America
Satnam creates history, becomes first Indian in NBA
New York/Mumbai, June 26
Hoopster Satnam Singh
Bhamara on Friday created history by becoming the first Indian to get
drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The seven
feet two inches tall, 131 kg Indian was picked by Dallas Mavericks. The
19-year-old Satnam earlier took part in training sessions with top
teams like Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics. He was the second round,
52nd pick in the NBA draft and among 60 men who will play basketball in
the next season.
An ecstatic Satnam after achieving the feat
said he was delighted to become the first Indian to enter the NBA,
adding that this will help more Indians to take up basketball and play
it professionally.
"I had the confidence while training that I
would be selected by any team. I made good preparations and it paid off.
It feels great that someone from India will be playing in the NBA,"
Satnam told the Indian media from New York via a tele-conference call on
Friday.
"I would want more Indians to take up basketball at the
professional level and play in NBA. The youngsters back home can now
look up to someone as motivation," he said.
Satnam, who hails
from a remote village in Punjab, moved to the United States in September
2010 as part of a scholarship programme between IMG Academy and
Reliance.
During the 2014-15 season, he averaged 9.2 points, 8.4
rebounds and 2.2 blocks in less than 20 minutes per game for IMG. For
the last five years Satnam has been training in Florida with youths of
various countries on an initiative of the IMG Reliance Academy. The
19-year-old did not receive any scholarship to play for American
colleges.
Satnam thanked his coach S. Subramaniam for all the hard work he put in.
"I
thank my coach Subramaniam very much. I am missing him a lot. He has
helped me a lot and I can't say it in words. He is the best coach," he
said.
Satnam said star American cager Kobe Bryant is his role
model and he looks up to him for inspiration. "I look up to Kobe Bryant
as one of the inspirations. He is a class player and my role model."
This
also marks the first time since 2005 that a player has entered the
draft without playing in college, overseas, professionally or in the NBA
Development League.
After being drafted by the Mavericks, the
instance makes him the first player to be drafted directly from high
school and the first since the league instituted age restrictions on
players that someone from high school could be selected in the draft.
He
is nicknamed 'Chhotu', which means little one. He said his parents were
praying for him all the time, adding that he prayed to all his gurus
and God before the results.
"My parents, especially my mother and
sister, are praying for me for a long time. I prayed to my gurus and
God before the results," he said.
Before Bhamara, Toronto-born
Gursimran 'Sim' Bhullar became the first player of Indian origin to play
in the NBA when he turned out for the Sacramento Kings in three games
in April. He said Bhullar congratulated him on his success and wished
him.
"Sim Bhullar congratulated me and told me all the best," Satnam said.
Since
the inaugural 1980-81 season, the Mavericks have won three division
titles (1987, 2007, 2010), two conference championships (2006, 2011) and
one NBA championship (2011).