Indian basketball player, Palpreet Singh Brar, was picked up by the Long Island Nets in the D-League draft, earlier today. Palpreet, along with Indian captain Amritpal Singh and Amyjot Singh were among the three Indians selected in the draft. However, Amritpal and Amyjot failed to make the cut.
Palpreet, who trained at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, was being monitored by NBA India for the last couple of years. He became only the second Indian to be picked up for the D-League after Satnam Singh when the Long Island Nets picked him up.
The Long Island Nets, who are affiliated to the Brooklyn Nets, acquired draft rights for five players. The 21-year-old Indian, who plays centre, was the 11th pick in the fourth round.
Also read: A record three Indians enter the 2016 NBA D-League draft
According to SportStarLive, Carlos Barroca, NBA India’s senior director had earlier said that Palpreet was a strong contender to be drafted. He said, “I’d say he’s somewhere in the middle of that 80. Everyone loved him during the trials.”
Previously known as the NBA Development League, the NBA D-League, witnesses as many as 22 teams competing for the title. Each of the teams is either single-affiliated or owned by an NBA team.
The Nets new investment policy in overseas prospects has indeed come to fruition as Palpreet was drafted in the team. The 6’8” power forward has been one of the mainstays of the Indian team. However, no journey is easy and neither was his.
Hardly any Indian get the opportunity to make a leap to the states with much of the overseas attention focused on European countries. However, since the induction of a new program called the ACG NBA Jump, players like Palpreet are getting the attention.
Also read: Indian youngster Palpreet Singh Brar signs contract with NBA D League
ACG NBA Jump is a talent search program to find young promising players in India that came into existence when NBA and ACG Worldwide joined hands. After several months of scouting through multiple cities, Palpreet emerged as the national champion in the finals of ACG NBA Jump held in Greater Noida.
The triumph presented Palpreet with the opportunity to train under NBA level coaches and participate in the D-League tryouts. As reported in the Brooklyn Game, former Denver Nuggets head coach, Brian Shaw praised the Indian as he said,
“His feel for the game and understanding, I could tell he grasps it. Palpreet Singh, we all thought, was the guy who had the best chance to succeed.”
Here’s hoping the Indian will impress at his new side and take his journey further ahead.
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