India may host NBA pre-season game next year: NBA Chief
What's the story
In what could be a major boost for basketball in India, the country may host a pre-season NBA game in Mumbai next year, said the league's Commissioner Adam Silver.
To promote the game in India, National Basketball Association (NBA) in May 2017 had launched The NBA Academy, an elite basketball training center at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Greater Noida.
Here's more.
Information
20 boys, girls represented India at Jr NBA World Championship
NBA's initiative has been yielding desired results as 20 odd boys and girls from New Delhi and Bengaluru have represented India in the Jr NBA World Championship that concluded in Orlando last night.
All praises
Silver praised the talent at World Championship
Silver was full of praise for the talent in the show at the Championship.
"It's a fantastic first tour. We had 10,000 participants from 70 countries which went through the process to be a part here. Seeing the enthusiasm you can feel what it means to them. This is just the beginning of what will turn out to be a great program," he said.
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NBA is determined to break barriers in India, says Silver
Silver said the organization is determined to break the barriers in India by collaborating with the Reliance Foundation. "We have a great relationship with Mukesh Ambani and his wife's foundation. There is an enormous amount of grass root basketball being played in India," Silver said.
Not a business
Jr World Championship is a future investment for NBA: Silver
NBA Commissioner Silver termed the Jr NBA World Championship as a future investment for the organization.
"This is certainly not a business. I think for us it's an investment in the game and in future league players. It's an investment in teaching young people life skills and appreciation for what the NBA and WNBA stand for," Silver concluded.