5 things to know about India's first NBA draft Satnam Singh

New York: It was a proud moment for India-born Satnam Singh Bhamara after he became the first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 19-year-old Satnam, who hails from a remote village called 'Ballo Ke' near Ludhiana in Punjab and stands 7 feet 2 inches tall, play for Dallas Mavericks.

Here are some facts about Satnam Singh:

• Satnam Singh's father Balbir Singh Bhamara is almost as tall as him, a 7 footer. If you need to decode the growth pattern of the father-son duo, you need to have a look at Satnam's grandmother. 

Satnam Singh with this father Balbir Singh Bhamara. (Photo: Facebook)

She was surprisingly 6'9". And while growing up in Punjab his parents gave him the nickname ‘Chhotu’ or ‘the tiny one’.

• Satnam is very social media friendly, specially on Facebook and feels excited when Indian Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan follow his posts.

• Satnam moved to Florida in 2010 to train with the IMG academy after he was awarded a scholarship as part of the IMG Reliance deal. 

Satnam Singh poses after a training session. (Photo: Facebook)

Interestingly, whenever Satnam called home from Florida, early in the morning, his villagers would gather around his house and wave at their village's hero.

• Satnam’s English when he first hit the NBA courts was non-existent and his coaches were apprehensive about the co-ordination snags he initially had with his teammates.

Satnam Singh shares a lighter moment with his coaches talking in Punjabi. (Photo: Facebook)

• It was with sheer hardwork that Satnam sealed his spot in the NBA side. Along with his friends from the Indian national junior team, he used to spend hours watching YouTube videos of their favourite NBA stars.