospects. Realistically, his path to the NBA is still highly improbable; but thanks to the G-League, players like him can begin to envision the path for the first time.

As the league’s profile continues to rise, watch for many more Indians to follow on Satnam, Palpreet, and Amjyot’s footsteps in the near future. One of those players will eventually become a centrepiece for their team, become a G-League star, and make the next big leap and become the first Indian in the NBA.

Short of NBA opportunities, basketball trail-blazer Satnam Singh returns to India

This article was first published in my blog for The Times of India Sports on October 12, 2017. Click here to read the original piece.

In the climactic moment to the documentary about him “One in a Billion”, Satnam Singh is in New York City, being driven to the 2015 NBA Draft. It is a life-changing convention that turns selected amateur athletes into full professionals in the world’s most-prestigious basketball league. Even at 19, Satnam has already lived numerous lifetimes: with the help of basketball, he has gone from a small, nondescript Punjabi village to an American education and world-class basketball training at the IMG Basketball Academy in Florida.

Now, he is en route to discover his destiny, suited in his sharpest gear, but looking as nervous as you would ever see a seven-foot giant. He is about to find out if years of toil and turmoil will lead him to the ultimate glory: a selection in the NBA, making him the first Indian citizen to be drafted into the league in its seven-decade history.

In the car on the way to the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, Satnam talks to the agents and friends and mentions how Yao Ming opened the door for basketball in China. Someone tells him encouragingly, that he, too, has already opened the door. Satnam, in broken English, a language barrier that haunted him in his days at the IMG Academy, responds, “Just opened the lock,” he says with a sly smile. “Not door. Just opened the lock.”

A few hours later, history will be made. The NBA’s Deputy Commissioner will call Satnam’s name on behalf of the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd pick of the draft. A young man’s life—and an entire country’s basketball expectations—will never be the same again.

Little did Satnam know that, his words on Draft Day would become a self-prophecy. After being drafted, Satnam spent the next two years with the Maverick’s affiliate team in the NBA’s minor basketball league (NBA G-League) team Texas Legends. He played only 7.1 minutes per game in 27 appearances over two years, averaging just 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds. The NBA dream and those over-enthused Yao Ming comparisons seemed to loom too far in the horizon.

Satnam was right: by getting drafted, he had only unlocked the possibility of an Indian even making it into the conversation of NBA athletes. The door for him still remained shut.

Earlier this week, frustrated with lack of opportunity and playing time, Satnam told gathered reporters at an event organised by the General Nutrition Centre in Mumbai that he had decided to return to India to develop his game.

“I had a big problem with no playing time at NBA,” Satnam said to India Today. “I would lose my mind.”

Now, he is hoping that India, and added opportunity, will help him showcase his skillset again. With additional competitive time on court, he hopes to improve this game as well as attract the attention of scouts again.

“If I play here, I will get more game time and my game will improve,” he said to The Field. “I just want to play and work on my skills and moves. If I want to improve my game, I will need somebody who I can work with.”

His decision is somewhat surprising, considering that Satnam joined fellow Punjabi baller TJ Sahi to comment last month that there was “no future” for basketball in India and aspiring players should look for opportunities abroad.

The lack of elite-level competition and no full-time professional league has hampered the growth and opportunities for numerous Indian basketball stars, which is why, many of our top current players—Amritpal Singh, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Amjyot Singh—are looking for professional opportunities abroad. Satnam, who blazed the trail (while still being the youngest of them all) seems to have taken a step back to his roots.

“Now I have come back to India. I will play for the Indian team,” Satnam said to India Today. “I will work on my game as much as I can. I will play for Punjab, any small tournament. I want playing time. The more I play my game will improve.”

Satnam’s last foray with the Indian national team - at the prestigious FIBA Asia Cup in Lebanon in August - didn’t go as well as he would have expected. He was not in ideal game shape and was behind Amritpal, Amjyot, and Arvind Annadurai in the big man rotation. He played less than nine minutes per game and couldn’t help India as they lost all three of their preliminary round games.

If he continues to stay fit, however, he should have no trouble eventually getting playing time in India. He will likely play for Punjab in national tournaments and hopefully find a place for himself in the UBA Basketball League. He will have to evolve his style to fit into the faster pace of the game, which was part of his struggle in breaking into the Texas Legends line-up back in the United States, too.

By returning to India for more playing opportunity, Satnam will be sacrificing the exposure, facilities, and competition that was available to him in the US. Could playing without a fully professionalised league, against inferior opponents, with worse coaching and infrastructure, truly help him find future international opportunities?

From farming in the Ballo Ke village in Punjab to rubbing shoulders with the best in the basketball world, Satnam has already taken Indian basketball further than anyone before him. Indeed, he has unlocked the door to the NBA. Hopefully he - or a successor — will kick it wide open very soon.

The company of giants

India has made basketball history without their most popular basketball player. Now, as Satnam Singh returns to the national team, could he lead the team to further greatness?

This article was first published in my blog for The Times of India on April 21, 2017. Click here for the original piece.

Years before he made history by becoming the first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, Satnam Singh was asked to punch far above his weight. He was a 15-year-old giant when he was selected to make his debut for India’s men’s national team in 2011 by head coach Kenny Natt. Natt had decided to inject some youth and size into the men’s roster for the Middle Asia Zone qualifiers in New Delhi. Satnam was to become the youngest-player to ever don a Senior India basketball jersey, but a couple of other teenage Punjabi talents – Amjyot Singh Gill and Amritpal Singh – were picked to make their senior debuts, too.

I was present at the Thyagraj Stadium for that qualifying round – Natt, Satnam, Amjyot, and Amritpal’s first senior international outings – when India showed glimpses of their future potential with comfortable wins at home against South Asian opponents. Later that year, this team headed to China for the FIBA Asia Championship and underperformed, but the seeds of the future had been sown. In these three teenagers, India had found the size they were looking for.

Fast forward nearly six years, and the Indian basketball side finds itself in much better shape. Natt provided the spark, which was lit brighter by his successor Scott Flemming, and it continued to shine even after Flemming’s departure. Over the last few years, led by Amjyot, Amritpal, star shooting-guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, and a deep supporting cast, India has twice defeated Asia’s top-ranked team China in international competitions, and most recently, had their best basketball performance in nearly three decades with a 7th place finish at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran.

Although we have improved on various fronts, the true key to unlock this ‘golden era’ of sorts has been the maturation of our bigs. Amjyot (25 – 6-foot-8) and Amritpal (25 – 6-foot-10) have become one of the most formidable frontcourts in Asia, and their talents have taken them to play professionally in Japan, declare for the NBA’s D-League, and be invited to the NBL Draft Combine in Australia. Right behind them, players like Palpreet Singh Brar and Rikin Pethani have given us depth in that frontcourt, too: Palpreet (23 – 6-foot-9), in particular, has improved rapidly and became the first Indian to be drafted in the NBA D-League last year (although he never earned a roster spot). Veteran forward Yadwinder Singh (30 – 6-foot-6) is still an important part of the national team and impressed at the NBA Combine recently in Australia, too.

The only one missing from the equation has been Satnam (21 – 7-foot-2), the young man who became the poster boy of Indian basketball when he was drafted to the NBA by the Dallas Mavericks in 2015. Satnam, who was recruited to play at the IMG Academy in the United States as a 14-year-old in 2010, hasn’t played for India since 2013. Instead, he has spent the last few years improving his skills in the USA and playing for the NBA D-League team Texas Legends.

His absence has allowed Amjyot, Amritpal, and Palpreet to blossom into stars and India has, ironically, made basketball history without their most popular basketball player.

In a few months, it is all set to change. The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup – Asia’s most-prestigious basketball championship which will feature top teams from Oceania for the first time – is set to take place in Lebanon in August. With Amjyot, Amritpal, and Bhriguvanshi already in top form, India were looking poised to make some major noise and significantly improve their low FIBA World Ranking (currently 53rd). But earlier this week, the BFI announced that Satnam will be returning to the national team after a four-year hiatus. If all the available players are healthy, India will have its best-possible pool of talent to choose from for Lebanon.

The reunion of Satnam with Amjyot, Amritpal, and Yadwinder, alongside the younger wave of big men in contention like Palpreet, Pethani, Arvind Arumugam, Aravind Annadurai, and Ravi Bhardwaj have given India a sudden embarrassment of riches in the power forward and center positions. Counting the backcourt, only twelve can make the final roster for the FIBA Asia Cup; whoever will be appointed the team’s head coach (the last man in charge was Bhaskar Sappaniambalam for the Super Kung Sheung Cup in Hong Kong) will have the headache of sifting through these company of giants to pick six for Lebanon.

Furthermore, the coach will have to decide if he will continue to start with the successful duo of Amjyot and Amritpal and relegate Satnam – he of worldwide hype and NBA D-League experience – to the bench.

My pick for the starting five will be to stick with Amjyot and Amritpal; between the two of them, they have given India incredible frontcourt versatility over the last three years and formed a close bond from playing together in Japan. Amritpal, an elite post defender, plays closer to the basket on both ends of the floor. Amjyot has developed into a threat from both the perimeter and the post and helps space the floor for Amritpal in the middle. Satnam is a solid rim protector, can finish from inside and out and is stronger than both Amjyot and Amritpal. But he is slower on his feet and inexperienced with the national team.

At the FIBA Asia Challenge last year, India defeated Philippines and China to enter the Quarter-Final stage, where they were stopped by eventual winners, Iran. Iran featured Hamed Haddadi, the 7-foot-2 behemoth dominant center, who tormented India with 17 points and 23 rebounds in this crucial game. It will be in situations like these, going against elite strong players in the post, where Satnam’s presence will be most valuable, and India’s depth at the big man position will give us a fighting chance.

The bigger problem for India, however, is going to be in the backcourt. While Bhriguvanshi has proven to be one of the finer Asian players in his position, India have no other players who can consistently challenge to match the talent and athleticism of other international guards. Expectations will be high for TJ Sahi, Akilan Pari, and rising youngster Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, but without better perimeter options, the Indian lineup will remain flawed.

Despite this unbalance, one of the secrets to India’s recent success has been the team’s chemistry and comfort-level with each other. My hope is that Satnam can intermingle his game smoothly with our other top players without disturbing this chemistry. The best-case scenario for India will be if he can master the delicate equilibrium between being at his individual best while playing within the team system.

All of Asia and Oceania’s top qualifying teams – China, Philippines, Iran, Japan, Lebanon, Australia, and New Zealand – will be sending their best-possible rosters for the prestigious tournament this year. With Satnam, Amjyot, Amritpal, Vishesh, and Palpreet on the roster, India may have, on paper, our greatest team ever. Could they lead the national team to further greatness?

Abhishek Bachchan ready to play Satnam Singh in a biopic - if Satnam wins an NBA championship

The following statements are the truth:

- Abhishek Bachchan is an Indian actor, star of Bollywood hits like Dhoom, Dostana, Bunty Aur Babli, Guru, and Sarkar, and the son of India's most-respected actor ever, Amitabh Bachchan.

- Satnam Singh was the first Indian basketball player to be drafted into the NBA in 2015 and plays for the D-League team Texas Legends. His extraordinary story from poor Punjabi village of Ballo Ke to the NBA Draft was captured in the recent documentary One in a Billion.

- Bachchan is apparently a huge NBA fan, specifically of the Lakers, and has had interactions with the Laker great Magic Johnson. He was the first (and only) Indian to ever take part in the NBA All Star Celebrity Game in 2015, displaying his exceptionally limited basketball skills. He was also the brand ambassador of India's NBA Store and has often professed his hopes to help basketball grow in India.

- A few days ago, Satnam Singh said that, if a biopic was made of his life, Indian actors Akshay Kumar and Abhishek Bachchan would be "best suited" for the role.

- On Monday, Bachchan responded to the story on Twitter by saying that he would do the biopic - for free, too - if Satnam can win an NBA championship.

- Bachchan is 6-foot-2 and 40-year-old. Satnam is 7-foot-1 and 21-years-old. Satnam knows how to play basketball. Bachchan knows how to act.

- Satnam has yet to play an NBA game. Although he is never going to be an NBA star, there is still a possibility that the big guy gets signed on to a fringe role by an NBA team. Satnam's chances of winning an NBA championship would depend highly on a perfect situation of playing for a team that both has the space/requirement for a big guy of his skillset and the talent to beat the top contenders in the league for the title. Think DJ Mbenga from the 2009-2010 back-to-back champion Lakers' squads.

The following statements are the 'alternative facts':

- The Golden State Warriors will sign Satnam as a backup, where he immediately becomes 'The Splash Singh'. Satnam will join a roster that already includes Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala. He would be the umpteenth big man option behind Green, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee, David West, Anderson Varejao, Kevin Looney, James McAdoo, and Damian Jones.

- In the 2017 NBA Finals - round three between the Cavaliers and the Warriors - Golden State would lose Draymond Green after another accidental kung-fu reflex moment, Zaza to the Georgian parliament, McGee after he Shaqted-a-Fool one too many times, Varejao and David West to old age, and Looney, McAdoo and Damian Jones to foul trouble. In this moment of desperation, they would call upon The Behemoth of Ballo Ke, The Punjabi Premier of the Paint, to save the day in Game 7. In seven invaluable minutes of action, Satnam would set up important screens for open jumpers for Curry, Durant, and Thompson, outrebound Tristan Thompson, deny LeBron easy access to the basket, and pick up six quick fouls to destroy Cleveland's comeback momentum.

- Warriors will win the 2017 NBA Title and Satnam Singh will get his championship ring.

- In 2020, when Abhishek Bachchan is in his mid-40s, he will requires the help of India's finest computer graphic designers to make him a foot taller and 30-years younger. He will play Satnam from age 15-25 in India's greatest sporting biopic film of all time.

- 'King Singh: The Sikh With Da Sickness' will break all the box office records, win Bachchan all the Filmfare Awards, and become India's choice for Oscars' 'Best Foreign Language film', obviously winning that award, too.

- The film's popularity will make basketball one of the most popular sports in India and earn Satnam an honorary place as 'Basketball Ambassador' in the Hall of Fame.

- Satnam will eventually co-star in a travel show alongside Stephen Curry called 'The Curry-wallahs: Basketball and Butter Chicken from Ballo Ke to the Bay Area'.

Thank you for your time.

Is Satnam Singh going to become a WWE Wrestler? The hoops nation wants to know

Sigh.

Satnam Singh, the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA, a player for the D-League squad Texas Legends, and the star of the inspirational documentary "One in a Billion", now seems to have enough time in his hands (he has played less than four minutes total for the Legends in the D-League season) to try out another outlet that could magnify his size, strength, and international appeal: WWE Wrestling.

Last week, Satnam, who plays and lives in Frisco, Texas, traveled to Orlando, Florida for a special event with other international athletes at the WWE Performance Center. With the permission of the Legends, Satnam participated in a workout session at the facility, which was opened in 2013 and is home to WWE’s talent developmental system.

The story was covered in much greater detail on the Indian Express by Shahid Judge, a write-up that included WWE's statement: "Satnam Singh participated in the workouts alongside WWE recruits this week, taking their exploratory steps inside the squared circle. Satnam was at the WWE Performance Centre in Orlando for tryouts from January 3. He had a few pro athletes along with him and if selected, he’ll be offered a contract and he’ll become a Superstar of WWE."

Satnam was joined at the visit to the WWE in Orlando by “American Ninja Warrior” sensation Kacy Catanzaro, and New Orleans Saints linebacker Kasim Edebali.

Now, I don't have any particular qualms with the WWE; as a matter of fact, I've been a fan of fake professional wrestling (sorry, children, spoiler alert!) since I was kid, since it was called 'WWF', since the days of British Bulldog, Tatanka, and The Undertaker all the way through to the years of Stone Cold, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and the Dudley Boyz. I've been choke-slammed in "practice" by my elder brother and have tag-teamed with friends to '3D' unsuspecting classmates. I'm appreciative of its existence in the realm of 'sports entertainment', as long as we all know that its less competitive sport and more scripted entertainment.

But now, with the WWE lurking to potentially entice India's most-famous basketball name, I wonder if his basketball dreams are going to be sacrificed, if 'sports entertainment' will take the place of 'sports'.

Satnam's manager Sunny Gill, however, made it very clear to Judge in the Indian Express story that basketball remains the big man's top priority.

They (WWE) were very interested in him and invited him to check out their facility. They made him an offer, but we did not accept. Right now he’s pursuing his NBA dream and basketball is the main focus,” says Sunny Gill, Bhamara’s manager.
Bhamara though enthusiastically travelled to Orlando, as he holds the possibility of developing a professional wrestling career once he’s done with playing NBA-level basketball. “Satnam also wanted to see the setup there. It’s a good Plan B to have, once basketball ends for him,” Gill adds. “We told them that right now basketball is the focus, but that he can make a few appearances for them during the off-season. When it does not interfere with basketball.”
With the permission of the Texas Legends (his development league team) management, Bhamara participated in a workout session at the WWE’s facility. “His agent was with him, and that’s a high-level NBA agent. So there was nothing done that could jeopardize his basketball career,” Gill asserts.

With his playing time in the D-League limited, the WWE can definitely seem like an enticing, and maybe even a more lucrative option. The WWE is a more popular brand than the NBA with folks back home in India, too. But as long as he has the chance to make the most of his basketball talents, to become the first Indian to play in the NBA, to make history, I believe he should keep his hoops dreams as his main focus. Hopefully, nothing he does in the ring jeopardises his future on the court.

We've heard a part of this story before. A giant Singh from a poor Indian family goes to the USA and becomes a pro wrestler. That other Singh was Dalip Singh Rana, who became known as The Great Khali, who joined the WWE in 2006, won their World Heavyweight Title, and also appeared in various films and TV shows. Khali was a major marketing success for the WWE, and with a fervent fan following back in India, Satnam could be, too.

But for now, I am hoping against it. As great as it would be to see Satnam gain 'sports entertainment' popularity, I would much rather see him slamming a basketball on DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis than body-slamming AJ Styles and John Cena.

10 things to look forward to in Indian Basketball in 2017

Indian basketball was a roller-coaster in 2016, providing in equal measures joy and despair to fans and players. While the national men's team made waves with historically great performances, Palpreet Singh was drafted to the D-League, and a new NBA Academy promised to hone the nation's best youth talents, there were some downers, too, like the cancellation of basketball at the South Asian Games, the banning of 122 individuals of the UBA by the BFI, and a major setback for the U18 Women's team.

Still, there is a little more to celebrate than to mourn, and I'll be looking forward to 2017 with optimism. A new FIBA calendar, the rise of new talented players, and a whole host of domestic and foreign events will capture the imagination of Indian basketball fans. Here are 10 things that I'm most looking forward to this year:

1. Fireworks at the Senior National Championship in Puducherry

Every new year in India begins with Indian basketball's biggest domestic event, the Senior National Championship, where dozens of India's men and women teams from around the country come together for a showcase of the best of the country's talent. This year, the Senior Nationals will be held in Puducherry from January 7-14, and as always, will be organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The tournament won't be without controversy, as there is a chance that powerhouse units Railways and Services may not take part in the event. If so, they will be sorely missed; the rest of the fray of talent from Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Delhi, and more will have to do their best to provide fireworks at this championship.

2. More Satnam in the D-League

He may have starred in the riveting documentary 'One in a Billion', but India's first NBA draft pick Satnam Singh continues to play an incredibly small role in his D-League squad, the Texas Legends. So far this season, the 21-year-old has only appeared in three games off the bench for the Legends, playing a total of less than eight minutes in the season. Satnam still harbours dreams of playing in the NBA one day, but without a chance to showcase his skills in the D-League, that dream may be fading away. Hopefully he can earn more minutes and start to make a bigger name for himself.

3. More Indians in leagues abroad

Satnam is just the highest profile Indian citizen playing abroad right now, but there are many more making waves around the world. Palpreet Singh Brar became the first Indian to be drafted directly to the NBA's D-League a few months ago, even if he was dropped just a week later by the Long Island Nets. Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh have already cemented their greatness in Japan's D-League and will once again try to take their talents to the USA later this year. Youth player Harshwardhan Tomar is learning the craft in Italy's Stellazzurra Basketball Academy. Hopefully, more Indian players join their numbers this year, and the likes of Palpreet, Amjyot, and Amritpal take a next step forward.

4. The 24 elite talents for NBA Academy India

The NBA is currently hosting the ACG-NBA Jump programme around the country to find the best players from six top cities in India. The top 24 youngsters - between the ages of 13 to 17 - will be recruited as the first batch of student-athletes at the NBA's groundbreaking elite India Academy. The Academy is set to be opened in the Delhi-NCR region in April 2017. The young students will be provided top-level basketball coaching, fitness training, and infrastructure, as well as provided scholarship for the rest of their school education. Hopefully, this programme can make it easier for the NBA to find, scout, and hone young Indians with potential at an early age and provide them the platform to follow in Satnam's footsteps.

5. FIBA Asia Champions Cup

Just seven months after the previous iteration of Asia's top club championship, the FIBA Asia Champions Cup will return in May 2017. In the tournament's recently-concluded edition in Chenzhou, China, the host nation's loaded squad Kashgar took the gold medal. India's usual representatives - ONGC (Dehradun) - had a poor performance and finished at last place. Hopefully, they can use the failure as motivation to bounce back with a better performance this year.

6. UBA Basketball League - Season 4

The upstart short basketball league, held so far in cities like Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, has already completed three seasons and is aiming ambitiously for a fourth this year. UBA has provided Indian players with another platform to participate in, since the country is yet to have its official BFI-endorsed full professional league. UBA will return for another season with its usual slate of eight squads and hopefully is able to expand to more cities.

7. Can our U16 squads bounce back in continental championships?

Both the 2017 FIBA Asia U16 Championships for Men and Women are currently scheduled for June this year. India's youth players have six months to heal their wounds from two years ago and bounce back with respectable performances. In 2015, the boys' team fell to 13th place in the continent, while the girls' team went without a win and dropped to Level II. India will need concentrated efforts to ensure that the young players who make this year's teams have ample experience and are in good shape as they go out for the championships again this year. The boys should aim for a top 10 finish, and for the girls, the priority will be to return to the higher Level I.

8. A bigger, badder FIBA Asia Cup

New name, new cup, and a bigger challenge for Team India. Asia's biggest basketball tournament, the FIBA Asia Championship, gets a remodel this year as the FIBA Asia Cup. This tournament will feature 16 of the best teams from Asia, and for the first time, from Oceania. This means that, apart from going against continental giants like China, Iran, Korea, and more, India will also have to contend with world-class talents from Australia and New Zealand. If all goes well, I will be hoping for that Amjyot Singh x Ben Simmons matchup! The tournament is set to be held mid-to-late August and will determine the composition of the joint FIBA Asia and FIBA Oceania qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

9. Senior Women, finally returning in international action.

It's been a long time since we've seen India's Senior Women's team in official, international, 5x5 basketball action. Unfortunately, India's women's squad hasn't received the same attention as the men in recent years. Back in mid-2015, India's women took part in the last FIBA Asia Championship, where they returned winless and dropped to Level II. They had another opportunity to get some international exposure last year, but FIBA banned official basketball events at the South Asian Games. India played some games anyways, but they didn't count. This September, finally, the Women will play again. Times have changed, and its unlikely that the legendary Geethu Anna Jose will make a comeback to the team. The new roster with youngsters like Jeena PS will have a chance to script a new story.

10. Hoping against hope: India's professional basketball league?

Every year, I welcome January 1st with the same reoccurring, foolishly-optimistic hope: will this finally be the year when the BFI launches India's professional basketball league? Sports like Cricket, Football, Wrestling, Badminton, Kabaddi, Hockey, etc, etc, etc, have all made the jump to professional leagues. But basketball, one of the world's most popular sport with a long history in India, continues to fall behind. The split within the BFI and the federation's tensions with the government's Ministry of Sports have been major speed-bumps in basketball's progress. Hopefully, this is the year when the BFI can find the right partnerships and take the already existing school/college league platform to the next level, and provide our best players with a proper pro basketball option.

Hoopdarshan Episode 39: Satnam Singh readies for the new NBA D-League season

A little over a year ago, Satnam Singh made history by becoming the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA. After spending a season with the D-League, Satnam readies for another season with the Texas Legends. The 7-foot, 20-year-old phenon makes a comeback on India's finest basketball podcast, Hoopdarshan, to talk to hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about striving for more time to prove his talent, his off-court life in the D-League, NBA ambitions, and finding life-size cutouts of himself around Frisco.

In addition, Hoopdarshan's hosts also discuss Palpreet Singh getting drafted into the NBA D-League, Amjyot Singh and Amritpal Singh's chances in the future.



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 

Indian basketball player Palpreet Singh (22) drafted to the NBA D-League by the Long Island Nets

During the NBA D-League's All Star Game - the 'D' stands for 'Development' - there used to be an event showcased as the 'Dream Factory', which includes a series of basketball skills competitions. 'Dream Factory' is a catchy, positive name for the event, but it also represents the larger aspirations of the D-League: it serves as an important rung in the ladder for basketball players to realise their higher goals, the NBA, the ultimate dream.

On Sunday, October 30th, over 180 aspirants entered the D-League's draft to climb up to that important rung in fulfilling their dream. The Erie BayHawks picked first, selecting Anthony Brown as the first new entrant into the Dream Factory. And for the next few hours, over a course of six rounds, a total of 22 teams drafted the rights to many more players.

But this year's D-League draft was extra special, because first for the first time, it had Indian representation. Three international Indian talents, all bigs in their early 20s from Punjab - Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Singh, and Palpreet Singh - had signed eligibility contracts for the draft. By the end of the night, Palpreet Singh, the youngest of the trio with the most exposure to D-League squads over recent months, was the only one drafted.

Palpreet Singh Brar, a 6-foot-9 power forward born in a village in south western Punjab, was picked 11th in the sixth round of the NBA D-League draft (80th overall) by the Long Island Nets, an affiliate of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets. Palpreet thus became the first Indian to ever be drafted into the NBA D-League. The selection paid off six months of concentrated efforts by NBA India and Palpreet to get in shape for the draft, succeed in the D-League open tryouts, and work with teams in individual workouts. Now that he has been drafted, Palpreet will be part of the Long Island Nets training squad from which 10 players will be picked for the final squad.

The D-League already features another Indian, Satnam Singh, who last summer made history by becoming the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA (Dallas Mavericks) and has since been stashed into the D-League's Texas Legends.

"I am happy with the efforts I have put in and I will continue to work hard with Long Island Nets as this is just the beginning," Palpreet said, quoted earlier today by the Indian Express.

Born in the village of Doda in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, Palpreet was introduced to the game by his father when he was 16. His raw talent and potential carried him over to Ludhiana, the city, which has become Punjab and India’s model basketball nursery, where he was briefly roommates with Satnam. Palpreet’s big international breakthrough came with India’s junior squad at the 2012 FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Mongolia. Over the next three years, he played for India’s senior team and secured a backup spot behind our current superstar Punjabi frontcourt of Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh. He was part of the Indian squad that defeated China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.

The biggest break of his young career when he won the first-ever ACG-NBA Jump Programme. The programme was a first-of-its-kind talent search programme to find the best young basketball player in India. After scouring through multiple cities over several months, ACG-NBA Jump held a final with 32 of the best players in Greater Noida, from whom Palpreet shined brightest and emerged as national champ. With his victory, he won an opportunity to be trained by NBA level coaches and participate in the 2016 NBA Development League tryouts. After being picked, Brar underwent a 45-day rigorous camp in Kerala to build up his fitness, agility and strength to NBA standards, before heading to the USA to continue his workouts and impress at the D-League tryouts.

Palpreet comes from a humble, farming background. His father, Phirjinder Singh Brar, shared his joy with The Tribune earlier. "I got a phone call around 2 am on Monday that Palpreet was picked by the Long Islands Net in the NBA D-League. This is the best Diwali gift to us and a proud moment for the family of farmers." He is currently posted as a travelling ticket examiner (TTE) with the Railways in Ludhiana.

The Long Island Nets acquired the draft rights of five players, including Palpreet, on Sunday.

While it was a great day for Palpreet, his fellow Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) alums Amjyot Singh (24) and Amritpal Singh (25) didn't share his luck. Neither of the two big men - two of India's finest players - were picked on Sunday afternoon, despite being superstars on the Asian stage and playing at a high level last year in Japan's D-League. Unlike Palpreet, who was given the resources to prepare for the draft and gained recognition with the D-League teams over the last few months, Amjyot and Amritpal were busy with the Indian national team and were relatively unknown to the D-League. Despite having a bigger impact back home, their older age and the mystery behind their games may have forced several teams to pass them over.

Still, it's not all gloom and doom for the duo. Amjyot and Amritpal will surely have gained a lot from this exposure at the D-League draft as now, at least, their names are being mentioned as potential free agents. For now, they will be hoping to work out with some teams and possibly earn free agent contracts. For the future, they can take heed from Palpreet's success and realize that a few months of concentrated hard work could prepare them for the D-League stage, too.

Meanwhile, Palpreet will hope to fight for his place at the Nets' training camp and hopefully gain a roster spot before the new D-League season begins. If he makes it, he will join Satnam Singh as the second Indian in the league. We are hoping that both of them can continue to impress so that, soon, the 'Dream Factory' turns their NBA fantasies into a reality!

Amjyot Singh eligible for NBA D-League draft: "Aim is to be first Indian in the NBA."

The Singh Factor in the NBA D-League has doubled its chances of doubling this season.

Chandigarh's Amjyot Singh Gill, probably the finest basketball player from India right now, will finally get his best shot at high-level glory soon. The six-foot-nine, 24 year old forward has signed a contract with the NBA D-League and he will now be eligible for the D-League's draft on October 30th.

The D-League already features India's first NBA draftee Satnam Singh, who is signed for the Texas Legends. A few weeks ago, it was announced that the ACG-NBA Jump winner Palpreet Singh signed a D-League contract for draft eligibility. Amjyot's signing will mean that now, there will be two Indians hoping for a roster spot on Draft Day. If all goes well, there could be three giant Singhs hooping, and hopefully, dominating the NBA's Development League very soon!

OVer the last few years, Amjyot has truly made a mark on basketball in India and further around the Asian continent. With his performances for the national team, he has emerged as the best All-Round talent and one of the top superstars of the Indian national team. Abroad, he has excelled for the Tokyo Excellence in the Japanese D-League and made waves in the FIBA 3x3 tour in Tokyo. Most recently, he helped India to their best international basketball performance in 27 years with a 7th place finish at the FIBA Asia Challenge in Iran.

The six-round NBA D-League draft is set to feature more than 200 draft-eligible players, and out of these, Amjyot will be fighting to be among the top 130 odd players who usually get drafted. If Amjyot gets drafted he will have to report to the team within a day or two for an 8-10 day training camp. All players, including Amjyot will be assessed on various physical (such as strength and conditioning) and game parameters (individual and team based basketball skills such as shooting, defence, rebounding, special awareness, passing etc.). If Amjyot suitably impresses then he has a chance to become an official D-League player in any of the 22 D-League teams currently affiliated to their parent franchise in the NBA.

D-League teams often work as development schools or 'feeders' to their parent NBA franchises. Over the last three seasons around 15% of NBA D-League athletes (or an average of 39 players per season) have been called up to the NBA. In a phone interview from Chandigarh, Amjyot expressed that his goal was to keep rising all the way up.

"I'm feeling really good about this news, but I'm also a little nervous. This is once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Amjyot told me. "My personal aim is to become the first Indian to play in the NBA."

Amjyot's former Punjab and India teammate Satnam Singh was drafted in the NBA and has played in the D-League for one season, but hasn't yet received an NBA call-up. Last summer, Indo-Canadian Sim Bhullar became the first player of Indian-origin to play in the NBA.

While Palpreet worked his way on to the D-League's radar by winning the ACG-NBA Jump - a talent scouting programme in India - earlier this year, Amjyot's success came from the work he has put in over the past few years in competitive games in India and abroad. Scouts from around the world have noted his talent, and he told me that the news of the D-League contract was broken to him during the FIBA Asia Challenge last month by NBA India's Carlos Barroca. His management team - Pursuit - were one of the major forces in helping him realize this dream.

"This is a big step forward for both Amjyot as well as Indian basketball," said Vishnu Ravi Shankar, Amjyot's manager and the business head of Pursuit. "He has earned the right to be in the D-League draft based purely on his performances with the Indian national team and professionally in Japan. If called up, we have no doubt he can make a splash in the D-League, which would in turn open a world of opportunity for him."

In his most recent international outing - the FIBA Asia Challenge - Amjyot helped India to a 4-4 final record, averaging 12.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was one of the stars of the Japan's D-League last season alongside his India teammate Amrit Pal Singh. He helped the Tokyo Excellence win the D-League title on the back of 13.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game over 35 games, playing 21 minutes per game.

Before the draft, Amjyot will first head to Dubai for the FIBA 3x3 World Championships with the Team Hamamatsu, comprising of all Indian-origin player. After that, he will await word from the D-League about his future status.

"From my side, I'm working on improving my individual skills and strength in preparation for the D-League," Amjyot said. "I will especially focus on improving my stamina."

The NBA D-League's 16th season begins on Nov. 11 with a record 22 teams. Following the draft, teams will hold training camps beginning on Oct. 31, and will trim their rosters to 10 players on Nov. 10, before the start of the season.

India's Palpreet Singh signs D-League contract and will be eligible to be drafted next month

India's basketball expectations are about to get updated once again. Palpreet Singh (21), the winner of the ACG-NBA Jump - India's first national basketball talent search programme - has now signed a contract with the NBA's D-League. This contract makes him eligible to be drafted in the NBDL on their draft night on October 30, 2016. Palpreet hopes to become the second Indian national to play in the D-League, following in the footsteps of Satnam Singh of the Texas Legends, the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA.

Palpreet Singh is a 6-foot-9 power forward originally from Sri Muktsar Sahib in south western Punjab. His big international breakthrough came with India’s junior squad at the 2012 FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Mongolia. Over the next three years, he played for India’s senior team and secured a backup spot behind our current superstar Punjabi frontcourt of Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh. He was part of the Indian squad that defeated China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.

Palpreet's potential was spotted by NBA coaches at the ACG-NBA Jump Finals in Greater Noida earlier this year, coaches that included former NBA champion Brian Shaw. With his victory, he won an opportunity to take part in the D-League's National tryouts. Palpreet spent the first half of 2016 working with coaches in India to get his skillset ready for the NBA D-League. In early July, he headed to the USA to continue his training. He began training at the John Lucas Academy in Houston (Texas) and later, took part in the tryouts in New York City in mid-August. He remains on the grind now, still in New York City, where he is practicing with the New York Athletic Club.

The new contract doesn't mean that Palpreet is guaranteed to play in the D-League for the upcoming season; it only guarantees that he'll be among the eighty or so names who will be eligible on draft night.

"This opportunity only comes to a few people, I don’t want to lose it," Palpreet told NBA India over a phone interview recently. "This is a special chance and challenge for me, I want to make the most of it."

"The competition is tough but it is great to know you are competing with the best to play in the best league in the world," he said.

In an interview with the Indian Express' Shahid Judge, NBA India's Senior Director Carlos Barroca, who has followed Palpreet's improvements over the last few years, seemed optimistic of his chances to be drafted.

Off the over 300 hopefuls, the 21-year-old was one of the 80 who were eventually shortlisted to proceed to the draft phase of the selection. Yet within the final list, senior director of NBA India Carlos Barroca asserts the 6-foot-9 athlete has a strong chance of getting selected. “I’d say he’s somewhere in the middle of that 80. Everyone loved him during the trials,” he says.

Years ago, Palpreet Singh and Satnam Singh shared a common room at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA), Punjab's premier hoops institution where they both trained to become the Indian basketball stars that they are today. Hopefully, the two Punjabis will see their paths cross again across the pond and double the butter chicken order in the D-League for the next season.

Satnam Singh to promote UBAU university basketball in India

Satnam Singh's legacy in the Indian Basketball Hall of Fame is secure. The first Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, Satnam was picked 52nd by the Dallas Mavericks last year and played last season with their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

Now, with an assist back home, Satnam is hoping to make a more direct contribution to the rise of basketball in India.

Earlier this week, Satnam Singh announced that he has signed an alliance with Universal Basketball Alliance University (UBAU) and Elite University Sports Alliance of India (EUSAI) "to aid and enhance the advancement and infiltration of basketball throughout India". UBAU has been organising the All India Inter-Zonal Mens Basketball University Tournament for the last few years and has helped it gain in visibility through TV broadcasts and greater national news coverage. Satnam's role will be to help promote UBAU's national tournament. Going forward, the tournament's Most Valuable Player trophy will be known as "The Satnam Singh MVP Award".

The tournament, known as Indian Insanity, attempts to parallel the USA's March Madness. In addition, it is a rung in the ladder for players to move on to the affiliated UBA basketball league in India.

Ironically, for all his achievements, Satnam didn't attend college himself. He was recruited at 14 by the IMG Academy in Florida, where he played High School basketball, but could not meet the academic expectations to get a college scholarship in the United States. Instead, he declared for the NBA Draft at 19 and was picked by Dallas.

Satnam Singh documentary series "#TheGrind" to be launched by Ball Don't Stop today

Photo via: Ball Don't Stop

For the last ten years, few basketball players on the planet can claim to have matched the life-changing transformation of 7-1 Indian phenon Satnam Singh. Basketball carried Satnam from a tiny farming village in Punjab to become a top junior star for his state, to America as a recruit on scholarship at the IMG Basketball Academy, and eventually, to become the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA. It's been a miraculous journey, a realisation of a daily grind and the work that Satnam put into the game.

But the grind is not yet over. Over the past year, Satnam wrapped his first season with the NBA D-League squad Texas Legends and continues to work hard to reach the next level and play in an NBA game.

To follow Satnam's story, the producers from basketball media outlet and lifestyle brand Ball Don't Stop are launching a new edition of their "#TheGrind" series on their website balldontstop.com on Monday, August 22. Over the weekend Ball Don't Stop and Satnam both shared a preview of the series on their respective Instagram accounts:

The Satnam Singh #Grind series launches on Monday 🔥💪🏾 This is episode one of a career long series that we will be bringing to you 🏀 In his first episode, @HelloSatnam puts in work @VancityStrength 👌🏾🇮🇳 #SatnamSingh #TheGrind #Punjabi #Singh #Vancouver #India

A video posted by www.balldontstop.com (@balldontstop) on Aug 20, 2016 at 9:39pm PDT

Ball Don't Stop is run by their founder and director Ekam Nagra, the Canadian citizen who decided to highlight his Indian roots with this project.

"The Satnam series is a part of our "#TheGrind" series in which we train pro players from around the world who have a unique and cool story," Nagra told me. "Satnam's series was planned by us for a few months but finally came to life when he attended our Battle At The Border event in Vancouver on August 6th, which featured Jamal Crawford and Nav Bhatia. Satnam got a standing ovation at the game from everyone in the arena, a lot of Indians were there and was honoured with an award from Ball Don't Stop and the Canadian Government. It was a great moment."

"The next day we shot our launcher episode. We put him through a strength and conditioning workout at our facility Vancity Strength. This launch episode is just to catch peoples attention; we will be following Satnam throughout his journey to and in the NBA. This will be a huge project for us and as the episodes go on he will be opening up more. This will be shown to over 200,000 fans throughout Ball Don't Stop. It will be on our YouTube channel and debut on Balldontstop.com."

The series Satnam's journey should give basketball fans worldwide an interesting insight into the sacrifices, challenges, and potential glory of following a hoop dream. Hopefully, the journey - in real life as well as in the Ball Don't Stop series - can one day feature Satnam getting his big breakthrough and playing in the NBA!

Satnam Singh returns to the Dallas Mavericks' Summer League roster

A year ago, Satnam shattered a proverbial glass ceiling to become the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA, by the Dallas Mavericks. Satnam never actually earned a call-up to the Mavericks and instead played bit minutes for their D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

Now, for the second year in a row, he'll take part in the Mavericks' Summer League squad in Orlando and Las Vegas for another shot to prove he can run with some of the best young basketball players in the world. The grind continues...

The Dallas Mavericks announced their full roster for the upcoming NBA Summer Leagues, in Orlando (July 2-8) and Las Vegas (July 8-18). Satnam, 20, will be part of the roster for both competitions, and he will be joined in Orlando by other young standouts including Brandon Ashley (Satnam Legends teammate and D-League All Star), Jaleel Cousins (DeMarcus' younger brother), Cory Jefferson, and Marquis Teague (who has played for the Bulls and Nets in the NBA).

Satnam, who was the 52nd pick in the 2015 draft, played a minor role for Dallas's Summer League team in Las Vegas last year, and took some baby steps to improvement. The Mavericks were knocked out at the 2015 Vegas league's Quarter Final stage. Satnam played bit minutes in five of Dallas' six games and showed hints of his potential. He played an average of seven minutes per game at the Summer League, scoring 2.6 points and grabbing 2.4 rebounds per game.

For the Texas Legends last season, Satnam played in 19 games during the course of the season and started twice. He averaged just under eight minutes per game and put up 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest. Those aren't particularly impressive statistics, but most importantly for the young Punjabi, he was able to experience professional life and the pace of the D-League, and has been hard at work this summer to return to the court better than ever.

Hopefully, Satnam's increased experience and improving skills will earn him more on-court action this Summer League. If he is able to make a mark, there's a chance that the Mavericks may finally consider a call-up during the course of the season. History awaits to make him the first Indian citizen in an NBA game.

But for now, the grind continues...