Revision as of 07:55, 25 December 2020

Satnam Singh Bhamara

Graphic courtesy: The Times of India

A profile

The Times of India Jun 27 2015

Amit Sampat

Satnam Takes Giant Leap

Satnam Singh Bhamara stands at 7 feet, 2 inches. On Friday, the 19-year-old from Punjab's Balloke village also made millions of Indians walk tall. Satnam is the first Indian to be drafted into the National Basketball League in the US when he was picked by Dallas Mavericks, the 2011 champions. “On hearing my name, I could not control my emotions and cried. I have opened the gate for all kids in India who want to play basketball,“ he told TOI from New York. Satnam's achievement can be gauged by one simple fact: The nearest proper basketball court is 90 km away from home. India's ex-coach Scot Flemming, who knows NBA well, feels he'll get a game soon. “Dallas is not only getting a big man with potential, they are getting a young man of character,“ he said.

Early life

The Times of India, Jun 27 2015

Amit Sampat

Basketball giant made it to Indian team at age 15

At age 11, India's biggest basket ball hope Satnam Singh Bha mara stood 6'5“ tall. That's when he first picked up a basketball, a year after joining the Ludhiana Basketball Academy. Once on the courts, the 1995-born made heads turn with his lithe frame. At the time he knew little about basketball and certainly didn't dream of playing in the NBA. Satnam's journey to the court started when a family friend watching the little boy, ironically nicknamed Chhotu, grow taller by the day -advised his father to get a hoop and a ball. His father Balbir Singh, a tall farmer in Balloke village in Barnala, happily obliged, especially as he always had wanted to play some sport but never pursued his dream in the face of family obligations.

As Satnam's interest and skill in the sport grew -villagers would hang around watching him shoot baskets -Balbir sought advice from friends about nurturing his son's talent and learned about a sports academy in Ludhiana.

Once in the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, former director of Sports Authority of India and NIS coach of Patiala, the late S Subramanian took Satnam under his wing. The grooming started from scratch: Satnam was even taught how to run.The academy soon became Satnam's second home. The hoopster's first national championship was the Kapurthala SubJunior meet in 2008. He was the tallest in his age category and was soon being called `Mini Khali'.Though not confirmed, Satnam is perhaps the tallest ever to play in a national sub-junior meet.

As a 12-year-old, he had outgrown his mother Sukhvinder Kaur and was confident of beating his father who stands at 7'4“ inches. At 19, Satnam is still two inches shorter than his dad.

Standing tall is one thing and matching it with skills on a basketball court something else.

It was coach Subramanian who predicted Satnam was a `basketball giant in the making'. Satnam had a six-hour daily regime including three hours physical training and running, and as many hours practicing basketball.

Under the IMG-Reliance scholarship scheme of Basketball Federa tion of India, Satnam came to the US for the first time in 2010. He was one of 29 students enrolled at their Florida academy . This is also where Satnam also learnt English. The five years spent here developed his game as much as it did his English speaking abilities.

A year later in 2011, Satnam then just 15, was included in the senior national basketball team and won the record of being the youngest to represent India.

Now after being picked by the Mavericks, the first thing Satnam plans to do with the money is buy a car. “I'm going to give my parents every little and lavish thing because my dad and mom gave me everything. Now, it's my turn,“ Satnam signs off.

Family cancelled US trip due to visa issues

Satnam Singh's proud family would have been by his side in the US when he made the cut for the Dallas Mavericks.But they couldn't get a US visa in time.Father Balbir Singh told TOI, “We were invited by NBA authorities who sent us tickets as well. We tried to apply online for a US visa but couldn't get one because of some technical fault with their system.”

First Indian to be drafted into National Basketball Association (NBA)

The Times of India, Jun 27 2015

Amit Sampat

INDIAN 52ND PICK IN NBA'S DRAFT OF 60

Indian basketball received a booster shot in the arm when Satnam Singh, the 19-year-old seven-foot-two-inch tall basketball player from the remote Punjab village of Balloke near Ludhiana, became the first Indian to be drafted into the star-studded National Basketball League (NBA) in the US. Satnam took a giant leap into sporting history when 2011 NBA champions Dallas Mavericks picked him up in the second round of the NBA draft in New York. Satnam was the 52nd pick among a pool of 60 in the draft.

Gursimran “Sim“ Bhullar was the first player of Indian origin to play in the NBA when he turned out for the Sacramento Kings in three games in April, but unlike Satnam, he was born in Canada.

The Punjabi-speaking Satnam, who has been training at the IMG Academy in Florida for the past five years and has no previous experience of basketball at this level, was in tears when his name was picked. “After hearing my name, I could not control my emotions and cried. I was delighted and happy . I have opened the gate for all kids in India who want to play basketball,“ he told TOI over phone.

In the US, Satnam could soon be seen rubbing shoulders with Mavericks stars Dirk Nowitzki and Amar'e Stoudemire, to name a few. His inclusion is likely to see basketball gain popularity across the country , similar to NBA sensation Yao Ming's role in popularizing the sport in China.

Satnam's journey started from a non-descript Punjab village where he was nicknamed `Chottu (little one)'! He played his first national championship in 2008 in Kapurthala's under-13 event and went on to become the youngest to play for India in 2011.

On April 24, when Satnam gave his name for the NBA draft, some experts felt he was a couple of years away from being close to NBAready . But the big man said, “My coaches feel I am NBA-ready and that is why I have made myself available for the draft.“

Satnam can play forward or centre and is also a handy defender. This combination of skills and his giant frame impressed his recruiters. Having generated interest among NBA teams, Satnam was a part of seven predraft workouts. He was invited by Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Mavericks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. So when can Indian fans expect to see Satnam in action for the Mavericks? History shows that foreigners who have made it big in the NBA haven't had to wait too long for their debut -Yao Ming, for one, was selected by the Houston Rockets in the Draft in June 2002 and played his first NBA game 126 days later.

Spain's Pau Gasol, selected by Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 draft and later traded to Memphis Grizzlies, made his NBA debut after 127 days. Mavericks, who picked Satnam, had selected Dirk Nowitzki in 1998 draft. The German made his NBA debut after 224 days.

Former India coach Scot Flemming, who has shifted back to the US and has inside knowledge of the NBA, is optimistic about Satnam getting a game soon. “I am so happy for Satnam and for India. I had a talk with Mavericks president Donnie Nelson when they called Satnam. They plan to bring him to Dallas soon. He will play in their NBA summer league team in July . His performance in the summer league will determine the next step for him. He will probably see time with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks' Developmental League team to start with. He has a great opportunity to show off his game,” Flemming told.

YEAR-WISE DEVELOPMENTS

2020: banned for doping

Sabi Hussain, December 24, 2020: The Times of India

India’s top basketball player Satnam Singh Bhamara, who had created history by becoming the first Indian player to be drafted into an NBA team in 2015, has been banned for two years by the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (Nada) disciplinary panel (ADDP) for consuming prohibited specified substance, Higenamine, a beta-2 agonist.

Concluding its year-long hearing into the matter which was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the disciplinary panel found Bhamara guilty of not exercising due caution “in verifying the composition of the supplement he was consuming”. Though the panel held that the hoopster didn’t “intentionally” take the banned drug to gain unfair advantage over other athletes in the competition, he was “negligent” enough in performing his duties as a senior athlete though fully aware of the Nada’s rules and regulations.

Bhamara’s ban period will kick off retrospectively from November 19, 2019, the day the basketball player had voluntarily accepted the provisional suspension imposed by Nada. Bhamara’s suspension will end on November 18, 2021. During this period, he won’t be able to represent India. The verdict will also hamper his chances to feature in international leagues or appear in try-outs.

Bhamara had failed an out-ofcompetition in Bengaluru during the preparatory camp for the South Asian Games (SAG) in November last year. He had pulled out of the SAG in December, citing personal reasons. But later it was learned that he had failed the dope test. In 2015, Bhamara had created history when he was picked in the NBA draft by Dallas Mavericks. For the next two years, he featured in the Development League with Texas Legends. He hogged the limelight again after featuring in the National Basketball League of Canada in 2018.