The towering 7’1″ Sacramento Kings icon visited the American Centre on Friday, engaging in dribbling and passing activities with over 100 children from various schools and academies in the capital.
“I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised; (the kids) are quite skilled,” he remarked after the ‘Freedom 250 Slam Dunk Experience’ event organized by the US Embassy and Sacramento Kings.
Divac stood beside a temporary hoop set up on the front lawns of the American Centre, encouraging aspiring young players with warm smiles and high fives as they waited for their turn to shoot for a compliment from the 58-year-old basketball star.
The holder of two Olympic silver medals (1988 and 1996) and two world championship golds (1990 and 2002) generously supported the kids, even helping one little boy with his shot.
“I was truly impressed by the girls; they had great shooting skills. India is a vast country filled with children. If they take the right steps, India could become a basketball powerhouse on the world stage.
“The NBA is a global brand, and in the future, we could see Indian players making their mark,” said the former player, who has ventured into administration and humanitarian efforts for homeless refugees in Africa and Serbia.
India has had representation in the NBA previously when Sim Bhullar, born in Canada, became the first player of Indian descent to join the league in 2015. Interestingly, it was the Sacramento Kings who drafted him during Divac’s tenure as Vice President of Basketball Operations.
Bhullar had limited playtime in his stint and later returned to Canada before exploring leagues in China and Taiwan.
Satnam Singh also made his mark in the NBA as the first Indian player in 2015 when he was signed by the Dallas Mavericks, eventually transitioning to professional wrestling in the USA.
Both Bhullar and Satnam Singh towered over the impressive Divac, who is hopeful for the emergence of more Indian talent on the international stage.
“India is a large country with wonderful people. We would love to assist in developing young basketball players. While cricket will always be cherished as the national sport, there’s room for basketball to grow,” he observed, mistakenly attributing cricket with the designation of national sport, which it does not officially hold.
Divac’s insights into India’s sports landscape likely stem from a previous visit for an exhibition match with the Kings.
“It has been many years since I traveled globally promoting the NBA because basketball unites people. In 2018, I came to Mumbai with the Sacramento Kings for an exhibition game, driven by our owner Vivek Ranadive, who hails from Mumbai,” he noted.
Ranadive is the founder of two software companies based in the US—TIBCO and Teknekron.
Divac, the first European player to gain significant recognition in the NBA after being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1989 season, led the Serbian Olympic Committee from 2009 to 2017 post his playing career. He exemplifies how sports can transform lives.
“I was born in Yugoslavia, now Serbia. At 21, I moved to the US to pursue basketball, and today, over 30 percent of players in the league are international.
“Basketball fosters unity among people. I recall when my country faced conflict; the NBA initiated ‘Basketball Without Borders’ to bring children together. That’s the essence—to unite kids.”
