For India – and the rest of the world – the state of Punjab has been a gift that keeps on giving. Butter Chicken, the sweet nectar of the gods, the Golden Temple, the most famous gurudwara in the world, every bhangra breakdown moment at a swagged-out Punjabi wedding, folk music evolving into neo-Punjabi hip-hop, beautiful textiles and arts and crafts, a “bread-basket” of farming, some of India’s finest athletes, sweet lassis, and Patiala pegs, too.
But one of Punjab’s lesser known – and yet, dominant – exports over the majority of the past century has been basketball. The state has emerged as the frontrunner in producing some of India’s finest players, and the efforts of the legendary Ludhiana Basketball Academy (LBA) in recent years has added more wheels to the Punjabi hoops express.
Over the last few years, a descendant of Punjabi immigrants to Canada – Sim Bhullar – became the first person of Indian-origin to play in the NBA, and a child born in a small Punjabi village – Satnam Singh – became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA.
Now, another Punjabi with aspirational hoop dreams – Palpreet Singh – is hoping to follow in their footsteps and keep India in the international basketball conversation.
After securing his spot in India’s national team a few years ago, the 6’9” Palpreet (22) got the biggest break of his young career when he won the first-ever ACG-NBA Jump Programme. The programme is a first-of-its-kind talent search programme to find the best young basketball player in India. After scouring through multiple cities over several months, ACG-NBA Jump held a final with 32 of the best players in Greater Noida, from whom Palpreet shined brightest and emerged as national champ. With his victory, he won an opportunity to be trained by NBA level coaches and participate in the 2016 NBA Development League tryouts.
Palpreet spent the first half of 2016 working with coaches in India to get his skillset ready for the NBA D-League. In early July, he headed to the USA to continue his training. He began training at the John Lucas Academy in Houston (Texas) and later, took part in the NBA D-League National Tryouts in New York City in mid-August. He remains on the grind now, still in New York City, where he is practicing with the New York Athletic Club. Palpreet has signed an NBA Development League contract and is now eligible for selection in the NBA D-League Draft.
“This opportunity only comes to a few people, I don’t want to lose it,” Palpreet told NBA India over a phone interview recently. “This is a special chance and challenge for me, I want to make the most of it.” Commenting on the specific areas of his game that need improvement, Palpreet said, “I’m concentrating on improving my footwork. How to move faster. That’s an area of emphasis for me.”
The story of Palpreet’s rise to prominence began in his home district of Sri Muktsar Sahib in south western Punjab. His raw talent and potential carried him over to Ludhiana, the city, which has become Punjab and India’s model basketball nursery, where he was briefly roommates with Satnam Singh! Palpreet’s big international breakthrough came with India’s junior squad at the 2012 FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Mongolia. Over the next three years, he played for India’s senior team and secured a backup spot behind our current superstar Punjabi frontcourt of Amjyot Singh and Amrit Pal Singh. He was part of the Indian squad that defeated China at the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup.
Now, Palpreet awaits the results of his hard work. If he gets drafted, he could become the second Indian citizen after Satnam in the NBA D-League. The road ahead for this young talent, another one of Punjab’s finest exports, appears bright and exciting. He could possibly become Indian basketball’s next big thing, but we will just have to wait and watch.
You can follow the writer KARAN MADHOK on Twitter @Hoopistani.
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