Hoopistani

2030: An Indian Basketball Odyssey

2013-06-16T10:41:00.003+05:30

This is a work of fiction.

Game 6 of the 2030 IBA Finals had already been etched in Indian Basketball lore. Two overtimes, the loudest basketball arena in the country at fever pitch, the biggest stars of the game battling against each other at the biggest stage, and a game-winning shot. "I've been in this 15 years," Kochi's veteran guard Om Rajendran was quoted in the The Hindu the following morning, "I've won an MVP award and a championship, but I've never been part of a game like the one tonight. Decades from now, Indian Basketball fans will still talk about Azam's shot."

The shot itself was nothing spectacular. Kaif Azam, the undisputed best player in the country, was an all-business, no-flash monster in the post. In the second overtime, he had decided that it was time to finally end the long night, and with less than three-seconds left in the game-clock, he flushed in his patented hook shot over the outstretched arms of Debanshu Chaudhary to seal the game. A simple shot, one he hit at least eight or nine times every game and practiced a hundred times every day. But it proved to be the difference between Ludhiana raising the banner for their record eighth IBA championship and Kochi forcing a Game 7 back to their home court.

If Azam had missed, Rajendran's career would've been over. The 37-year-old legend had announced his retirement before the Finals began and was ready to walk away from the game after a successful IBA and short NBA career. Instead, he would have one last professional basketball game in Kochi colours and one more chance to win his second IBA championship.

On the flight back to Kochi, Rajendran thanked Azam, who was now the face of the league, for giving him one more chance for glory. He settled back into his seat and smiled to himself. 15 years ago, as a rookie in a young Indian Basketball Association, Rajendran had done his share of 42-hour train journeys and dicey station samosas. He had played in two different teams in both the Northern and Southern conferences and seen the league evolve from being a messy upstart into a well-oiled machine that it was today. There were only eight teams back in 2015, but rapid expansion over the last decade had doubled the challengers for the title. Shoddy outdoor courts had been converted into state-of-the-art sports complexes.

Yet, despite the new generation of names, faces, changing arenas, technology, increased salaries and professionalism into the sport in India, the title challengers were still the same in 2030 as they had been 15 years ago: The Ludhiana Sikandars. Rajendran hated them for all those years he had suffered defeat at their hands in his younger years. He thirsted for revenge.

*

History matters.

Sitting in the locker room pre-game before one of the biggest games of his life, Jaipal Harsh Singh tried to forget about the past. Forget about the fact that, the jersey that hung in front of him represented the most successful franchise in the 15-year history of the Indian Basketball Association (IBA). Forget that, when he represented the Ludhiana Sikandars, he wasn't just representing himself and his 11 teammates, but representing the greats who had dominated the past decade in the league. For years, he had enjoyed success playing besides Bipin Singh Raj, the most successful player in IBA history. But ever since Raj's retirement, the Sikandars had suffered from a minor identity crisis. They had added a couple of nice new players, sure, but the onus was on him to lead the team now. It was on him to mobilize his troops and lead them to the Promised Land again, to start a fresh, new dynasty. They had done pretty well so far this season. They had defeated prodigious individual talents and well-honed experienced teams. They had found themselves back in the IBA Finals for the first time since Raj's retirement.

Singh knew what he represented. He knew what he had to do.

But he couldn't worry about the past. He couldn't worry about Raj and all those glories of Ludhiana's basketball history, all those times when the fervent fans had rushed the famous Guru Nanak Stadium floor, hoisting him in their arms and dancing to bhangra all night to celebrate championship after championship. He had made the mistake of envisioning that scene even before it had happened. Holding on to a 3-2 lead, he had envisioned that his team would close out the series in Game 6 on their home court, that he would dance with the fans again, that he would celebrate by driving down with his teammates to the old city and feasting on Butter Chicken.

Unfortunately, his opponents - or more specifically - one of his opponents, had different plans. History had to wait. There would be no bhangra and Butter Chicken celebration for the Sikandars and Singh after Game 6. There would be heartbreak and sullen faces. There would be a return to Kochi for one final game. There would be a Game 7.

*

"My mother said that the whole of Kerala had been praying for me, like it was Onam in December!"

Kaif Azam wasn't a big speaker. His third IBA MVP acceptance speech sounded a carbon copy of his past two. When he became the sixth Indian player to be drafted into the NBA, he responded with a calm nod and smile, thanking the Milwaukee Bucks franchise and the past countrymen that had paved the way for Indian Basketball, but not much else. On the court, he was all business. He didn't show much emotion, didn't smile, didn't frown, didn't laugh and didn't fight. But it was still hard to ignore the 7-footed giant, who had stormed into the IBA to win a championship for the Kochi Kayals as a rookie, became the first Indian to play in the NBA All Star game, and now, four years later, found himself a game away from his second IBA trophy. Azam's arrival had changed Kochi's fortunes completely. They had finished with the best record in the regular season and the Mumbai-born silent assassin had once again been the center of attention for the entire league.

But it was only after that Game 6 performance - particularly after that incredible hook shot that instantly entered into Indian basketball lore - that Azam showed the first sign of any emotion. His face was all over the country's national news channels the next day, which replayed videos of his historic shot followed by his post-game interview where he thanked his mother and the wishes of his adopted home state. The notoriously fervent Ludhiana crowd had been silenced. With the score now tied at 3-3, one of the most memorable series in recent times would reach it's fitting conclusion.

The season couldn't finish soon enough for the giant superstar. Within a week, he would be on a flight to America to join the Bucks in the middle of their NBA season. But first, he had unfinished business first back in his home country.

*

Before the inception of the IBA - India's first professional basketball league - the best players in the country were semi-professionals working in various government units or representing their various states. They played for the Railways, for ONGC, for the Police, or for their states, representing Kerala, Chhattsigarh, or Maharashtra. The state-level national championships still existed, but they were now mostly an outlet for the second tier stars of the country, the ones who weren't good enough to get on to an IBA roster. The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) organized tournaments for juniors served as the perfect feeder championship for the country's best clubs to scout young players and sign them at the pre-season auctions. It was through these auctions that greats like Bipin Singh Raj, W. Arundas, and Jubraj Yadav were first discovered. The trio became the first three Indian players to also be drafted into the NBA, and later opened the doors for the likes of Om Rajendran and Jaipal Singh. By the time young Kaif Azam was bought by Kochi, professional basketball was thriving in India and even the fringe players on each roster were earning comfortably and didn't need to take part in smaller tournaments across the country. But since the IBA shut down from January-July, many of these players showed up for historically popular championships like Mastan or Ramu Memorial anyways.

Azam wasn't one of them. The Kochi star spent his IBA offseason in America and his NBA offseason in India. He was a decent NBA player because of his size, speed, and finishing around the post, but back in India, he was simply unstoppable against inferior talent. He was also lucky to have an NBA/IBA veteran like Rajendran as his teammate, and the older guard served as a mentor for the youngster to juggle his two lifestyles.

Azam and Rajendran had been teammates in Kochi for the last four years, and Azam knew that, with Rajendran's pending retirement, this would be their last run together. He vowed that he would help the veteran go out in style after lifting their second IBA championship. So far, the season had gone to plan. Kochi finished the regular season with a 23-9 record to lead the Southern Conference and also win home court advantage through the playoffs. Azam was also named IBA MVP for the third time in his young career. The Kayals played against the aging Chennai side in the First Round, and dismissed them fairly easily with a 4-1 victory, thus putting an end to the careers of former superstars W. Arundas and Jubraj Yadav. In the Conference Finals, they came up against a strong Bangalore Leapers squad, known for their gritty defense and unselfish play on the offensive end. While the two sides seemed evenly matched before the series, Kochi relied on a magnificent performance by their MVP Azam - who averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds in the series - to sweep Bangalore 4-0.

While Kochi celebrated, Kayals' coach D. Bhavithira had cause for concern. The team relied too much on Azam, and while the big man had delivered so far, he knew that a bruising battle against the Northern Conference bigs would serve as a problem in the Final. He was particularly concerned about Ludhiana's Debanshu Chaudhary, an undersized but powerful Center who had given Azam problems in the past during the regular season. As Bhavithira waited, he secretly rooted for the smaller, older Delhi team to make a return into the IBA Finals and present Kochi with a more favourable matchup.

*

Delhi Dashers were the reigning IBA champions, featuring a team of several experienced stars and led by the league's most respected Coach Ravi Anand. The Dashers played a brand of exciting, selfless basketball, sharing the ball perfectly to create fast-paced offense. Delhi also formed one of the core Television markets for the IBA, and were amongst three other teams - Mumbai, Chennai, and Ludhiana - to have the highest national viewership whenever their games were broadcast live on ESPN/Star. Thanks to Azam, the small-market Kochi were creeping up the ratings too, but even he wasn't enough to disturb the hardcore followers of the traditionally successful teams. Unfortunately for Delhi, the 2029 championship had seemed like the last hurrah, and although their aging side was still a contender in 2030, it seemed unlikely that they would have enough gas to repeat.

Plus, this was the year that Ludhiana's post-Raj rebuilding project seemed to be nearly completed. While the Kayals were wreaking havoc down south with their superstar, the Sikandars had built a deeper team with less quality but more quantity. Singh was the leader and, at the small forward position, perhaps the most complete all-round player in the league. Chaudhary was a strong post player and rebounder. And in JJ Mehta, they had the best sharp-shooter in the country. The Sikandars won 22 games in the regular season and finished at the top of their conference. They also had the best home record in the league and vowed to protect their bastion at the Guru Nanak Stadium through the post-season.

But the Northern Conference playoffs turned out to be more difficult than expected. Bottom-seeded Varanasi featured the league's leading scorer Balram Mardi. Mardi was an assassin from the mid-range, and exploded his scoring average to over 31 points per game in the First Round of the playoffs against Ludhiana. It took the best efforts of Singh on the defensive, but Varanasi was still able to stretch the series to six games before Ludhiana progressed. The Sikandars next faced old foes Delhi in the Conference Finals, but this time, they made short work of their older competitors. Ludhiana won the series 4-1 and were in the Finals again.

*

It was no surprise when, despite the ongoing India-Bangladesh Test Cricket series, the first segment on news on SportsCenter India was a preview of 2030 IBA Finals. Most sports fans in the country had lost interest in long-winded Test tournament, saving most of their passion and fervour for the IPL or major One-Day internationals. With the arrival and popularity of football, hockey, and basketball leagues in India, the annual calendar could now be devoted to domestic professional sports. And as more of the mainstream public was exposed to the game of basketball, the more the national media realized that the game's fast pace and exciting end-to-end action could catch on like wildfire across the country.

"It's a classic matchup of 'The Player' versus 'The Team'," the ESPN anchor announced on the eve of Game 1, "On one side we have Kaif Azam, perhaps the greatest Indian player of our time, maybe of All Time. On the other, we have the superpower from Ludhiana, who have ruled the Indian basketball landscape and boast of a more balanced team. Who do you think will have the edge here, Varun?"

"Well, I will correct you first Ashok," the other anchor replied, "Azam is great, sure, but we can't yet compare him to the likes of Bipin Singh Raj and W. Arundas. Remember, Raj won seven IBA championships! And Arundas was perhaps the most unstoppable player of his time. How can we ever forget his amazing 85 point game against Delhi six years ago? Azam may well be on his way to greatness, but he has to start here first by defeating the evergreen Sikandars!"

*

While the world focused on Azam's growing legacy, Singh and the Sikandars sneaked right under their noses and stole Game 1 of the Finals in Kochi. The Sikandars played strong defense to hand the Kayals only their second loss in the postseason. The series became a back-and-forth battle from their on forth, with Kochi winning Game 2 and the team's alternating wins back in Ludhiana too. Home advantage became away advantage when Ludhiana won Game 5 in Kochi and Kochi survived game 6 with Azam's amazing game-winner in Ludhiana.

With averages of 33 points and 13 rebounds a game, Azam continued his great form from the previous series. But his opponent Chaudhary didn't back down and averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds against the MVP. On the wing, Singh wrecked havoc, posting two triple-doubles in the first five games and leading the Sikandars in both points and assists.

*

The Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Sports Complex was buzzing with anticipation. The 6,000-seater arena was full to the brim, and an extra 1000 had crept up to find space in the standing rafters high above. Fans from all over Kerala were here for Game 7 to watch their team try and win their second franchise title. But this time, the emotions were even stronger because of their opponents. Due to their constant success, the Ludhiana Sikandars had become into one of the most polarizing squads in the country. Fans either loved them or hated them. On this December night at the end of the 2030 calendar for Game 7 in Kochi, the stadium was filled with defeaning boos directed at the away side as Jaipal Singh, Chaudhary, Mehta and the rest of the team strutted out for their pre-game warm-up. But on one corner of the packed arena, a handful of a few hundred fans from Punjab had made their way down to Kerala, travelling with their favourite team. Even being heavily outnumbered didn't dampen their spirits: and they cheered and hooted for their basketball idols until their throats went dry.

The home side - Kayals - were still in the locker room, when Rajendran began to hear the chants.

"Azam! Azam! Azam! Azam!"

The veteran turned to the young Center and winked. "They're calling for you brother. It's your time now."

Azam barely flinched, refusing to give anyone - even his own teammates - a glimpse into his own emotion. While his heart was beating - no, thumping! - rapidly under his chest, his eyes stared blankly ahead.

"Let's go and get them," he announced.

The team huddled together and put their arms over each others' shoulders. Balu Phillip didn't get to play much, but he was the team's glue guy in the locker-room, the loudest voice on the bench, and the hyper motivator that brought them all together. "Let's say it together!" he instructed, "Onnu! Randu! Mooonu... Vijayam!"

"Vijayam!" the team shouted with him, and to the continued chants of their fans, they headed out to the arena.

"Azam! Azam! Azam!"

The Sikandars heard the cheers too. And they heard the boos. Neither bothered them. This was a team that had been through it all, heard everything in every arena in the country, and come out victorious. Singh brought his team together - all 12 members of them - and gave them one last pep talk. This was no time to focus on one or two stars, this was the time for all 12 to join hands and play as a team. This was the time for Singh to bring back a championship for the Sikandars.

*

For six games, the Sikandars had been playing man-to-man defense on Azam, forcing Debanshu Chaudhary to stick by the big man alone. Chaudhary had done an adequate job, but Azam had still had his way with the Sikandar big and tired him in the process. Before Game 7, Ludhiana's Coach Satluj Singh decided that he had one last trump card up his sleeve.

"Double-team him," the Coach instructed his team, "Triple-team him, if neccessary. Stop Azam any way you can."

And they did. From the get go, Chaudhary and power forward Pankaj Sahi surrounded Azam every time he touched the ball, and a third teammate would join him if Azam dribbled it inside. The Sikandars were daring the Kayals to rely on their outside shooters to beat them. When Azam passed out to them, many of them were left open, but the shots weren't falling. The tactic worked in the first half and Azam was forced to still do the bulk of the scoring himself. On the other end, now rejuvenated with energy, Chaudhary had the best offensive game of his series and scored 20 points to help the Sikandars take a 8 point halftime lead.

The lead began to expand further in the second half. Quietly, Singh was orchestrating the offense and keeping Kochi's perimeter players - including Rajendran - in check. Time and time again, Azam found a teammate for an open shot, and time and time again, his teammates missed.

By the last five minutes, the game was already decided. Azam had still ended with 25 points, but got little help from his supporting cast. Chaudhary and Singh led a balanced scoring output for Ludhiana, and when Coach Satluj finally substituted his two biggest names in the game's dying minutes, it was the small contingent of Ludhiana supporters whose dholak drums now drowned out all the other sounds in the arena. It wasn't traditional for fans of the opposing side to storm the court, but this was a special game and a special occasion. By the time the final buzzer went, Singh and his teammates were already dancing on the bench. The fans were standing high in the stands with them.

The final score was 85-70, and the Sikandars had won their 8th IBA championship.

Jaipal Singh was named the best player of the Finals. He lifted the trophy with his teammates. One of the Ludhiana fans who rushed the court has asked for his jersey, and Singh obliged. As he watched the fan rush away with the famous navy-and-white Sikandar colours, Singh smiled to himself. He had once again been a part in bringing those colours back to the top of Indian Basketball.

History does matter, he told himself.

*

Game 7 was also the last game of Om Rajendran's career. As the Kayals solemnly walked back into their locker room, their manager and coaching staff greeted Rajendran with a handshake and a hug. This was no day for celebration, but his had indeed been a career worth celebrating.

Azam came in last and hugged the veteran. "Sorry I couldn't win it for you, Bhaiya," he apologized.

"Don't say sorry, brother" Rajendran smiled, "Just being a part of this time has been a winning experience. You need to look ahead at your career now, young man. Go back to the NBA, learn from the best, and then bring it back home."

"Indeed," Azam nodded.

Rajendran refused to take part in the post-game conference. Instead, he rode back home alone, unsettled with the thoughts of the loss all night, thinking about what he would do better the next time.

But there would be no 'next time', he reminded himself. This was it. This was his career. And it was over.

By the following morning, he had finally settled down and was at peace with himself. A journalist from The Hindu had been calling him all evening and Rajendran and been ignoring the call. He decided to call back and calmly answer the journalist's questions.

A morning later, fans of Kochi and Ludhiana both picked up the newspaper and smiled. Fans of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Varanasi, Lucknow, and Bangalore smiled too. League legends like Bipin Singh Raj and W. Arundas saw the paper too, and a tear dropped down their eye. Azam, Rajendran's Kochi teammate, was happy to read the headline. And the Ludhiana players, who were still in a celebratory mood after their championship win, beamed with pride, too. Singh held the paper up to his family and friends and read the headline of Rajendran's interview out aloud.

"Retiring IBA legend : 'I leave Indian basketball in better hands than when I found it.'"

*

12-year-old Vatsav Sharma was watching the game recap on NDTV when his mother called out to him.

"Turn the TV off Vatsav. Have you done your homework?"

"Yes, Mummy."

"Then stop wasting time inside! Go out and play!"

Vatsav smiled and spun the basketball between his hands. "Yes, Mummy," he replied. He wore a Mumbai jersey on his back as he dribbled the ball to the park outside.

Back inside, the IBA Finals coverage on NDTV continued. It was Om Rajendran's voice, streaming out to all the ears across the country.

"I leave Indian basketball in better hands than when I found it."

India will be blessed with the presence of Sir Christopher Bosh next month

2013-06-14T17:02:00.001+05:30

We're 2-2 into the 2013 NBA Finals, and within a week from now, Chris Bosh could become NBA Champion for the second consecutive time in his career. But even if he doesn't, the resume of the 'third' of Miami's Big Three will be looking pretty good this summer. A championship (or two?), three consecutive Finals' appearances, eight All-Star appearances, one Olympic gold medal, career averages of 16.1 points and 8 rebounds per game, and getting to play with some of the best players of our generation on the nightly basis. Plus he's perhaps the most GIF-able player of our time and an interstellar prince in a different multiverse.

And if you're a fan of any or all of the above, you'll be more than excited to hear that the NBA will be bringing Christopher Wesson Bosh to India for the first time in July. The league hasn't released any more specific details, but a press release today announced that Bosh will be in Mumbai a few weeks after the NBA Finals to conduct a series of events to grow the game of basketball and the league’s fanbase in India.

Drafted fourth by Toronto in the loaded 2003 draft (which also included Miami teammates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, as well as Carmelo Anthony), Bosh played for the Raptors for the first seven years of his career before moving to the Heat as a free agent to create the 'Big Three' in 2010. He has been the third wheel for the Heat ever since as they have made three consecutive visits to the NBA Finals.

Bosh's trip to India is the highest-profile NBA visit since the league sent Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol (separately) in India back in the summer of 2010. Gasol even showed up with the Larry O'Brien trophy after he helped the Lakers win the championship that summer.

Bosh’s activities in Mumbai will include (via SportsKeeda):

Elite Development Clinic: Bosh will conduct a clinic for the top basketball players in India, including members of India's National Basketball Team!

Magic Bus NBA Cares Event: Bosh will participate in an NBA Cares event and basketball clinic as part of our overarching NBA Cares partnership with Magic Bus, a local NGO. The partnership, announced during NBA Commissioner David Stern’s trip to Mumbai in April, uses sport to impact underserved youth across India.

Sony Television Shoot: Bosh will be integrated into various Sony SIX TV programs.

Social Media Promotion/Fan meet and greet: Bosh will interact with lucky fans who will win the opportunity to meet him through various digital and social media promotions. He will also help launch NBA India’s first-ever Instagram account with photos from his trip.

Attend local events and tour Mumbai: Bosh will attend high-profile local sports and cultural events and take a city tour which will be captured by SONY and NBA Entertainment.

We will surely get more information in a few weeks, including the exact dates of his visit and the places where he will visit in Mumbai. We are sure to hear from 'The Boshasaurus' himself of course, but will have to wait until he deals with some more pressing issues (like the San Antonio Spurs) confronting him at this point.

Until then, whet your Bosh-appetite (or Boshetite) with this:

Indiana Pacers, or the Poor Man’s Guide to Building a Winning Team

2013-06-10T16:02:00.000+05:30

The Pacers came within just one game of making the NBA Finals. Although the star-studded Heat defeated them, here is a team that threatened the defending champs with a roster built of a collection of underrated, unappreciated, or forgotten stars who came together to make their way back in to relevance. Indiana constructed this team in the old-fashioned way: drafting smartly, even in low picks, and spending money wisely on their few marquee free agents.

As we look ahead, the future is incredibly bright for this young squad.

Click here to read my full feature.

Evolving Points: Say hello to the Point Guards of the Future

2013-06-06T14:33:00.001+05:30

This feature was first published in the 108th edition (2013 - No. 11) of SLAM China Magazine. Here is my original English version of the story.

The rule was to get Big Men. From Russell to Wilt to Kareem to Hakeem to Shaq and a dozen more in the middle. Get a big man, get success.

And then the smaller guys started to take over. Magic and Bird were bigger guys who could do it small. Jordan made it a perimeter game and Kobe and LeBron took it from there. By the mid-2000s, Steve Nash had won back to back MVP awards. And so we knew that there were some exceptions to every rule.

By 2011, three of the previous four number one draft picks had been point guards (Derrick Rose, John Wall, Kyrie Irving). Six of the last eight Rookie of the Years were guards (Chris Paul, Brandon Roy, Rose, Tyreke Evans, Irving, Damian Lillard). Nearly every team in the NBA had a decent guard manning the point. And big men began to get mostly limited as defensive, shot-altering presences, existing mostly to make life easier for the smaller guys.

The exception became the rule.

While the absolute best players in the NBA currently rove around the Small Forward position – LeBron, Durant, and Carmelo – there is no doubt now that the NBA is morphing towards becoming a point guard’s league. But these aren’t your point guards of the past, the fundamental-first, slow-but-steady floor generals like Stockton, Kidd, or Cousy, who make the right pass at the right time to more explosive finishers. The Point Guard of today is the right passer and the explosive finisher, all rolled into one. He does everything required of him and then some. He can outrun opponents like Ty Lawson. Out-pass them like Rajon Rondo. Out-jump them like Russell Westbrook. Out-craft them like Ricky Rubio. And out-shoot them like Stephen Curry.

He has to be whatever his team needs him to be. And he has to win.

Following the evolution of the point guard position through changing times in the NBA’s history can be an intriguing, eye-opening journey. When the league was first established back in 1947, success depended almost exclusively on big men. The man who led the way was Center George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers, helping his team win five titles in six years. Every team hoped to stop Mikan, and so everyone wanted a Mikan. There was no set ‘point guard’ position, as two or three perimeter players played fluidly as shot-creators or outside shooters to help open up space for the big man inside. Great guards of the 50s like Bob Cousy, Paul Arizin, and Bill Sharman were high scorers but rarely settled into a strict ‘point’ position.

In came Oscar Robertson to blur the lines even further. Robertson was the definition of a complete basketball player, messing about and getting triple doubles and easing between any of the three perimeter position. He was a pass-first point guard when needed, a shoot-first shooting guard when the situation changed, and attacked the basket like a forward. Over in LA, Jerry West was the complete scoring guard. In New York, Walt Fraizer began to morph the lines between the guard positions clearer, becoming an unstoppable two-way threat for the Knicks.

Still, it was a league of bigs. After a decade of Russell and Chamberlain fighting for supremacy, in came Lew Alcindor – soon to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – to make dominant bigs even bigger. Between 1965-1980, a post-player won the MVP award every season, including Russell, Chamberlain, Wes Unseld, Willis Reed, Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Bill Walton, and Moses Malone.

And then came Magic, and just like Oscar Robertson did nearly two decades ago, he made it essential to start paying attention to the floor-general again.

Magic Johnson – at 6’9” – was a wonder. A genius with the size of a post-player and the vision of a point guard. It was in Magic’s domination of the 80s that we finally understood the qualities that we wish to see in a true offensive point guard. A player who is single-handedly responsible for running the team’s offense and creating scoring opportunities – for himself or for others – as required. While Magic worked his magic, the decade also spawned two more of the greatest point guards of All Time. One was John Stockon, the consummate team player who always saw pass first. And the other was Isiah Thomas, who formed a tough backcourt in Detroit with his ability to be a scoring sparkplug and the blueprint for a generation of young small high-scoring players ahead, from Allen Iverson to Derrick Rose.

By now, the Michael Jordan phenomenon had struck pro basketball, and along with Magic and Larry Bird, Jordan had given more power than ever to the perimeter player. Jordan was a swingman, and although the offense ran through him, he rarely played the role of a traditional PG. In Jordan, we had seen the perimeter player win scoring titles, MVPs, and championships. But in all those years with the Bulls, the point guards were usually an afterthought, kept merely as spot-up shooters to support Jordan and Pippen. Still, there were many other great point guards that manned the position in the 90s, including Stockton, Gary Payton, Penny Hardaway and Kevin Johnson.

Near the end of Jordan’s tenure with the Bulls, Allen Iverson entered the league as an explosive and unapologetic shoot-first point guard. But it wasn’t until Iverson was played in the 2-guard position next to a more stable point man did his explosive abilities result into consistent success. The likes of Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis made high-scoring an art form for the small player.

It’s been in the turn of the century that the point guard position has revved up to a higher gear, and now offers the deepest pool of talent in the league. And in large numbers there comes great variety. Jason Kidd and Steve Nash dominated most of the large decade; Kidd as a complete triple-double threat floor general and Nash as the ultimate offensive weapon who led the league in assists multiple times and was one of the league’s deadliest shooters. Tony Parker weaved his way to multiple championships with the Spurs. Chris Paul and Deron Williams arrived midway through the last decade to further solidify the position; both of them evolving as ‘complete’ point guards in their different ways, and both become great leaders on both ends of the court.

The change of the hand-check rules further emancipated the point guards, who were free to attack the basket at breakneck pace and help result in high-energy, exciting basketball. In 2008, Derrick Rose became the first pure guard since Allen Iverson to go number one in the draft. An army of point men in the same mold – from John Wall to Russell Westbrook – soon followed.

Now, depending on the team’s needs, there is a point guard for each system, for each mentality, and to mesh with each type of teammate. Parker is there to beat screens and attack the basket, playing in perfect harmony with the bigs in his team. Paul and Williams are there to make plays and improve their squad, and take over in games whenever needed. Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard may be following in their footsteps too. Rose, Westbrook, Wall, and Ty Lawson are the type of high-scoring point guards who are athletic monsters, unstoppable in a race down the court and unstoppable when they lift off the floor. Rajon Rondo and Ricky Rubio are of a similar design; two pass first creators who can fill up the stat-sheet and affect the game from every angle. Stephen Curry has elite range and ball-handling skills to match. Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings, Kemba Walker, Luo Williams, Mike Conley, and George Hill are all great talents capable of putting points on the board and be the right type of offensive mastermind as their team requires. And don’t forget Jeremy Lin, who lit up the world with his explosive point play in New York last year and is now bringing more consistency into his attack-mode style.

With the rise of all these point guards, what we have started to see is that big players – formerly the anchors around whom every team was centered – now have their roles redefined. It is now the point guard who dictates the way ahead, and the big player who has to adjust to cater for the explosive PG.

The evolution of point guards has reached its apex where there is no more single answer for a point guard, but multiple, excellent choices.

And now, the revolution begins.

India qualify for 2013 FIBA Asia Championship by winning SABA Zone Qualifiers

2013-06-05T15:05:00.002+05:30

India started off as favourites to emerge as victors from the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Zone Qualifiers against Nepal and Afghanistan this week, and anything less than victory would've been crushing dissapointment. Still, basketball games are not won on expectations alone, and the 'Young Cagers' - under the tutelage of new Head Coach Scott Flemming - still had to go out and get the job done. They did that all right, winning both their games in comfortable fashion at the Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi from June 2-4. Thus, they sealed their qualification for the 2013 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship for Men and will be headed to Manila (Phillipines) for Asia's biggest basketball tournament in August.

Flemming, who was cautiously optimistic of India's chances, must be glad to see that he has had a successful start to his coaching campaign. After several months at camp, Flemming chose a 12-man roster that featured a healthy mix of experience and youth, and a whole lotta size, going into these qualifiers. Size hasn't always exactly been India's strength in international basketball fixtures, but with a flux of talented young bigs coming into the system, it seems that the future is a little brighter (and bigger).

India kicked off the three-team qualifying tournament against Nepal on June 2nd, in what turned out to be a stroll in the park. Without the size to match India's big men and the skill to keep up with their offense, Nepal fell behind after a close start and were never in the game again. At 13-8, it seemed Nepal may stick around in the contest, but India ended any chance of an upset as they scored 24 consecutive points. They held on to a mammoth 61-13 lead at halftime before pulling the breaks on their offense a little in the second period. Still, it was no mercy for the northern neighbours as India were able to give meaningful minutes to all 12 players and finish the evening with a 109-26 victory. Six Indians scored in double digits to showcase a balanced offense, with Punjabi big man Amrit Pal Singh leading the way with 17.

Nepal couldn't catch a break against Afghanistan the very next day, either. The Afghanis used their immense height and athleticism advantage to again break out a big lead and cruise to a 78-20 win.

This set up the expected do-or-die matchup between India and Afghanistan on June 4th, with the winner earning the right to represent the SABA Zone in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship from August 1-11, 2013. Although India were favoured, a victory was by no means guaranteed. Three years ago, Afghanistan famously defeated India in the South Asia Games basketball final, and India avenged the loss with a close but ugly victory later in that year at the Asian Games. Flemming had spoken earlier about the threat that Afghanistan possessed, and didn't want India to take them lightly.

Photo Credit: Gopalakrishnan R.

They didn't: India took an 18-9 lead in the first quarter and maintained a double digit advantage throughout. Although they couldn't score too easily against Afghanistan's bigs, they were still able to dominate the run of play. Flemming had been working hard in improving India's team defense, and the results of the hard work were on full display as they did a good job in disrupting Afghanistan's offensive flow. India had a comfortable 16 point lead at halftime and ended up winning the game 64-46. Going to their young bigs - Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh - proved fruitful to India. Point guard Joginder Singh also had a nice game and team captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi had his usual all round performance despite a struggle shooting on the floor.

14 of total 16 teams have now punched in their tickets for Philippines and now await the tournament draw. The tournament was initially slated to be held in Lebanon, but the venue was changed due to security concerns from the Syrian civil war and the Middle East in general. India finished a disappointing 14th place in the 2011 FIBA ABC in Wuhan (China). With a better-looking talent pool and more concentrated efforts to improve, the Men have to aim for much greater heights. China will be defending their title, while Jordan, Korea, Iran, and hosts Philippines will hope to upset Asia's strongest side.

For now, let's celebrate India's qualification. The road ahead is only going to get tougher for Flemming and his team: we hope that they can build upon this start to give Asia's finest squads a shock or too in Manila.

A special shoutout to Gopalakrishnan R., a basketball writer with admirable passion for Indian hoops, who was on scene throughout the tournament and provided a comprehensive breakdown of all the games. Gopal did excellent live play-by-play commentary of the games and is also to be credited for the photograph above!

Legacy Watch: Previewing the Heat-Spurs 2013 NBA Finals

2013-06-04T15:57:00.001+05:30

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs. The 2013 NBA Finals. Is this what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Technically, as the Pacers stretched them to the limit, we saw that his Heat squad isn’t exactly unstoppable. And for all their failures in the playoffs over the recent years, we witnessed that the Spurs haven’t been immovable either. But what we are about to witness is going to be one of the closest Finals matchups in recent memory, between two incredibly talented teams. They have reached here in different ways, been built like opposites, and play in a contrasting fashion, but they have been the NBA’s best teams in the post-season, and rightfully so, they will face off in the epic Finals encounter to adjudge who will lay hands on the 2013 NBA trophy.

Click here for my preview and my predictions for the Finals.

Legend, Interrupted

2013-06-03T15:32:00.000+05:30

There are two sides to this story. Yes, the legend of Grant Hill was interrupted. But the legend never stopped. The story continued and became special in its own way. And so, a new legend was born.

Click here to read full feature

IOB & Southern Railway defend Jeppiaar title in Chennai

2013-06-02T09:25:00.000+05:30

For the second consecutive year, Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Southern Railway won the Jeppiaar All India Basketball Tournament in their home city of Chennai. The invitational tournament, which is a prestigious club competition in India and recently concluded it's 4th edition, was organized by the JIT Institute of Technology Basketball Club and held from May 26-31 at the college grounds near Sriperumpudur.

Southern Railway - led by India's legendary center Geethu Anna Jose - defeated Western Railway 62-49 in the Women's final on Friday after leading by six at halftime. Jose had 24 points in the game and S. Kokila added 19. Earlier on the same day, Chhattisgarh Women defeated Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) 53-48 behind 26 points by Swaranjeet Kaur to win third place.

The Men's final was a rematch of last year's finale between IOB and ONGC, and once again, the result was the same. IOB held on to a 10 point lead at halftime and continued their dominance in the second half to close in on a 59-45 win. IOB's Vineeth Ravi Mathew had 19 points. Indian Army beat Indian Navy 66-55 to finish third in the tournament; Sridhar had 18 points for Army.

In the Men's semi-finals earlier, ONGC had gotten through by defeating Indian Army 68-55. Legendary guard Riyazuddin had 25 points in a throwback performance for ONGC while Sridhar fought back with 18 for Army. In the other Men's semi, IOB blew by Indian Navy 54-34.

JIT's Shashant Rai (Men) and Chhattisgarh's Swaranjeet Kaur (Women) were named the Most Valuable Players of the tournament.

India set to play in FIBA Asia Championship SABA Qualifiers in New Delhi

2013-06-01T09:58:00.001+05:30

Asia's most prestigious basketball event - the FIBA Asia Basketball Championship - is scheduled to be held this August in the Philippines. Under new coach Scott Flemming, India's 'Young Cagers' will be anxious to improve on their most recent performance at the Championship. But before they can be chosen amongst the 16 squads to compete in Manila, they first have to defeat their South Asia neighbours in a qualifying competition back home. The South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Zone Qualifiers for the 2013 FIBA Asia Basketball Championship for Men are set to be held at the Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi from June 2-4.

India, who are the most dominant squad in the SABA Zone, will have to compete against Afghanistan and Nepal in the qualifiers this year.

This will be the first major international challenge for India's squad under Coach Flemming, who was named Head Coach of the Men's team in September 2012 after spending the past two years as an assistant coach with the Texas Legends of the NBDL.

Here is India's 12-man roster for the SABA Qualifiers:

Joginder Singh - PG - 5-11 (Delhi)
Sambhaji Kadam - PG - 5-10 (Pune)
Vishesh Bhriguvanshi - G - 6-2 (Uttarakhand)
Narender Kumar Grewal - SF - 6-3 (Delhi)
Vinay Kaushik - G - 6-2 (Delhi)
Basil Phillip - G - 6-1 (Kerala)
Loveneet Singh - PG - 5-11 (Ludhiana)
Ranbir Singh - G - 6-3 - (Punjab)
Yadwinder Singh - F - 6-6 (Uttarakhand)
Amjyot Singh Gill - F - 6-9 (Tamil Nadu)
Rikin Pethani - F/C - 6-9 (Tamil Nadu)
Amrit Pal Singh - C - 6-11 (Uttarakhand)

The usual big names are there with the squad. Bhriguvanshi and Yadwinder Singh, teammates in ONGC, have been one of India's biggest stars over the past few years. Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh are two rising stars, both young bigs who can be the cornerstone of India's future. Loveneet Singh is another young star coming fresh out of a silver-medal performance at the U18 FIBA Asia 3x3 Championship. Sambhaji Kadam is the team's oldest player and the veteran point guard will be the team's leader in the locker-room. India's young phenom Satnamn Singh Bhamara, the 7 footed 17-year-old Center, will skip the qualifiers because of his schedule at the IMG Academy in Florida.

Here is the schedule of games at the SABA Qualifiers.

Participating Countries

1. Afghanistan
2. India
3. Nepal

Fixtures

June 2 - 4:00 PM - India vs. Nepal
June 3 - 6:00 PM - Nepal vs. Afghanistan
June 4 - 6:00 PM - Afghanistan vs. India

Coach Flemming feels cautiously optimistic about India's chances over the two games. Speaking on the team's preparations, he said, "I believe we have really improved as a team during our two training camps this year. We haven't arrived yet but our players our buying into our system. We have particularly focused on the defensive end. We have had great practices but we haven't been game tested except for a few scrimmages."

"Although we won't take anyone lightly it looks as though Afghanistan will be our biggest challenge in the SABA Qualifier. They beat our Indian team in recent years and return most of the same players. We have set some longer term goals and I am confident we will continue to improve in the days ahead."

If India win the tournament, they will win SABA's only berth in the final lineup of teams at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, which will be held from August 1-11, 2013. India finished 14th at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan (China).

Sacramento's King: Vivek Ranadivé becomes NBA's first Indian-born majority owner

2013-05-27T19:28:00.000+05:30

He was born in Juhu, Mumbai.

He has a bachelor's degree from Harvard and a master's from MIT.

He had 50 dollars in his pocket when he moved to the USA in the 70s, and worked his way to turning that into a billion dollar software company, TIBCO.

He is a Tae Kwon Do Black Belt, and a sports buff who used to coach his daughter's basketball team.

He has written three best-selling books.

He became the first Indian to own a share of an NBA franchise, when he was with the Golden State Warriors.

And about a week ago, Vivek Ranadivé became the first-ever Indian-born majority owner when a group led by him bought the Kings, saved them from a move to Seattle, and kept them in Sacramento.

For the 55-year-old who has already shook the world, it seems that the journey has only just begun.

Until about two months ago, the fate of the Sacramento Kings seemed to be all but decided. The franchise was suffering a terrible loss: the team was playing losing basketball on court had amongst the NBA's worst attendances. All this, after being only a decade removed from being one of the league's loudest and most imposing home courts in the successful Chris Webber era. A sale to the tech-inspired group from Seattle, led by Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer and Chris Hansen, seemed inevitable, and Sacramento's loss was reading like Seattle's gain, who were eager to welcome back the Supersonics.

Enter Ranadivé. A minority-owner with the Warriors, Ranadivé joined a team led by health-club financier Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle to bid for the Kings and help keep them in Sacramento. Ranadivé emerged as the leader of this group, which by the end included the Jacobs family from San Diego, another Indian-born businessman Raj Bhathal, Australian Silicon Valley entrepreneur Katrina Garnett, Mastrov, Sacramento developer Mark Friedman, attorney and former Facebook executive Chris Kelly, San Francisco tech entrepreneur Andy Miller and Arjun Gupta, a third-Indian and founder of TeleSoft Partners, a venture capital firm.

It was a long-winded battle after that, between two cities and two basketball fan-bases. On April 29, the NBA's Relocation Committee unanimously recommended that the NBA Board of Governors deny the application of the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Seattle. In mid-may the Board of Governors voted down the Seattle relocation bid. And a few days later, the sale of the Kings from the Maloofs to Ranadivé's group was confirmed.

The deal set the team's overall value at $535 million. Ranadive's group would buy the 65 percent share of the Kings controlled by the Maloofs and Hernreich. Ranadivé will sell his minority share with the Warriors before purchasing the Kings. In celebration for this victory, Sacramento held the 'Long Live the Kings' rally last week, where they invited franchise legends, Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson, as well as the man who had played a major part in saving the team: Vivek Ranadivé.

From his time with the Warriors and through the bidding process with the Kings, Ranadivé has maintained an ongoing philosophy of looking ahead, and using his background with technology as well as his international background to think globally, think digitally. He spoke various times of making the Kings into a 'global brand'.

Via Sacbee.com:

The goal is to create something Ranadive has begun calling "NBA 3.0," which refers to making basketball as popular worldwide as soccer. Much of the focus would be on China, where the NBA is already quite popular, and India, where cricket is considerably more popular.
Basketball "is a sport that lends itself to that," Ranadive said of the globalization effort. "It can be played in cities, it can be played in villages. Rich countries, poor countries - you don't need a lot of space like you do with cricket or soccer."

Ranadivé has also spoken various times of how his Indian heritage has shaped him. He has said that he wants the Kings to have outreach programmes to connect with India and believes that basketball - as a simple enough sport - can be a huge hit in his country of origin.

Sacramento have celebrated their new Indian King for his timely intervention, and what he calls 'one hell of a comeback' in keeping their franchise in their city. And NBA fans in India are of course excited to see one of their own at the helm of an NBA franchise.

But at the end of the day, no matter how the faces in the back-office change or how great their new planned arena turns out to be, basketball games are won by the team on the floor. And the team on the floor that we concern ourselves with here is still the same old Sacramento Kings. The Kings have missed the playoffs for the past seven consecutive seasons and for most of that stretch have been amongst the worst teams in the Western Conference. They finished the most recent season at 28-54 and don't seem to have the pieces to make a push into the playoffs anytime soon in the future either.

About a month ago, I wrote in my NBA.com/India column that, no matter how much 'India' hype that Ranadivé's ownership brings the Kings, India's basketball fanbase won't start truly caring about them until the Kings can create an exciting and winning product. There is no loyalty amongst fans that live thousands of miles away: most NBA fans in India will support whichever team that Kobe or LeBron play for, or whichever team to have been successful/exciting in recent years. The Kings, currently, offer none of the above, and although having an Indian owner will generate some interest initially, it won't buy Ranadivé a long-term fanbase in India.

The Kings are a young, rebuilding squad, and are blessed with a rare inside talent in DeMarcus Cousins to build a franchise around. So far, he has offered the team a mix dose of brilliance and bamboozlement. But the center is still only 22 years old, and can certainly be a valuable piece of a successful franchise for the future. If Cousins can settle down and become the team's anchor, they can worry about their other issues. The Kings have to improve on the defensive end, a change that will have to be passed down through their coach (it's unlikely that Keith Smart will survive too long) to his players. Cousins has to make his game more polished and consistent. The biggest improvement has to come from former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans (a restricted free agent), who showed that he has the natural ability to be a game-changing guard, but has slowed down drastically since his rookie season. The positive development of other youngsters like Isaiah Thomas, Patrick Patterson, Jimmer Fredette, and Cole Aldrich will shape their future roster. And they have to be smart (and lucky!) to find a gem or two in the NBA draft – a feat much easier said than done! They have the seventh pick this year. Maybe it's not too early to start tanking for the Wiggins/Parker sweepstakes in 2014?

It will take a concentrated improvement on all levels, from personnel on and off the court and in the effort of those currently leading the charge of the squad, to bring the Kings closer to Ranadivé’s ‘global brand’ dream.

But here's a guy who has mastered pretty much everything that has caught his fancy, from ivy league schools to software businesses to martial arts to non-fiction writing. He's a good businessman, and like every good businessman, we expect he will understand what factors he needs to run a profitable business. And when the product is an NBA franchise, those factors are the right players and the right coaching and support staff.

I wish nothing but success to Ranadivé, and will join the unlikely unison of Sacramento and India in rooting for his success with the Kings. Hopefully, his efforts can not only revitalize a once-great team and fan-base, but also help popularize the game further in India. If he can succeed at doing that, then Ranadivé will truly become the Basketball's King to all the new NBA fans back in his homeland.

4th Jeppiaar Basketball Tournament begins in Chennai today

2013-05-26T10:10:00.000+05:30

Home town squads Southern Railway and IOB will be out to defend their crown against some of India's top clubs at the 4th Annual Jeppiaar All India Invitational Basketball Tournament for Men and Women in Chennai. A respected club basketball tournament, the Jeppiaar tournament is organized by the JIT Institute of Technology Basketball Club and will be held from May 26-31 at the college grounds near Sriperumpudur.

Elite teams from across the country will vie for honours for AP Baulraj Trophy for Men and Marcella Rolling Trophy for Women, along with grand cash prizes. Ten Men's teams and five Women's teams will take part:

Men: IOB (Chennai), Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Income Tax, Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, ONGC, Punjab Police, KSEB, Sathyabama University.

Women: Central Railway, Western Railway, Southern Railway, KSEB, Chhattisgarh.

India wins double silver at U18 FIBA Asia 3x3 Championship; Chinese Taipei & Philippines win gold

2013-05-25T09:35:00.000+05:30

Even in our brightest dreams, we wouldn't have believed it, but India's performances at the 3x3 Asian Basketball Championship have truly earned them the respect and fear of the opponents. And on Friday, the performances earned them some medals. The first ever FIBA Asia 3x3 U18 Basketball Championship for Boys and Girls concluded in Bangkok (Thailand) on May 24th with both the boys' and girls' teams from India making the tournament's final. Both teams lost - as Philippines Boys and Chinese Taipei Girls won gold - but a double silver for India has left fans hopeful of a bright future ahead.

The achievement comes less than 10 days after India's Senior Women's team won the FIBA Asia 3x3 gold medal at Doha (Qatar). The performances of the under-18 squads may be equally encouraging, because unlike the senior competition, this tournament featured regular Asian powerhouses like China and Japan.

In the Girls' competition, India were undefeated until they were finally stopped in their tracks by Chinese Taipei, who won 21-13 in the Final. The Boys' final was a heart-stopping see-saw battle where India struck close before a few mental lapses at the very end saw Philippines emerge as 21-19 winners.

India's Girls were led by Poonam Chaturvedi, the 6-foot-7 giant 18 year old who truly seems to be catching up with her potential. Chaturvedi was by far the tallest girl in the tournament and dominated till the very end. Ishwari Pingle, Sharanjeet Kaur, and Vyshali Kemkar were also in the squad coached by Chattisgarh's Rajesh Patel. India's Girls went undefeated in the groups stage, defeating Qatar (21-4), Thailand 1 (20-15), and Lebanon (22-8). They made easy work of Indonesia (21-8) in the Quarter-Final and defeated hosts Thailand in a close Semi-Final (20-18) before qualifying for the final game. Chinese Taipei beat China 16-13 in the other Girls' semi-final.

The Boys' team had a core of young but experienced players Loveneet Singh, Narendar, Syed Anam Ali, and Gurvinder Singh Gill. The Boys lost their first group game in a 21-8 blowout to China, but they bounced back to win the next two versus Thailand 1 (18-14) and a dominant decimation of Maldives (21-1). They were paired against Lebanon in the Quarter-Final, but won their matchup with relative ease (21-7), and then proceeded to defeat higher-ranked Syria 13-11 in a defensive Semi-Final upset. In the second semi-final, Philippines defeated China 22-18.

The bronze medal games were won by China in both divisions, as they defeated Thailand and Syria in the girls' and boys' divisions respectively.

Final Standings

Boys

Gold: Philippines
Silver: India
Bronze: China

Girls

Gold: Chinese Taipei
Silver: India
Bronze: China

Fantastic news for India: It's rare to see the end of a FIBA Asia Championship and find India - in both divisions - playing in the Finals! The full version 5x5 FIBA Asia Championships are later this year too: it'll be crazy to dream that they can repeat their 3x3 performances, but at least India can enter the competition fearlessly and with much more confidence than ever before.

Season lost; Season gained

2013-05-24T10:47:00.000+05:30

Without Derrick Rose and after suffering injuries to major stars in the playoffs, the Bulls still managed to to stretch out their season as long as they possible could. Few teams could lose 4-1 and still hold their heads up this high. It was a rare occurrence when the losing team somehow became the story of the series. But the Bulls had done just that, not just by getting results, but by fighting till the very end.

Here's how they turned a season lost into a season gained.

Click here to read full feature!

Dr. S. Subramanian – one of India’s greatest-ever basketball coaches – passes away

2013-05-23T13:06:00.002+05:30

When we say that we "live for something", or that we "dedicate our life" towards something, what do we even mean? Do we mean that we aspire day and night to keep that something safe and make that something better? Does it mean we spend a year, 10 years, 20 years, or a whole lifetime guarding and obsessing over that thing? Does we mean that the something for us really is everything?

A lot of us claim that basketball is our something, the one thing that we obsess with day or night, our everything. But only a few truly give the game the dedication that it deserves.

Dr. Sankaran Subramanian - who spent 43 long years as a basketball coach in India, honing and shaping some of our country's best players and helping the game take great strides over the past four decades - is one of the few. Subramanian truly dedicated his life to basketball. Subramanian passed away at 75 years of age in Patiala (Punjab) on the early hours of May 22nd, 2013, but even in absence, his presence will continue to be felt in the legacy that he leaves behind.

Subrananian will go down in history as one of the greatest-ever basketball coaches in India. From 1968 onwards, he had been thoroughly involved in coaching and developing players in Punjab and for the Indian national team. Subramanian was the coach of the Punjab state team, the director and chief of the Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) in Punjab and also the director of the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. He was the man behind half of India's Men's Basketball squad that represented the country in the last FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan (China) in 2011. He was the man who first honed the skills of Satnam Singh Bhamara, India's 17-year-old 7-footed phenom who is garnering hype to become the future face of Indian basketball. Over the past years, he trained hordes of athletes (at the Senior as well as Junior level) who went on to represent India in FIBA Asia Championships, in Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and even the Olympics.

Subramanian played basketball for his school and college teams and later joined Indian Air Force in the year 1958. He played in Air Force and Inter-Services Championships and also participated in the National Basketball Championships for three consecutive years from 1964-1967. He took to coaching after that in 1968, working with the Air Force team and with Services and leading them to wins in several national level tournaments. He also briefly coached the Mysore Girls team in the early 70s. He joined NIS in Patiala in 1973 from where he worked to hone several junior and senior players and host national coaching camps at NIS.

Subramanian had been the head coach of the Punjab State teams from 2000-2013, and led them to an era of great dominance in this period, collecting 14 Gold, 13 Silver and 9 Bronze Medals in Sub-Junior, Youth, Junior and Senior National Championships. Under his tutelage, Punjab's Senior Men's team won the National Championship in 2012 and finished as runners-up this year.

He was also a FIBA certified International Referee in basketball and had officiated in many international Tournaments/Championship in India and abroad.

The number of talented stars who had blossomed under his tutelage during this period is too vast to be mentioned here, but some of them include Arjuna Award winner Manmohan Singh, Paramjit Singh, who represented Indian in the 1980 Olympic Basketball team, and Tarlok Singh Sandhu. In India's most recent Men's squad, a record number of six players were developed under Subramanian in his Ludhiana Academy: TJ Sahi, Yadwinder Singh, Jagdeep Singh Bains, Amjyot Singh, Amrit Pal Singh, and of course, Satnam Singh Bhamara. He also trained women's international Kiranjit Kaur, who won gold for India in the 2012 Asian Beach Games.

Anyone who ever delved into the world of Indian hoops came out with a special appreciation for Subramanian's passion for the game and his dedication over four long decades to young players. He was known to be a very disciplined coach but one who also found ways to change this tactics and take risks to get the best out of his players. His ability to find and develop new talent in India is virtually unmatched.

Many have spoken of their appreciation of Subramanian since the news of his demise. India's current basketball head coach Scott Flemming wrote: "So glad I was able to spend time with him this past January in Ludhiana. I was so impressed not only with his coaching background but his passion for helping young athletes." NBA India's Senior Director of Basketball Operations Troy Justice wrote: "He was a father to many of us who knew him. He earned our love and respect through his hard work and passion. He was always there to teach, coach, lead, serve, or whatever it took to to enrich someone else's life. I will always carry the great memories we shared together. There is a special bond when you are together on a basketball court that can never be broken."

The true effect of a coach's brilliance can't be gleaned from the coach himself, but from the players he coaches. For every great player, you know that there is one even greater coach making them who they are. In that spirit, even in Subramanian's absence, we will remain blessed with his greatness going into the future. In players like Sahi, Yadwinder, and Jagdeep, who continue to be the foundation of India's basketball. In young bucks like Satnam, Amjyot, and Amrit Pal, who will carry Subramanian's spirit with them into the bold new future. And in those countless other young players that he has worked with, from superstar internationals to amateurs who found love in basketball.

Basketball in India doesn't bring in much fame, and it surely doesn't bring in that much money. Those who stick with it do it because of the true, uncorrupted love for the game. Subramaniam loved basketball till the very end; and in demise he coaches us all one more time, teaching us how to truly dedicate our lives to that something we love, to the very end.

Cavaliers continue their Draft Lottery luck by winning 2013 top pick

2013-05-22T19:12:00.000+05:30

For the second time in three years, the Cavaliers won the number one pick in the 2013 draft at the Draft Lottery in New York on May 21st. The Cavs had finished with the NBA’s third-worst record last season. The team with the worst record – Orlando Magic – won the second pick. The biggest jump was for the Washington Wizards, who moved from eighth place to win the third pick in the draft.

Here are the complete results of the 2013 Draft Lottery and my analysis.

Click here for full feature.

India to fight for 1st FIBA Asia U18 3x3 Championship in Thailand

2013-05-21T12:30:00.003+05:30

Things are looking quite rosy for Indian Basketball at the international stage, at least as far as the new, shorter version of the game is concerned.

For a country that has long struggled to make a mark amongst Asia’s top basketball contenders, India has found a new vehicle in the 3x3, halfcourt format of the game, and have rocketed up to the top of the charts. India’s Women’s squad won the gold medal last week in the inaugural FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship in Doha, following their gold medal performances in the Asian and South Asian Beach games over the past few years. The men’s squad were ousted in the Quarter-Finals, but the experience showed that India is more than ready to embrace basketball’s ‘mini’ format.

Now, it’s the turn of India’s junior stars to show that the future of the game is as secure as the present.

India’s U18 boys’ and girls’ teams will participated in the first-ever FIBA Asia U18 3x3 Basketball Championship, set to be held in Bangkok (Thailand) from May 22-24, 2013. With many more of the top Asian nations taking part in this tournament, India’s journey to a podium finish will be much harder, but the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has selected experienced young players into the rosters to push for some silverware.

Here are India’s Rosters for the 1st FIBA Asia U18 3x3 Basketball Championships:

Boys: Loveneet Singh, Narender, Syed Anam Ali, Gurvinder Singh Gill.

Girls: Ishwari Pingle, Vyshali Kemkar, Poonam Chaturvedi, Sharanjeet Kaur.

There is definitely a lot of experience – even at a young age – amongst several of those names there, notably Loveneet, Narender, Syed Anam Ali, Ishwari Pingle, and Sharanjeet Kaur. The big story of the tournament could potentially be Poonam Chaturvedi, who at 18 is already 6 foot 7 inches tall and has been honing her raw talents slowly back home over the past two years.

The draw for the championship was held in Malaysia last month: 19 boys’ and 17 girls’ teams will be taking part in the competition, and have been drawn into four groups each. India’s Boys have been placed in Group A along with China, Maldives, and Thailand 1. India’s Girls are in Group A, along with Qatar, Lebanon, and Thailand 1. Hosts Thailand have two teams in each gender in the competition.

Both boys and girls will play in a Preliminary Round on May 22-23, and the knockout stage starting from the Quarter-Finals for both will be held on May 24.

Here is the Schedule for India’s group stage games on May 22-23 (all timings Bangkok):

Boys

- May 22 – 3:30 PM: India vs. China
- May 22 – 4:30 PM: Thailand 1 vs. India
- May 23 – 2:30 PM: India vs. Maldives

Girls

- May 22 – 2:00 PM: India vs. Qatar
- May 22 – 4:00 PM: Thailand 1 vs. India
- May 23 – 2:30 PM: India vs. Lebanon

India’s boys’ squad has a mega test in their very first contest, against Asian powerhouse China. China are the favourites for the tournament, but if India can at least give them a good fight, they will have some confidence in their next group games against Maldives and Thailand. Philippines, Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Lebanon are other teams to watch out for in the tournament.

The girls’ may draw even against any of the teams in their group, particularly Lebanon and Thailand. The favourites of the tournament for girls – China and Chinese Taipei – are in Groups D and C respectively.

With China in contention, it is always difficult to bet on any other squad in an Asian basketball tournament. But India has been displayed respectful showings in recent years in the 3x3 version of the game and our Senior Women even defeated China in the Asian Beach Games final last year. Nevertheless, it will be a rare basketball occasion where India can feel that they are not just mere minnows but above average contenders. Let’s hope that the juniors can live up to the high bar set by the senior players.

Together we go farther: An NBA Conference Finals Preview

2013-05-19T16:20:00.001+05:30

A long, grueling NBA playoff run can be sort of like a journey through an unforgiving desert sometimes. Those who dream of the desert oasis at the end of the horizon – the NBA championship – must battle through all kinds of trials and tribulations. They must suffer past injury, fatigue, hostile road environments, and the stacks raised against them. An exceptional individual could certainly help a team achieve great things, win a big game, or hit a big shot; but it is the effort of the team as a whole that carries the group through four best-of-seven-series, through long road journeys, through defensive adjustments, and with the effort of every member of the troop stepping up whenever their number is called.

So far in the playoffs, teams have succeeded over star individuals. My predictions for what is set to happen next.

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India's Women are FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Champions; Men out in QFs

2013-05-17T09:19:00.000+05:30

Maybe a change in the format of the game was all that Indian basketball needed for their big boost.

India hasn't had any memorable success in international basketball for long stretches of its history. But ever since FIBA has begun to promote the newer, 3x3 format of the game, India has gone all in, addint their best players in the 3x3 rosters and seeing some dominant results, particularly in the Women's division.

And now, India's Women are officially on top of the Asian 3x3 Basketball ladder. India won gold at the inaugural FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship in Doha (Qatar), defeating Mongolia 21-14 in the final game on May 16th. This win marked India's third consecutive gold medal in the 3x3 format of the game, after winning gold at the South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka and at the Asian Beach Games in China last year.

India - featuring the likes of Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Manisha Dange, and Pratima Singh - came in as one of the favourites of the tournament, and justified the hype by winning all six of their games with relative ease en route to the championship. Jose, India's biggest basketball superstar, was named the 'Best Player' of the tournament!

Post the win, Jose said that the India squad "achieved what we set out to do," and Anitha Pauldurai added that "it was a team effort that helped India’s win."

India's Men's team won two of their three group stage games but lost in the Quarter Final to eventual silver-medalists Saudi Arabia.

Qatar, the home team who featured two teams in each division of the championship, saw their 'Maroon' side win the gold in the Men's division, beating Saudi Arabia in the final. They were undefeated in the tournament.

The two-day tournament tipped off in Doha on May 15th, featuring 16 Men's teams and 10 Women's teams. Notably missing from the participants were teams from Asian powerhouses like China, Korea, Japan, and Chinese Taipei in contention for the Women. China, Asia's strongest basketball-playing nation, didn't take part in either division.

India's Women, in Group B of the Women's division, kicked off their campaign on Wednesday with an easy 20-6 win against Lebanon. They continued this form with wins over Mongolia (21-9), and Nepal (21-4). Their game against Qatar (grey) was cancelled. On Thursday, India faced off against Qatar in the Quarter Final, and completely dominated the hosts to cruise to a 21-5 victory. India defeated Hong Kong 21-8 in the Semi-Final, and their closest contest didn't come until the finale itself when they defeated Mongolia 21-14. In a format of the game that lasts only 10 minutes of playing time, India did marvelously to defeat each opponent by an average of 11.3 points per game.

The Men's field was much tougher, and the relatively-younger four-man squad representing India - Ajay Pratap Singh, Ranbir Singh Virdi, Arjun Singh, and Pratham Singh - had a good run despite getting knocked out at the Quarter-Final stage to Saudi Arabia, who defeated them 16-5 on Thursday evening. India went 2-1 in the Group Stage a day earlier, defeating Indonesia (21-13) and and Turkmenistan (19-17), but losing to heavyweights Iran 21-14. The Final of the Men's tournament was held between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and won by the home side in a thrilling 19-17 contest.

Iran (Men) beat Jordan 19-8 to finish third place, and in the Women's division, the third-place game was decided in a low scoring game woman that went in favour of Turkmenistan over Hong Kong 10-8.

Final Standings

Men

Gold: Qatar (Maroon)
Silver: Saudi Arabia
Bronze: Iran

Women

Gold: India
Silver: Mongolia
Bronze: Turkmenistan

Dream Team All Star Selection

Men

Boney Watson (Qatar)
Fadel El Zubi (Jordan)
Moosa Nabipour (Iran)

Women

Geethu Anna Jose (India)
Nigyara Nagiyeva (Turkmenistan)
Lea Abi Ghosn (Lebanon)

Congrats Ladies, and congrats Geethu, who continues to be the Boss of Indian hoops - and one of the most-feared competitors in Asian hoops. We hope that the Men can begin to duplicate the success in the coming years too. India's Women can look ahead to now taking part in the 3x3 FIBA World Championships. But the most important step ahead should be to start focusing this new-found confidence and success on the official 5x5 version of basketball so India can start making some more waves in Asian and in the rest of the world, too!

Team India (Men & Women) contend at 1st FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship in Qatar

2013-05-15T11:54:00.001+05:30

We know who the best basketball teams in Asia are. And now, for the first time, Asia’s top sides will contend amongst each other in an official FIBA tournament to reveal who will emerge as the strongest country in the game’s strongest side in the 3x3 basketball format. Worldwide, there has been increased attention on 3x3 hoops – from international tournament to inner-city competitions – and we’ll see the format competed at the top Asian level on May 15-16 at the 1st FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship for Men and Women in Doha (Qatar). Both of India’s Senior Men and Women’s teams have qualified for the tournament.

On April 24 in Kuala Lampur (Malaysia), FIBA Asia held the draw for the inaugural edition of the 2013 events, which included the 3x3 Championships in Doha and the U18 3x3 Championships that will be held next week in Bangkok (Thailand). For the Doha 3x3 Championship, India’s Men have been drawn in Group B along with Indonesia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, while the Women have been drawn in Group B with Qatar Grey, Mongolia, Lebanon, and Nepal.

A total of 16 men’s teams (from 15 nations) and 10 women’s teams (from nine nations) will be taking part in the inaugural tournament. Hosts Qatar will be fielding two teams for each division.

Despite being minnows in many recent FIBA Asia Basketball tournaments, India has actually enjoyed quite a successful recent history in 3x3 competitions at Asia level. India's Men and Women both dominated the South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka two years ago where they both won gold medals; and more importantly, India's Women's team won gold at the 3rd Asian Beach Games in China against the hosts last year.

Here are India’s Rosters for this tournament. Each team has four players; three starters and one off the bench.

India Men: Ajay Pratap Singh, Ranbir Singh Virdi, Arjun Singh, Pratham Singh.

India Women: Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Manisha Dange, Pratima Singh.

The group stage of the tournament will be held on Wednesday, May 15, and the knockout stages will be held on May 16th. Here the Schedule for India’s group stage games on May 15 (all timings Doha):

Men

- 4 PM: India vs. Indonesia
- 6 PM: Iran vs. India
- 7:20 PM: India vs. Turkmenistan

Women

- 4 PM: Lebanon vs. India
- 6:40 PM: India vs. Qatar Grey
- 7:20 PM: Mongolia vs. India
- 8 PM: India vs. Nepal

The first thing to note from the list of participating teams in either division is that Asian basketball heavyweights China aren't taking part in the competition, and neither are Korea and Japan Women. Nevertheless, there will still be some big challenges for India to survive if they hope to make history at this first-time tournament. The Men's team - which consists of younger, more inexperienced players rather than India's Senior level veterans - will face a major powerhouse in Iran in the group stage, and will have to look out for other challenging sides like Lebanon, Jordan, Japan, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, and Philippines ahead.

India's Women's side could have a real chance at a podium finish. Without the big four of China, Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei in contention, India could be considered as one of the early tournament favourites. With experienced superstars Geethu Anna Jose, Anitha Paul Durai, Manisha Dange, and Pratima Singh leading the way, this team will be aiming for gold.

37th Kerala State Junior (U18) Basketball Championship to tip off at Kurivilangad today

2013-05-14T06:54:00.001+05:30

The 37th Kerala State Basketball Championship for Junior Men and Women (under 18) will tips off today at the St Mary’s Boys High School at Kuravilangad. The championship will be held from May 14-19 and organized by the Kuravilngad Basketball Club under the auspicious of Kottayam District Basketball Association.

14 Boys' teams and 12 Girls' teams will be taking part in this six-day championship, which will be played on a league-cum-knockout basis. The Championship will help to pick Kerala's representative teams for the National Junior Basketball Championship, which will be held in Bhubaneswar (Orissa) in September.

Kottayam (Boys) and Kollam (Girls) are the tournament's defending champions.

Groupings

Men

Group A: Kottayam, KozhikodeThrissur, Kasargod

Group B: Ernakulam, Alapuzha, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvanathapuram

Group C: Wayanad, Idukki, Kollam

Group D: Kannur, Malapuram, Palakkad

Women

Group A: Kollam, Alapuzha, Palakkad

Group B: Kannur, Thiruvanthapuram, Wayanad

Group C: Thrissur, Ernakulum, Kasargod

Group D: Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malapuram

Olympiacos win Euroleague Basketball Championship for 2nd Consecutive year

2013-05-13T14:23:00.000+05:30

For the second consecutive season, Greek club Olympiacos beat the odds and reached the pinnacle of European club basketball as they retained their Euroleague Basketball title after defeating Real Madrid at the O2 Arena in London 100-88 in the Final. This was Olympiacos’ third Euroleague title in their history and the third consecutive year that the championship was lifted by a Greek after, after Panathinaikos won in 2011.

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Indian-Origin players to have played NCAA D1 Basketball

2013-05-09T13:06:00.000+05:30

No Indian national has yet had the experience of playing basketball at the highest collegiate level in the world, the NCAA Division 1 in the United States. But that said, there is no shortage of our larger Indian diaspora - specifically Indians who grew up in North America - who have represented at that level in some shape or form. The world paid attention as Canadian-Indian Sim Bhullar had his breakthrough playing in the national-tournament for New Mexico State this season. It's time we compile a list of all others before Bhullar who have played a little (or a lot) D1 ball in the past, or our still playing at that level in the present.

This post grew out of popular demand, demand to showcase that players with desi genes certainly have the potential to take the next higher step in hoops. I've been able to collect the names of the list through past research and experience and the aid of some very helpful readers. I thank Rahul Desai for the idea and for getting me started and Sunpreet Sher Singh for suggesting more names to add to the list.

I'm looking to add the names of all Indian-origin D1 basketball players to the list. Being slightly tanned, enjoying the occasional Tandoori Chicken, and having a man-crush on Aziz Ansari doesn't count; You gotta have some desi in your DNA. First generation, second generation, third generation, born in India or abroad, full India, half Indian, one-fourth Indian, whatever. Hopefully, a talented player from India will one day get the opportunity to represent the country at this highest college level, too.

The list isn't perfect and it definitely isn't complete. Please contact me to notify me of any errors and suggest any further names that I'm sure to have missed.

Indian-origin players to have played NCAA Division 1 Basketball (In last-name Alphabetic order)

Pasha Bains (Clemson, Wyoming): 1998-2001
David Bagga (Arizona): 2005-09
Vishal Banipal (Idaho State): 2011-12
Sim Bhullar (New Mexico State): 2012-
Manroop Clair (Hawaii, Seattle): 2012-
Sandeep Dhaliwal (Columbia): 2009-10
Shaminder Gill (Washington State University): 2001-05
Tony Gill (Pacific): 2012-
Robin James (Rutgers): 1991-95
Sanjay Lumpkin (Northwestern): 2012-
Arjun Ohri (New Jersey Institute of Technology - NJIT): 2009-12
Timir Patel (Houston-Baptist): 2007-08
Varun Ram (Maryland): 2012-
Andy Saharan (University of California-Riverside): 2010-11
Manny Sahota (Cornell): 2010-
Sam Singh (Bradley University): 2004-10
Dipanjot Singh (Univeristy of Illinois at Chicago): 2009-11
Sai Tummala (Arizona State): 2013-

To learn more about some of these players, check out my in-depth feature and interview with Pasha Bains, considered by many to be the greatest Indian-origin player ever. Youngster Manroop Clair is also mentioned in that story. I've written a lot about Sim Bhullar and his brother Tanveer; here is my most recent feature recapping Sim's first season at New Mexico State. Here is an old Q&A with Timir Patel, and this is an even older post and video of Manny Sahota.

Delhi (Boys) & Kerala (Girls) win 2013 Youth National Basketball Championship in Kolkata

2013-05-08T11:19:00.000+05:30

Kerala Girls continue their stronghold on the Youth (under-16) division of basketball in India, winning their fourth consecutive Youth National title in Kolkata on Tuesday evening after a blowout Final victory over Tamil Nadu. Kerala’s victory was followed by a heart-stopping finale for the boys’, as Delhi survived a furious comeback from Rajasthan to win the title.

The 30th Youth (U16) National Basketball Championships for Boys and Girls saw 25 boys’ and 24 girls’ teams from all across India descend to Kolkata (West Bengal) for the scintillating eight-day tournament, which concluded on May 7th. The tournament was organized by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and the West Bengal Basketball Association (WBBA).

It was another night of celebration for Kerala’s Girls’ squad, who are seemingly unbeatable at this level of the game in India. They won all seven games in this tournament behind consistent play by Nimmy Mathew, Mayukha KJ, and the rest. In the final, Kerala came storming out the gate in the first quarter against neighbours Tamil Nadu and kept building on that advantage to post a mammoth win of 83-47. Mayukha led the balanced Kerala scoring attack with 17 points in the Final. V Rachel had 17 points for TN.

The boys’ final upped the ante as the two finalists – Delhi and Rajasthan – fought each other till the very end. The game was tied at the end of the first quarter and Delhi held a slim three-point lead at halftime. A strong defensive third quarter saw Delhi extend that lead to nine, but Rajasthan came storming back in the fourth to outscore Delhi 23-16. In the end, the boys from the nation’s capital survived to win their second title in three years, 79-77. Sunil (27) and Bitto (23) led the way for Delhi, surviving a dominant performance by Rajasthan’s Mahipal Singh (30 – the leading scorer in the tournament – and Yogesh Kaneriya (16).

The third and fourth place matchups were also held on Tuesday. In the Boys’ game, Rahul Mehla (26), Prabhnoor Singh (19) and Jaipal (17) led the way in a blowout win over Haryana, who were led by Sonu Kumar (16). In the Girls’ game, Riya Verma (28) and Divya P (26) were the stars for Chhattisgarh who defeated Karnataka 82-73, despite the best efforts of rising young star Lopamudra TK (34) and Bhandavya HM (28).

The Semi-Finals of the tournament were held on Monday evening. In the Boys’ game, Sunil had 27 points for Delhi’s high-scoring 86-74 win against Haryana. Arjun Pandit (16) and Shon Suresh Kalangutkar (16) added to Delhi’s score, while Naveen Sheokand had 22 for Haryana. In the second’s Men’s Semi-Final, Rajasthan were led by their unstoppable duo of Mahipal Singh (33) and Akhilesh Kumar (30) as they defeated Punjab 92-82. Prabhnoor Singh (21) and Rahul Mehta (21) led the way for the losing side.

Kerala played in a high-scoring Semi-Final against Karnataka, winning 81-70. They fell back in the first quarter but bounced back with a strong 25-7 run in the second. Mayukha KT had 29 points, Vimmy Varkey had 17, and India Nelson had 16. Bhandavya HM scored 26 for the losing side. Y. Srividhya had 23 points to lead Tamil Nadu in the 68-51 win in the second semi-final over Chhattisgarh. Riya Verma led Chhattisgarh with 18.

Final Scores

Boys: Delhi (Sunil 27, Bitto 23, Vishal Gupta 14) bt. Rajasthan (Mahipal Singh 30, Yogesh Kaneriya 16, Akhilesh Kumar 15) 79-77 (18-18, 26-23, 19-13, 16-23).

Girls: Kerala (Mayukha KJ 17, Nimmy Matthew 15, Aneeta PV 15, India Nelson 15, Vimmy Varkey 13) bt. Tamil Nadu (V. Rachel 17) 83-47 (26-17, 20-16, 20-7, 17-7).

Third/Fourth Place Matchups

Boys: Punjab (Rahul Mehla 26, Prabhnoor Singh 19, Jaipal 17) bt. Haryana (Sonu Kumar 16) 93-47 (21-5, 26-8, 24-18, 22-16).

Girls: Chhattisgarh (Riya Verma 28, Divya P 26, Vandana Ariya 14) bt. Karnataka (Lopamudra TK 34, Bhandavya HM 28) 82-73 (24-19, 20-15, 21-19, 17-20).

Final Standings

Boys

1. Delhi
2. Rajasthan
3. Punjab
4. Haryana
5. Maharashtra

Girls

1. Kerala
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Karnataka
5. Maharashtra

The Reluctant MVP

2013-05-07T16:58:00.000+05:30

LeBron James won his fourth MVP award in five years, putting his name amongst the list of some of the game's greatest ever players. At the rate he is going, he is certainly on course to becoming the most decorated MVP in NBA history, but the superstar may be aiming for the bigger prize, to win more championships. MVP awards can be subjective to the definition of 'valuable' to the beholder, but a champion is always the most valuable to them all.

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India's teams drawn in FIBA Asia 3x3 basketball tournaments in Doha and Bangkok

2013-05-06T14:21:00.002+05:30

Years from now, 2013 will be remembered as a year of ‘firsts’ for 3x3 basketball, particularly in Asia, and specifically for our interest, in India. This was that the year when, for the first time, Indian states held their own 3x3 championships across the country. This was also the first year when India held national-level 3x3 basketball tournaments for Seniors (in Delhi) and for U18s (in Ludhiana).

And now, the inaugural FIBA Asia 3x3 basketball championships – featuring the best 3x3 basketball players from across the continent – will be held in both the Senior and U18 levels for Men and Women over the next month. The 1st FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship for Men & Women will be held in Doha (Qatar) from May 15-16. The 1st FIBA Asia 3x3 Basketball Championship for U18 Boys and Girls will be held in Bangkok (Thailand) from May 22-24.

India is participating in all divisions in both competitions.

On April 24 in Kuala Lampur (Malaysia), FIBA Asia held the draw for the inaugural edition of the 2013 events. Here are the results of the draw, via FIBA Asia 3x3:

1st FIBA Asia Championship for Men - May 15-16 (16 teams)

Group A: Mongolia, Qatar (Maroon), Philippines, Sri Lanka.
Group B: India, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Iran.
Group C: Chinese Taipei, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, Lebanon.
Group D: Japan, Qatar (Grey), Jordan, Hong Kong.

1st FIBA Asia Championship for Women - May 15-16 (10 teams)

Group A: Qatar (Maroon), Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong.
Group B: Qatar Grey, India, Mongolia, Lebanon, Nepal.

1st FIBA Asia Championship for U18 Boys - May 22-24 (22 teams)

Group A: Jordan, Mongolia, India, China, Maldives
Group B: Turkmenistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Syria, Philippines, Chinese Taipei.
Group C: Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand 2.
Group D: Thailand 1, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Nepal, Macau.

1st FIBA Asia Championship for U18 Girls - May 22-24 (19 teams)

Group A: Turkmenistan, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Mongolia.
Group B: Philippines, Syria, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka.
Group C: Thailand 1, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Vietnam.
Group D: Macau, China, Indonesia, Maldives, Thailand 2.

Despite being minnows in many recent FIBA Asia Basketball tournaments, India has actually enjoyed quite a successful recent history in 3x3 competitions at Asia level. India's Men and Women both dominated the South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka two years ago, and more importantly, India's Women's team won gold at the 3rd Asian Beach Games in China against the hosts last year. India's finest Women's player Geethu Anna Jose spoke to FIBA in an interview recently and said that the Women's team goes in with a do-or-die attitude in this tournament. We hope the Men's teams - and the U18s - follow suit too.

Success (or at least respectful showings) in these tournaments will be a good stepping stone. But I hope our teams and federation doesn't forget the bigger, more important picture, which will be to improve the level of India's competitiveness across the board in the original 5x5 version of the game.