On one shoulder was my family, one another were 1.3 billion people: Satnam Singh
Satnam Singh revealed that he felt the burden of 1.3 billion Indians when he became the first player from India to be picked in the NBA draft. He also said that he was grateful to everyone who made his NBA move possible, but sitting on the bench, he couldn't do anything extraordinary.
Satnam Singh, who stands at 7 feet 2 inches tall, became the first Indian player to be picked in the NBA draft and played two seasons for Texas Legends in the NBA’s developmental D-League. Satnam revealed that when he got picked in the NBA draft and became the first Indian in the NBA but he felt the burden and expectation of 1.3 billion people.
“In almost 70 years of the NBA, there had been no Indian player. When somebody told me that, I said, ‘Oh my God’. On one shoulder was my family, one another were 1.3 billion people, and it all felt really heavy. But once the draft was over, the load was lifted. I felt light. I felt I did a good job for India. I thought, ‘I’m here only because I worked hard. That’s why they made One in a Billion. To show kids how hard you have to work.’ Now all I have to do is carry on working hard,” Satnam was quoted by The Hindu.
However, he didn’t get enough chances to prove himself. In his two seasons, Satnam featured in a total of 27 games, averaging 7.1 minutes per match. So when his contract ended, he packed up and left. He admitted that he was frustrated about not getting enough game time. Moreover, he didn’t improve playing there and while he admitted that he did learn a few things here, he never actually got to try them out in a game.
“Mera koi improve
“It was really, really bad. I didn’t have anything for my family. My father tries to work on the farm even when he can’t. My mother handles the house. My brother, the poor guy, had to quit his studies to help my father on the farm. He doesn’t have a life of his own. We need to make arrangements for my sister’s wedding. I have a lot to take care of. And I got no financial benefit from the D-League. Kuch
A few months after the basketballer returned to India, he was relieved of all the tension. Satnam signed a contract with the United Basketball Alliance (UBA), India’s first professional league, and is set to compete in its fifth season later this year.
“That (the contract) made me comfortable. If I have some money in my hand, I can be free in my mind. And I can play well. If I have no money, how can I play well?” he remarked.
The 22-year old revealed that when was picked in the draft in 2015, he was just 19 years old. Hence, the biggest problem was that he could not go to college.
“The biggest problem for me there was not going to college. If I was born there and I had studied well, things would have been different. I would have played college basketball for three or four years, kept getting better. I was 19. And most of the draft stars are like 21-22,” he says.
The Punjab born player also said that no player (or colleague) encouraged him when he sat out.
“Nobody does it. They all wish that you get worse... the worse you get, the better it is for them. I’ll say it straight. Nobody will help another player out. Everyone thinks, ‘I want to go up first,’” he said.