New Delhi — Indian hoopster Satnam Singh Bhamara, on Friday, became the first player from the country to be drafted in NBA. Satnam, a versatile center player, was selected by Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd pick of the 2015 NBA draft.
The youngster, who hails from a remote village in Punjab and stands 7 feet 2 inches tall, was hoping to become the first player born on the subcontinent to make the league. Mavericks had invited India’s biggest basketball hope, Satnam, for a pre-draft workout on Tuesday. It was the first time that the scouts of the Texas-based team witnessed the skills of the 290-pound Indian center.
Confirming the development, Satnam had told Times of India before boarding the flight to Dallas from Florida, “I am very excited to have a workout with Dallas Mavericks – one of the best and experienced team in the NBA. I will give my best and try to impress the selectors there.”
Satnam, after achieving the feat, said that his entry will open doors for more Indians to play basketball at the highest level in America. “The feeling is ofcourse unreal but it has happened and I feel that my entry will certainly open the doors for many aspiring basketballers in India to dream big,” said an elated Satnam.
“Atleast there is now an somebody whom the youngsters back home can identify with, who is playing in the NBA. Now a road has opened up for them from which they can come up. The game will certainly grow in India in the coming years. You see the popularity of cricket now but in the future basketball will also be popular back home.”
Satnam’s young age, giant frame and relatively little pro-league experience in basketball make him an intriguing prospect. However, it’s Satnam’s size and ability to guard multiple positions which is believed to have attracted the Mavs scouts as being a prospective contributor to a team on the defensive side of the ball.
Under the IMG-Reliance scholarship scheme of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), Satnam started following his dream at the IMG Academy in Florida in 2010. Playing for the IMG Academy’s basketball team Satnam had a relatively good average both defensively and in the offense with 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.