 "Satnam Singh Bhamara")
Satnam Singh Bhamara has scripted history by becoming the first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the US, after being picked by Dallas Mavericks here.
The 19-year old, who hails from Ballo Ke village near Ludhiana in Punjab and stands seven feet and two inches tall, was the 52nd pick in the NBA Draft. Bhamara hails from a family of farmers. He went to the US in September 2010, as part of a scholarship programme between IMG and Reliance.
"Forget about sleep, I haven't even eaten anything because of the anxiety. There were no nerves as such but just that feeling that I should make it into the draft. I was certainly hopeful after coming this far but there is always a big 'if'. But by the grace of God, I have realised my dream," he said.
"I haven't been able to call home but I will certainly get connected via Skype. I can never forget about the prayers and sacrifices of my mother, who is instrumental in my getting here."
On Cloud Nine after achieving the feat, Bhamara said his entry would open the door for more Indians to play basketball at the highest level in the US. "The feeling is of course unreal but it has happened and I feel my entry will certainly open the doors for many aspiring basketballers in India to dream big…Now, at least there is somebody playing in the NBA whom youngsters back home can identify with. Now, a road has opened for them through 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," he added.
Bhamara, among the 60 young men selected to play basketball in the NBA next season, has been training in Florida for the past five years, with others from 39 countries. He has represented India at the 2011 and 2013 FIBA Asia Championships.
In April, he had declared himself available for this year's NBA draft, after not receiving any academic scholarship to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This is the first time since the 2005 NBA Draft that a player entered the draft without playing in college, abroad professionally, or in the NBA development league.
Bhamara will follow in the footsteps of Canadian-born Gursimran 'Sim' Bhullar, the first player of Indian origin to play in the NBA, when he turned out for the Sacramento Kings in three games in April.
Since their inaugural 1980-81 season, the Dallas Mavericks have won three division titles (1987, 2007, 2010), two conference championships (2006, 2011), and one NBA championship (2011).
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