NBA Drafts: Will Satnam Singh overcome odds to become first Indian-born in NBA?

Each and every muscle and bone in Satnam Singh Bhamara’s body will be shaking with a quiet nervousness on Thursday — as the big man from a small village in Punjab waits to be selected amongst the 60 young men who will play basketball in the NBA next season. Entire Ballo Ke, his village in Punjab, waits with the same nervousness as the seven feet two inch center. [caption id=“attachment_2312430” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Satnam Singh Bhamara. AFP[/caption] Satnam won’t get another chance. If he does not get drafted this year, he won’t be allowed to sign for drafts in the following years. It would have been different if he had withdrawn his name — that move would have allowed him to feature in the draft for two more years. But Satnam is determined to make it this year itself. The 19-year-old, who can fit a basketball in his palms as if it was a cricket ball, has battled many odds to be here today. According to an Indian Express report, his father Balbir Singh kept him out of the fields to keep him on the court. “Tu khel pe dhyaan de, khet pe nahi, (concentrate on the sport, not on the farm)” the report quotes Balbir as saying. When Satnam moved to the US to play for IMG Academy in 2010, he first faced language problems. According to another report, Satnam had to face the awkwardness of having to wait for an English-to-Hindi translator. Coping with a totally different culture than the one he grew in — while training hard to play basketball — are two heavy tasks to juggle. However, Satnam has attracted a lot of interest, and not just due to his size. Apart from his obvious physical advantage, he has been praised for his shooting abilities too. According to a report on SB Nation, after a workout with the Wizards, Wisconsin guard and NBA draft aspirant Traveon Jackson had a thing or two to say about Satnam’s basketball skills. “He’s nice. He’s good. He’s definitely rough around the edges, but, man, he’s big. He was on my team. He set some big ball screens and he can really hit the pull-up, pick-and-pop shots. So he’s definitely going to be on a team,” Jackson said. Satnam can shoot with both hands and is a reliable free throw shooter. His size makes him a massive defensive presence too. “I do think he’ll end up in the NBA because I’ve seen his progress over the last four years. I’ve been in the league and know how guys like Satnam are looked upon. He has size, strength and touch. He has good hands and can run the floor. Those are the types of things that NBA teams value,” IMG Director of Basketball Kenny Natt, the former interim coach of the Sacramento Kings, told Sports Illustrated. Satnam has already had a workout with the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics. Boston Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge dubbed him “the international man of mystery." If Satnam makes the draft, he will be the first Indian-born to play in the NBA. Satnam, one in a billion, will be hoping to be one in 60.