NBA legend Vlade Divac says basketball has huge potential in India despite cricket dominance
NBA legend Vlade Divac believes basketball has massive growth potential in India despite cricket continuing to dominate the country’s sporting landscape.
The former Sacramento Kings star shared his views while interacting with young basketball enthusiasts during the ‘Freedom 250 Slam Dunk Experience’ event organised by the US Embassy and Sacramento Kings at the American Centre in New Delhi on Friday.
The 58-year-old Serbian basketball icon participated in dribbling and passing sessions with more than 100 children from schools and academies across the national capital.
“I have to tell you, I am surprised, they are pretty good,” Divac said after watching the children showcase their basketball skills.
The basketball Hall of Famer especially praised the girls participating in the event and said India could emerge as a strong force in the sport with the right development structure.
“I was very impressed with the girls, they were good at shooting the ball. It’s a big country and there are a lot of kids around. India should be a power in the world if they do the right thing,” he said.
Divac also expressed hope that India could produce NBA players in the future.
“NBA is a global brand and in future, we can have some NBA players from India,” he added.
India has previously had representation in the NBA through players like Sim Bhullar and Satnam Singh.
Canada-born Sim Bhullar became the first player of Indian origin to sign with the NBA in 2015 when he joined the Sacramento Kings. Incidentally, Divac was serving as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations during that period.
Satnam Singh also made history in 2015 after signing with the Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first Indian player associated with the NBA setup.
Speaking about India’s sporting culture, Divac acknowledged cricket’s overwhelming popularity while backing basketball’s long-term growth prospects.
“India is a great big country with beautiful people. We would love to help them develop kids for basketball. I know they love different sports, number one obviously is cricket,” he said.
Divac recalled his previous visit to India in 2018 when the Sacramento Kings played a pre-season NBA exhibition game in Mumbai.
“Our owner Vivek Ranadive is from Mumbai. I came here with the Sacramento Kings to promote basketball and the NBA,” he said.
Widely regarded as one of the first European stars to make a major impact in the NBA, Divac joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1989 and later enjoyed successful stints with Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings.
The Serbian legend also reflected on basketball’s role in uniting people across countries and cultures.
“Basketball brings people together. During the conflict in my country, the NBA created ‘Basketball Without Borders’ to bring kids together. That’s what sports are about,” he said.
Apart from his basketball career, Divac has also served as the President of the Serbian Olympic Committee and has been involved in humanitarian initiatives for refugees and underprivileged communities.
