14 July,2015 08:19 AM IST | | Amit Kamath
19-year-old Satnam Singh Bhamara has already made his priorities clear: to establish himself in the NBA first, and only then think about representing India’s national team
Not even a month has passed since he became the first Indian basketball player be drafted into America's National Basketball Association (NBA). However, 19-year-old Satnam Singh Bhamara has already made his priorities clear: to establish himself in the NBA first, and only then think about representing India's national team.
Satnam Singh. PIC/AFP
Limited game time
The 7 feet 2 inch center, who was drafted by Dallas Mavericks in June, played for nearly 22 minutes over two games for the Mavericks in the NBA Summer League recently.
"I can't play for India, not this year and probably not next year either. First want to play for the main team (Dallas Mavericks) and establish myself in the NBA. Then I can play for the Indian team," Satnam, who scored four points and made two rebounds against Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, told reporters during a teleconference from Dallas
yesterday.
In the first game against New Orleans Pelicans, that ended in a 86-90 defeat, Satnam scored four points, made three rebounds and had one assist.
The Indian basketball team, which recently clinched the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Championship in Bangalore, will now participate in the prestigious FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China in September.
The new season of the NBA will begin in October.
