When Vivek Ranadive, the Mumbai-born software tycoon, purchased the NBA team Sacramento Kings, he claimed he had a vision for the sport. He wanted to take the game beyond American shores and turn it into a much larger global phenomenon, targeting especially the large markets of China and India. Basketball has grown phenomenally in China over the last few years, aided by the emergence of Yao Ming, the Chinese national at the NBA, 13 years ago.
Last week, Ranadive displayed his trump card for the Indian market. He signed on the first player of Indian descent at the NBA, Gursimran Bhullar, or, as he is called, Sim Bhullar.
Bhullar is an enormous seven feet five inches tall and weighs 360 pounds, or 161 kg. That makes him just the eighth player in NBA history to measure at least seven feet five inches. He is also the heaviest player, according to Basketball Reference, to play in the league. When he raises his arms, he reaches a total of nine feet nine inches. That’s just three inches from the rim of a basketball hoop. Smaller players have to shoot and aim from long distances, those slightly larger run, jump and dunk the ball into the hoop; but all Bhullar really needs to do is manoeuvre himself into the arc, and toss the ball in with a gentle hop. Bhullar in a basketball court is like watching a JRR Tolkien fantasy. Every other player, teammate or opponent—and these are large men, even compared to the American average— look like hobbits scurrying around a giant troll.
Bhullar, 22 years old, was born in Canada to a family that had migrated from Punjab. His father, who apparently used to play kabbadi in India and runs a gas station in Toronto, is six feet five inches tall. His mother is five feet ten inches tall. He has a younger brother who plays basketball in college and is himself an imposing 7 feet 3 inches tall.
But despite the advantage of his size, when Bhullar first appeared on the scene, he wasn’t exactly ready for professional basketball. He was signed on by the Sacramento Kings in August last year but waived just a month later. He was out of shape, low on stamina, was sluggish on court and agile opponents quickly manoeuvred themselves around him. He even had a bit of a paunch. The Sacramento Kings decided to experiment with him. They sent him to their Development League-affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, who are known to play a particularly fast-paced game—and at the time everyone considered Bhullar to be a complete miscast.
To his credit, Bhullar worked really hard. He began to shed excess weight, ate more healthy food, became more agile, and is now rarely seen out of breath. He had a great season at Reno Bighorns this year. He averaged 10.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game with the team this season. Opponents trying to score began to freeze when they saw the giant blocking them. They had to break their tempo and look for people to pass to, or attempt awkward lobbing shots over him. The Reno Bighorns coach David Arseneault Jr recently told The Guardian, “He changed the game just with his presence, really… He can block shots and alter shots and force players to take floaters and more contested (two-point) shots—which is what we want them to do.”
Unsurprisingly, Bhullar got a call from the Sacramento Kings. They have signed him on a ten-day-contract. The NBA team which hasn’t been having a great season—they’ve failed to qualify for the playoffs—think their 7 foot five inch experiment is now ready for professional basketball.
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