Indian Basketball Player to try out for Brooklyn's NBA G-League team
24-year-old Vijay Sule from Maharashtra is all set to become the first-ever desi guard to try out for a spot in the NBA’s developmental league.
Indian basketball players continue to make quiet but determined strides on the global stage. Few embody that journey better than Vijay Sule, a Mumbai-born guard who is steadily carving a path abroad.
From setting up his own basketball academy in Pune to suiting up in U.S. minor leagues, Sule’s journey has now led to his biggest break yet, a tryout with the Brooklyn Nets’ G-League team, Long Island Nets.
The Nets G-League tryout is set for Sunday, September 21, 2025, at Queens College’s Fitzgerald Gym in New York, with tip-off at 9 am (ET).
But for Sule, it’s not just about chasing personal dreams. Alongside training and competing at an international level, he’s trying to show young Indians that basketball doesn’t have to stop at national tournaments. It can be a passport to global opportunities.
In this candid conversation with Ekalavyas, Sule opens up about how the Nets’ opportunity came his way, his preparations, his ongoing stint with the New York City Black Eagles, and his larger mission of paving the way for younger Indian players to dream beyond borders.
1. Congratulations on the Nets tryout! How did you set up this opportunity?
Thank you! I was able to get this opportunity for the G-League tryout, because, in April-May, I had gone for a scouting camp, where they have tryouts and then they place you with teams all across the world.
So I went for the scouting camp, and I performed really well. But then you know not much happened with this and it went quiet for a little bit. Then, when I came back in August, I got a message out of nowhere.
I got a message saying, ‘We would love if you come try out for the Orlando Magic G-League team.’ It is called Osceola Magic, and they said that they think I would be a good fit for the Magic team.
But then I reached out saying, I probably can't make that trip, because it's a little far from Orlando. So I asked them if I could do something in New York and they were able to get me the Nets’ tryout.
2. How are you preparing for the tryouts?
I've been preparing with my trainer who I have here, who I've been with for a while now and before that also I was training with different kinds of trainers who work with NBA players, with NCW division one athletes.
And my performance trainer in the gym who's also been very helpful and also another former D1 basketball player.
Aside from that, I've also been playing in a minor professional league, which has helped me stay in game shape, and I have that whole schedule and calendar to follow. So that forces me to anyway stay in peak condition.
3. What part of your game do you believe will stand out the most to scouts?
I firmly believe that my shooting and my defence will stand out the most given the importance of 3 and D now and how big 3 and D roles are in the NBA. I think I'd be a great fit for that, but I'm also not afraid to handle the ball and create plays and always make that extra pass.
4. Tell us about your ongoing minor basketball league stint.
Yeah, so the gig I'm currently doing and have been doing actually is in a minor professional league. There are many of them across the United States, and I'm participating in one which is on the East Coast. It's actually all over, but my team is in the Eastern conference. It's called the Maximum Basketball League which has, I think, more than 30 teams across the US.
The team that I'm playing for is the New York City Black Eagles. I got this opportunity when I started playing 3x3 professionally, after I got my ranking. I had reached out to a team here because their captain also had played 3x3 and he said, ‘Okay, I like your profile, like your film, why don’t you just come?’
I played a couple of pre-season friendlies for them and it went well. So ever since then they gave me the opportunity to come back regularly for training and now playing with them in all their leagues as well.
5. What are your long-term goals: NBA, other international leagues, or representing India at the national level?
My long-term goals are to play at the highest level wherever I can be, anywhere in the world. But I definitely want to continue playing for as long as I physically am able to and mentally. Honestly, you know there are no goals that I’m not open to right now, which is easier said than done.
I absolutely would love to play for the National team, but right now I want to focus on playing abroad as much as I can. Even if there was a league in India, I would love to come back, but in my experience, because I've been playing outside India since 2020, I found that there's a lot more stability in the leagues outside.
So I want to focus on that as much as I can because I can always come back to India. I’m not saying it would be easy or anything, but it would just be easier to access leagues in India, given that I'll be able to stay in Mumbai, where I'm from.
But just in terms of being young and being able to access all these foreign markets. I feel like there's no time like the present. So my goal is just to play in the high leagues and at the highest levels that I can internationally.
6. Do you see yourself as a trailblazer for younger Indian basketball players who want to play abroad?
I absolutely see myself as a trailblazer not only for my playing but it's also because I have established my own basketball academy in Pune, and I want to help develop talent across the board.
I've been fortunate enough to have so many opportunities to leave the country and play basketball, and they are not impossible to access. I wish more people knew about this, and it's my goal to let people know that there are more options than just playing Nationals or playing for India.
There are endless opportunities right now, especially in this digital/social media age. It's now easier to reach people and I would absolutely love to help anyone connect with college coaches, or just whatever it may be, even professional teams.
On a personal level, as well, of course, my playing career will only help my case, but regardless, I would love to help basketball grow in India.
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