Mumbai: The foundation for the NBA Legacy Project was laid at the BMC Marathi School at Sitaram Mills Compound in Mumbai earlier on Saturday as part of the ongoing efforts by the NBA to promote the game in India.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Sacramento Kings Chairman and Governor Vivek Ranadive, Indiana Pacers’ Steve Simon, and NBA India Managing Director Rajesh Sethi were all present to kickstart the project.
The NBA, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, in partnership with the American India Foundation (AIF), will support five under-resourced Municipal schools in Mumbai with technology equipment, trained teachers, a basketball court, and improved infrastructure capacities, as part of the commitment.
Ranadive spoke about the idea behind the project and the impact it would have on aspiring athletes. “Kids need to develop their minds and body, and Mumbai doesn’t have a lot of space. It’s hard to have a soccer field or cricket pitch. So basketball is a perfect sport for Mumbai. We thought having a basketball court outside and a computer lab inside, kids will be able to develop their minds and bodies,” Ranadive said.
He also said that more arenas are the need of the hour and claimed that efforts are underway to accomplish the same, including meetings with the Prime Minister.
“We will have ongoing meetings with the Prime Minister. I know that this is important to him as well. He’s taking India into the 21st century, taking spaceships to the moon. Equally important is having world class sports teams and athletes and he understands that,” added the 61-year old.
Also present on the occasion was NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who expressed a positive sentiment towards the future of the sport in India.
