Basketball will take time to grow in Mumbai, says Andre Miller

The state of basketball has always been low-profile in India with most of the players leaving to play in leagues of other countries. A major chunk of players in the national team come from the northern fraction of the country. Mumbai has always been the finest when it has come to cricket and the now the authorities are taking steps towards spreading football in the city. Basketball has never really been a major sport in the city and former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Andre Miller feels the same.

The 41-year-old was a part of the most fascinating league in basketball, playing for 10 different clubs. Miller has only missed three games due to injuries in his 17-year long career showing off his savvy post-up game, pulling off pick-up game moves on professional basketball players and has earned the nickname ‘The Professor’ for his on-court wisdom. 

The Los Angeles born Miller arrived in Mumbai a couple of days ago  and then will travel further to Delhi to visit the NBA school. On his his first visit to the city, Miller believes there is still time for Mumbai to develop and bring out the best talent. “This is a really short time to draw any conclusions but yes, I have not seen much of basketball here. We are trying to spread the game as much as possible, which will take some years. Cricket and soccer are the dominant sports here, so a sport like basketball will take time,” said Miller, who ranks ninth all-time for most assists in the NBA.

“I have played with Sim (Bhullar) in Sacramento and I have heard of Satnam Singh who is quite a tall guy. I think there is always scope for guys like him in basketball,” said Miller on Satnam’s chances in the NBA. The 21-year old Satnam became the first ever Indian player to be drafted in the NBA in 2015.

Of late, the number of basketball leagues has gone down in Mumbai leaving the players with insufficient exposure to sport. Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) holds tournaments for different age groups but they are exclusive to school children.

On being asked about his fitness regime, Miller said, “There is no such regime that I follow. I take care of my body, I think if I enjoy doing something, I can do it for long and do well in it. I am happy that I have managed to stay fit for so long in my career.”

Miller, who is on a short visit, says he is enjoying the culture in the Maximum City and looks to explore it. “I have not seen anything like it before. How they live, what they eat and how they carry out activities. I love the food here, spicy food is something that I like,” he said.