‘International Man of Mystery’ needs to prove himself now.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: It was a dream come true for 19-year-old Punjab-born Satnam Singh Bhamara when Dallas Mavericks announced him as their 52nd draft player, this after the pre-draft session with seven different franchises.
Satnam Singh packed his bag to the US with a dream of becoming the first NBA player from India, but his early days in the training centre left him disheartened as none of the teams showed interest in him. The pre-draft workout with the Mavericks team was the fourth in the list and all that Bhamara wanted was to find a spot anywhere in the team.
Satnam Singh Bhamara was quoted by the Indian Express saying “There was no real vibe that I got from them when I was there. It was the same as the workouts everywhere else. There were no hints that one team was more interested in me than the other. So for me, I just wanted to get picked, it didn’t matter where. Anywhere would do.”
The first workout of Bhamara with Boston Celtics earned him the name ‘international man of mystery’ and the Dallas team was interested in knowing more about the mystery man whom they knew would be their future asset.
“They asked me about my family, where I come from, how I got to the United States. Then they asked me why I wanted to be in the NBA, and I said that I wanted to be the first Indian to make it there so that others can follow,” Satnam Singh said.
The on-field performance of Satnam Singh gained him a spot in Dallas Mavericks, but it was the words of his coaches that gave him the confidence even during the tensest situations during which he felt neglected.
Satnam Singh was quoted saying “I didn’t eat a thing. Just didn’t feel like it,” but former Indian coach and the coach of IMG Academy Kenny Natt, who is also the interim coach of Sacramento Kings approached Satnam Singh with advice. “All he told me was to not get nervous and just stay focused, even if I didn’t make I didn’t get drafted. He told me to be calm and have fun at the event,” said Bhamara.
Satnam Singh also remembered his first coach Dr. Subramanian “He was the one who found me and got me to where I am. It was his dream to have a player in the NBA, and here I am,” he adds.
He also thanked his family of the unflinching support “I know that my parents, especially my mother and sister have been praying for me every day. I prayed to all the Gurus and Gods I know before coming here today.”
It was divine intervention that he sought before the draft. Yet while the event was in progress, there was just one thing in his mind. “All I could think was ‘naam aaja,’” he concludes.
1 Comment
Best of luck to Satnam. I had the pleasure of standing right next to him while at the IMG Academy in Florida. If he can bulk up and really build up some additional strength he can be a real asset to an NBA team because he has something that someone cant teach and that is his immense size and heart to succeed.