NBA and Basketball Federation of India partnership on the cards?
NBA opened its India office more than a decade ago. Since then, its relationship with the national governing body for basketball has been lukewarm at best.
In what could be a heartening and potentially revolutionary development, Basketball Federation of India (BFI) President Aadhav Arjuna indicated that a much closer partnership between NBA India and BFI could finally be on the cards.
NBA opened its India office more than a decade ago. Since then, its relationship with the national governing body for basketball has been lukewarm at best.
Now it appears that things may be changing for the better.
In an interaction with Maharashtra basketball officials, players and fans in Mumbai yesterday, Mr Arjuna highlighted the lost opportunities to leverage NBA’s might in India, and also revealed details of BFI’s planned collaboration with the NBA in the future.
Here’s the transcript of the relevant portion of Mr Arjuna’s speech:
NBA head office [is] in Mumbai, but no operation in Maharashtra. Why? Because of fights. They did operation[s] everywhere in the country, but no proper operation in Maharashtra. NBA head office [is] here [in Mumbai]….the NBA is controlling the entire world…basketball…but why they are not operat[ing] here? Because of problem with us….
I just met [in] Abu Dhabi - [NBA’s] international head Mr Mark [Tatum] - NBA [is] ready to start so much of academies, school academies, they supporting [even with] foreign coaches. So we should [be] ready…we should not stop.
NBA [is] ready to give the coaches clinic….[so] please prepare all the senior coaches and young coaches, please update [your knowledge]. Last 75 years, we never updated. Now our quality is different. Our position is 82nd position in the world. So we want updating [of] coaching style.
We need more growth…Use the NBA people…you start academies, call the NBA people [to] Nagpur, Vidarbha…call everywhere…better the game should go [to] all rural parts…wherever [there is] no money…wherever the poor [live].
Last 10 years NBA is banned. I don’t know why the NBA is banned actually. It’s a crazy thing. So NBA once it [is] [kick]started so much of corporates is ready to invest in the league…3x3 league we are going to start.
A few days earlier, we had reported the possibility of Delhi hosting NBA exhibition games. Now, based on Mr Arjuna’s latest statements, it looks like we can also expect the opening up of NBA-backed regional coaching academies, in addition to the NBA’s existing sole training facility in Greater Noida.