Vivek Ranadive keeps momentum up to popularize India.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: The Vivek Ranadive-owned Sacramento Kings hosted their second annual “Bollywood” themed game versus the Los Angeles Clippers, this past Saturday.
The mascot and staff wore traditional Indian attire as the team celebrated Indian cinema and culture with performances by local dance groups and the Sacramento Kings Dancers. Fans in attendance received multi-colored rally towels and the game was broadcast live in India on Sony Six.
A highlight of the night was Kings fan Jeremiah Taylor, who performed a “Bollywood Night miracle” by nailing a half-court shot to win a free KIA car.
Hosting cultural nights like Bollywood is rooted in Ranadivé’s “NBA 3.0” philosophy, which is driven by utilizing cutting-edge technology to enhance the fan experience, acting as a positive agent of change in the community, and expanding the team and Sacramento region’s global brand, according to a release.
The billionaire Ranadive, a native of Bombay before he emigrated to the US, has been close to his Indian roots. He has been more so after he took over the Sacramento Kings with an objective of popularizing the sport in India, too, and making the Kings the franchise of choice there for fans.
Missing from the cultural performances on court this past weekend was Ranadive’s daughter Anjali Ranadive, who led the dancers and sang at the first Bollywood night the Sacramento Kings hosted. She was also on stage at the Madison Square Garden in New York, last September, to sing the national anthem, before the prime minister of India Narendra Modi gave his speech.
The budding musician Anjali, who goes by the name of Anjali World and has been romantically linked by some publications to the rapper Tyga, was also seen singing the national anthem at California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s swearing-in ceremony on January 5.