Vivek Ranadive will accompany Silver on his first international trip as Commissioner.
By The American Bazaar Staff
NEW YORK: Sacramento Kings major owner Vivek Ranadivé, the first Indian-born owner in NBA history, served as Grand Marshal for the world’s largest India Day Parade here, on Sunday.
The parade in Manhattan, which honors India’s Independence Day, was broadcast in over 40 countries and reached over three million Indian Americans.
In addition to participating in parade festivities, the Kings announced that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Ranadivé will make a trip to India in December of 2014, according to a press release.
Sim Bhullar, who signed with the Sacramento Kings on August 15, 2014, attended the parade with Ranadive. Bhullar’s signing marked the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA team. The 7-foot-5, 360-pound center was a member of the Sacramento Kings team that won the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer League title in Las Vegas.
Ranadive’s parade participation and travel announcement are just two examples of the Kings “NBA 3.0” philosophy, which focuses on using cutting-edge technologies to enhance the team and fan experience, acting as a positive agent for change in the community and expanding the team’s global brand.
Since Ranadivé purchased the Kings in March 2013, the Kings televised over 20 live games in India, launched a website in Hindi to connect with a rapidly growing Hindi-speaking fan base from around the world, sent the Sacramento Kings players and dancers to Mumbai, and signed the team’s first India-based sponsor.
“No words can describe what we are experiencing here today. Over 150,000 people were here to experience the India Day parade and I can’t express how proud I am that the Kings and the NBA were a part of this transcendent moment,” said Ranadivé, in a statement. “I am also excited to announce that early in December, I will be taking our new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to India for his first international trip as commissioner.”