The Sacramento Kings not only made history by signing the first player of Indian descent, they also got bigger, way bigger, as center Sim Bhullar stands at 7’5″ tall and 360 pounds.
Bhullar played at New Mexico State and although he didn’t prove much by way of production, it’s no secret that size matters and 7-footers are always wanted. Bhullar was signed to a non-guaranteed rookie contract. It’ll still be a battle for him to make the roster. Here’s an excerpt from the Kings press release:
“I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation,” said Kings Owner Vivek Ranadivé. “While Sim is the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA franchise, he represents one of many that will emerge from that region as the game continues to garner more attention and generate ever-increasing passion among a new generation of Indian fans.”
Understanding the ultimate power of sports is to connect people across geographic, economic and cultural lines, Ranadivé is focused on making the Sacramento Kings the premier sports franchise of the 21st century. Working with the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Kings have successfully catapulted basketball into the fastest growing sport in India. During the past NBA 2013-14 season, 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.
