Mumbai: Indian Basketballer Palpreet Singh became another name in the list of associations with NBA D-League after Satnam Singh, as he got drafted in by the Long Island Nets, affiliate team of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, yesterday.
The winner of National Finals of ACG-NBA Jump, 21- year old Singh was selected 11th in the fourth Round of the NBA D-League Draft, India’s first national basketball talent search program, held in New York on October 30, 2016.
Singh, 6 feet 9 inch, is currently training at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan, impressed NBA champion Brian Shaw in the national finals of the 2016 ACG NBA Jump program held in February and then was part of the 2016 NBA D-League National Tryouts held on August 14 in New York.
Singh, excited with the selection, while speaking about the news, said, “I am happy with the efforts I have put in and I will continue to work hard with Long Island Nets as this is just the beginning.” For someone who had trained hard, getting picked by a D League team in the draft was the next logical step.
In lieu of the NBA’s ongoing international initiatives, NBA talent searches are planned in India and other countries and Palpreet was discovered as a part of one such NBA talent search. These steps are seen as NBA’s initiatives for expansion of its fan base across boundaries.
In what can be termed as a staggering year, the NBA D-League’s 16th season tips off on Nov. 11 with record 22 teams. The training camps will commence on Oct. 31 to move forward to the start of the season.
Earlier Satnam Singh became the first Indian to be drafted into the NBA in the 2015 NBA Draft; he represents currently the Texas Legends, the minor league affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.