Basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in India, a country dominated by Cricket as a sport is slowly watching NBA grow its stature as a sport. Recently Indian Captain Rohit Sharma was seen watching a game during NBA Abu Dhabi Games in Abu Dhabi with his family. Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer, emphasized the need for increased investment in basketball development in India during a digital roundtable on Tuesday.
He stated, “We need more investment and infrastructure and we’re talking to different potential partners in India about that,” highlighting discussions around the possibility of India hosting NBA games in the future.
India welcomed its first-ever NBA games in October 2019 when the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers played two preseason matches in Mumbai. Tatum expressed optimism about attracting investment for infrastructure development, noting, “I’m optimistic that at some point, we’ll get people to invest alongside us in helping to get that infrastructure built. There’s a lot going on in India, and more to come.”
Tatum also reflected on his recent meeting with BCCI president Jay Shah in New York. “We continue to talk. I’m so impressed by what the BCCI has done and how popular cricket is there (India).There are a lot of synergies there in ways we can work together, and I look forward to continuing those conversations with BCCI and figuring it out,” he added.
He mentioned ongoing discussions about collaboration between cricket, India’s top sport, and basketball, which is rapidly gaining traction in the country.
The NBA leadership is encouraged by the growing interest in basketball in India, noting that the previous season attracted over 115 million unique viewers across various platforms.
“We’re encouraged by the growth of basketball and our fanbase in India since we entered that market," he concluded
Rohit Sharma during NBA Abu Dhabi game
Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma attended the NBA Abu Dhabi Games, where he watched the Boston Celtics face off against the Denver Nuggets. He was accompanied by his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, and had the opportunity to meet legendary Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, a FIFA World Cup champion. The picture where he posed with Iker took the internet by storm. NBA season 2024-2025 started on October 22 with Boston Celtics winning the game against New York Knicks.
Boston Celtics defeated New York Knicks 132-109
LA Lakers defeated Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103
