India has potential to become a continental basketball powerhouse, feel NBA players Seth Curry and Robin Lopez, the latest to visit the country as ambassadors of the game. The duo had a whirlwind tour of desi basketball and sports culture from cricket hysteria, touristy snaps and selfies to court time with some of the best young talent in the country
The fact that it didn’t make headlines is probably the biggest headline. By now news of NBA and WNBA players, past and present, coming over to India every summer isn’t a huge deal. It all started with a Kevin Garnett visit back in 2006, followed by some 50 others since then, an illustrious list that includes Pau Gasol, Isaiah Thomas, Chris Bosh, Kyle Korver, George Gerwin, Swin Cash and Tamika Catchings.
The NBA has always used the off-season to send its talent all over the world like modern-day missionaries to spread the gospel of the league through its various initiatives. Describing the phenomenon, Robin Lopez, a 28-year-old seven-foot centre with the New York Knicks, said, “It’s a very grassroots thing to work with a lot of kids. No matter where we go, we try to instil in them as much of basketball as possible. To instil a love of sports early on in their lives. I think that’s what we would really like to do here [India] or anywhere.”
Lopez, and fellow NBA player Seth Curry, 25, a guard with the Sacramento Kings, were on the Indian trail from April 28 to May 1. They travelled to Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, for the Reliance Junior NBA Elite National Camp, visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, and, in Mumbai, appeared on Sony Six’s NBA game-time show, Around the Hoop, as well as on the hugely popular IPL Extraaa Innings cricket talk-show.
The two have also been binging on street food (“Lots of samosas. Also, ragda pattis, vada paao”) and getting first-hand experience of the “crazy traffic”.
This story is from the June - July 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June - July 2016 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
Best Fitness Games For Workout
If going to the gym and bulking up the body is your idea of getting in shape, it’s time you reconsider it. From bodyweight training to resistance and high-intensity workouts, here is how you can ace the fitness game without giving up on your workout targets for the year yet again.
Novak Djokovic Has Proved His Mettle Yet Again
Sport can be cruel and unforgiving, but it is also humbling. Over the years, many great athletes have succumbed to the various forces in playmost of which, if not all, are not under their controland while some could never reclaim their past glory, others showed why they really can never be counted out. Novak Djokovic is one of them
Do Virat Kohli's Captaincy Skills Call For A DRS?
No doubt Virat Kohli is the best batsman to have emerged from India in recent years. He is a lion among kittens, Atlas shouldering the weight of India's batting. But, as a captain overseas, he has a long way to go.
Lebron James
In 2016, Northeast Ohio’s Favourite Son Used His Incomparable Skills to Deliver a Title to a Suddenly Revitalised City, While Using His Voice to Have an Even Wider Impact.
Winter Workout: Hot Moves For Cold Days
With the advent of the chilly months, it can become tough to brave the cold and train when all you want to do is curl up under a warm blanket. Trainer Raoul Hirani and physiotherapist Tariq Wasim tell us how professional footballer keep going, without letting the cold play spoilsport.
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Rahul Dravid: The Great Wall Of India
Rahul Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket or, rather, the game, is not just confined to his record with the bat. A true philosopher, he continues to inspire as well as serve cricket on and off the field.
P.V. Sindhu, Sportsperson Of The Year
A Dream Run at the 2016 Olympics was followed by major successes on the International tour, making Sindhu the unanimous choice for the sportsperson of the Year award
