On a cold winter Thursday morning at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in New Delhi, anyone who strayed in would have witnessed the strangest of sights - more than 1,000 teenage boys dressed in NBA team jerseys playing a series of eight-minute matches. A riot of colour - purples, yellows, greens, reds - and of noise as they vied to show off their skills.
They were here for the Delhi leg of the NBA Jump 2016-17 open tryouts on December 15. At stake in this year's programme, the second of its kind, are 40 spots for the best prospects at a three-day national camp next month. From there, the top 24 players will be eligible for scholarships and training at the NBA Academy India, scheduled to begin operations next April.
The event was a novel experience for Rohan Singh Dhillon (15), though his association with the game is old. "I lived in Boston. I started playing from when I was around six or seven years old," says Dhillon who, at six-foot-five, idolises Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who were "skinny" like him. "I swam, played basketball and tennis growing up. I realised I wanted to play basketball because it really uses your height and it's a more strategic game."
ACG NBAJUMP
Delhi
1000 players
Working on Dreams https://t.co/u8wqyPvoNO- Carlos Barroca (@cbarroca61) 16 December 2016
Dhillon fondly remembers having watched some of the games of the 2008 finals at TD Garden in Boston, when the Boston Celtics beat the LA Lakers. "My first dream would be to get into the NBA and then become a really good player there," said Dhillon. "I have been following the progress of Palpreet Singh Brar [who made it to the cusp of the NBA's Development league last month], since he looks like he could become a good player in the NBA. He's extremely strong, tall and I think he will be able to dominate the post."
Aryak Chauhan (16) started playing this year but already believes his game has improved enough for him to merit selection. The Golden State Warriors fan thinks that parents need to be more supportive of youngsters wanting to pursue the game. "We have everything - the talent, good coaches and a good support system. But then parents think that you can't make a career out of playing this sport. That perception must change," says Chauhan.
All the participants were divided into teams on the basis of age, height and weight, and made to play eight-minute matches with names of NBA teams. Utkarsh and Sanchit, both of whom have played at the zonal and district level, found themselves playing as forward and point guard for the Utah Jazz. Utkarsh, a Stephen Curry fan, finds juggling between sports and studies difficult, considering he has taken up science for his school finals. While he says an option of playing in the US might be a tempting one, he would take admission at the Indian Institute of Technology if given a choice. Sanchit, however, would choose sports. "Always."
A majority of the boys have come from well-to-do families and with the increased exposure to the NBA and its marquee names, attraction for the sport was a natural thing. Shubham, 13 comes from Jind in Haryana nearby and didn't know much about the game until he saw his elder brother Sandeep play. His introduction to the NBA happened through following Miami Heat, and becoming a fan of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Chris Andersen.
"It's the second year, and everything we do after some experience becomes a new phase. I don't have the final numbers today, but I believe that we have exceeded 1,000 kids today. Considering that we are in India, making these kinds of things happen is really amazing," said Carlos Barroca, associate vice president of NBA India's basketball operations.
"One of the things that is obvious is the growth of the motivation towards the game. There are more people playing the game, and more people with a commitment towards the game," said Barroca, when asked about how he has seen the game grow in the last few years. "If there's success at the international competitions, it is good news. And good news always attracts people to the sport. So it's not just us, it is everybody working together and their contribution towards making the game more attractive."
And what attributes would the kids need to have to become the next Palpreet Singh? "We are looking for size, athleticism and skills," says Barroca. "Being an athlete is probably the most important thing, and the size is not the most decisive thing. Short or tall, basketball is a game for all."