 "Bhullar")
However, in the last one week, there have been many a firsts for Bhullar: he became the first person of Indian origin to be signed up by an NBA franchise when Sacramento Kings gave him a 10-day contract. On Wednesday, Bhullar became the first person of Indian origin to play in the NBA when he took court in the Kings’ 116-111 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. A day later he scored his first points in the NBA as the Kings lost 91-103 to Utah Jazz. Bhullar, so far, has spent 98 seconds on the court. However, these 98 seconds could have a far-ranging impact on a sport, which hardly registers in the minds of the average Indian.
There are several layers to the Bhullar story but before getting down into them, it has to be said that Bhullar’s debut is perhaps a milestone for basketball and basketball fans in India. Basketball has been a peripheral sport in India and maybe Bhullar playing for Kings might change its fortunes, especially since NBA has been on a marketing overdrive in the country.
The cynics will obviously question about Bhullar’s heritage: how Indian is he? Bhullar is a Canadian national and his parents migrated to Toronto from his native Punjab much before he was born. In an interview Bhullar said that he grew up as a Punjabi. “My parents moved to India at a very young age and I am as Indian as I am Canadian. My roots are very strong.” For basketball players coming up in India, he is someone who they can look upto now. Bhullar, in a sense, has broken a big barrier.
To see a player of Indian origin playing in the big league means they see “one of them” actually getting a shot of making it as a professional basketball player. As Akshay Manwani, a blogger with NBA India, wrote, “With the increasing presence of players from across the globe in the NBA and better television coverage of the league in India, hoops fans were waiting for someone from amongst our own to cheer for.”
Bhullar has taken the long and hard road to NBA. He played at New Mexico State University and posted impressive numbers. Although he was overlooked at the 2014 NBA draft, Sacramento signed him and he played for Reno Bighorns – Sacramento’s NBA Development League affiliate. In NBA, it isn’t mandatory for all teams to have a team in Development League, which essentially consists of a franchise’s reserve teams. Bhullar’s size and huge frame garnered enough curiosity and he backed up his selection with some good – not eye-catching –statistics. He averaged 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game in the Development League – numbers which are good enough to be called up for the senior team, irrespective of being Indian or Canadian.
NBA has been looking to make inroads in the Indian market with past and present players making trips to promote the sport. NBA commissioner David Stern visited two years ago as a billion people is too big opportunity to let go off. Bhullar’s debut is the shot in the arm the sport was looking for. And perhaps that’s why questions are being asked about whether it is more a marketing move or a sporting move.
Sacramento Kings are incidentally owned by an Indian-American businessmanVivek Ranadive. Ranadive bought Kings in 2013 for $348 million and since then has been looking to make Sacramento India’s home team. Bhullar’s debut and acquisition is a focal point of that process. Bhullar, if I can say, is just about Indian enough to sell the NBA dream to young basketball players and fans in the country.
Sacramento has nothing to lose at this point of time; they haven’t made the playoffs and have had a forgettable season. Bhullar’s debut has bought some focus back on a team and you can’t blame the Kings to use him as marketing “stunt”. After all, when Yao Ming made his debut in the NBA, it led to an upsurge in the popularity of basketball in China. Bhullar can’t be compared to Ming but NBA would be hoping that he does fire the imagination of basketball fans in India.
Bhullar’s debut in the NBA is a mixture of a sporting and marketing ploy. While the NBA has its share of hardcore fans spread across the country, it doesn’t have the “mass” appeal that European football leagues have in the country. Manchester United are perhaps known in almost all cities of the country, whereas it will be hard for youngsters to name last year’s NBA champions. Bhullar’s debut could change all that and have a considerable impact on how basketball picks up in the country. It’s a narrative, which perhaps has been manufactured to a certain extent, but if it helps India find and develop basketball players for the future, it’s a job well done.
