Basketball in India is poised for tremendous growth. I won't be surprised if it becomes one of the most popular sports in the country. I was reading an article by Ayaz Memon, a blogger on NBA-India, and he points out the sociological changes that all point to the growth of the game in our country (here's the link to his article).
Basketball has everything going for it: played over 40 minutes(the international game and not the NBA), consisting of 4 quarters, with time outs and unlimited substitutions and on a small-enclosed court under floodlights. It is already the most popular sport at the college level in India [apart from my university which is football crazy, but then again, it's only a matter of time before we get there!].
It is extremely fast paced [second only to handball, or ice hockey (but this is played on ice and the guys wear skates so can be discounted)] and considering India's growing fondness for T20 as a preferred version of cricket, we seem to be showing all the characteristics to take to basketball like fish to water.
And these are Ayaz Memon's predictions-a reputed journalist keenly interested in sports in general and cricket in particular. A journalist for over thirty years, Ayaz doesn't seem to have any serious connection with the game of basketball, not having played at the school or college level. I guess that's unfortunately because he was a product of his time, a time when the game 'never actually happened here'.
I speak so much about him because he seems to be following exactly the same career path that I would want for myself: A lawyer by profession who went on to become a journalist and now blogs for NBA.com!! He was also invited to cover the All-Star game in Phoenix! DAMN!!!
Coming back to the point. I couldn't agree with his predictions more! The game is definitely poised to become huge, if not huge already. I was playing at home the other day and this 11th standard kid happened to challenge me to a one-on-one. As a 20-yr old college guy, I was not the kind to back off, more so because I thought it wouldn't be much of a hassle beating him (he was a good 4-5 inches shorter than me ;) ).
He beat me 11-9 or something. Brilliant Handles-he could control the ball with both hands equally well, apart from being virtually ambidextrous in the paint. I later found out that there were 3-4 others who were equally good.
Kids these days are phenomenally better than what we were in our school days, at least much better than what I was as a kid. I could barely dribble with my weak hand, let alone attempt a lay up or a left hand hook shot. It is only in college where I had access to the internet that I started following the game more seriously and am slowly learning the finer points of the game. It only speaks of how much the standard of the game has improved in our country.
I'm gonna go all out here and forecast that it is only a matter of a few years before there's an Indian in the NBA rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chris Paul or Lebron James (assuming of course they haven't retired by then. But LBJ is indistructible and CP3 isn't too bad either, so I guess they'll stick around for quite some time!).
NBA revolution in India on the horizon. You heard it here first ;D
Basketball has everything going for it: played over 40 minutes(the international game and not the NBA), consisting of 4 quarters, with time outs and unlimited substitutions and on a small-enclosed court under floodlights. It is already the most popular sport at the college level in India [apart from my university which is football crazy
It is extremely fast paced [second only to handball, or ice hockey (but this is played on ice and the guys wear skates so can be discounted)] and considering India's growing fondness for T20 as a preferred version of cricket, we seem to be showing all the characteristics to take to basketball like fish to water.
And these are Ayaz Memon's predictions-a reputed journalist keenly interested in sports in general and cricket in particular. A journalist for over thirty years, Ayaz doesn't seem to have any serious connection with the game of basketball, not having played at the school or college level. I guess that's unfortunately because he was a product of his time, a time when the game 'never actually happened here'.
I speak so much about him because he seems to be following exactly the same career path that I would want for myself: A lawyer by profession who went on to become a journalist and now blogs for NBA.com!! He was also invited to cover the All-Star game in Phoenix! DAMN!!!
Coming back to the point. I couldn't agree with his predictions more! The game is definitely poised to become huge, if not huge already. I was playing at home the other day and this 11th standard kid happened to challenge me to a one-on-one. As a 20-yr old college guy, I was not the kind to back off, more so because I thought it wouldn't be much of a hassle beating him (he was a good 4-5 inches shorter than me ;) ).
He beat me 11-9 or something. Brilliant Handles-he could control the ball with both hands equally well, apart from being virtually ambidextrous in the paint. I later found out that there were 3-4 others who were equally good.
Kids these days are phenomenally better than what we were in our school days, at least much better than what I was as a kid. I could barely dribble with my weak hand, let alone attempt a lay up or a left hand hook shot. It is only in college where I had access to the internet that I started following the game more seriously and am slowly learning the finer points of the game. It only speaks of how much the standard of the game has improved in our country.
I'm gonna go all out here and forecast that it is only a matter of a few years before there's an Indian in the NBA rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chris Paul or Lebron James (assuming of course they haven't retired by then. But LBJ is indistructible and CP3 isn't too bad either, so I guess they'll stick around for quite some time!).
NBA revolution in India on the horizon. You heard it here first ;D
3 comments:
Definitely more fun to watch than football. I think Yuvardha proved that.
Basketball matches are more fun to watch than other sports - Im the very nemesis of a sports fan and still like to watch basketball.
P.S. Divya you were watching the MATCH? Really?? :P
That can in no way be disputed. I watched with full concentration ok. :P
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