“Dream come true playing in the NBA,” - San Antonio Spurs rising star Keldon Johnson on Indian talk show

Mumbai/San Antonio, 14th February 2021: Late on Thursday, 11th February, Indian NBA fans were in for a pleasant surprise when rising star Keldon Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs joined the Patel & Kumar Live talk show on Youtube.

In a fun filled interaction, Johnson, a second year (‘sophomore’) player with the San Antonio Spurs, fielded rapid fire and audience questions sent in via Youtube’s ‘Live Chat’ feature.

Playing in the NBA, is a “Dream come true” for San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson

San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson warms up ahead of their NBA game against the Memphis Grizzlies

A rollercoaster…dream come true,” said Johnson, when asked what it was like getting selected as the 29th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. “I was at a point where most people would love to be,” said the affable 6ft 5’’ small forward, calling it a “blessing” to play for a “legendary organization” like the Spurs.

Nicknamed “Mustang” and “Big Body” for his ability to get to the rim, hosts Patel & Kumar jokingly coined a new nickname, "Kel-DON Joshi," in acknowledgement of his potential future fan base in India.

You can watch the full episode here.

Keldon Johnson’s Indian Connection

Johnson is managed by Fundamental Sports Management (FSM), said to be the first NBA agency founded by an Indian origin executive, Rahul B Patel.

Patel, who introduced Johnson on the talk show, spoke about breaking a glass ceiling for Indians within North America’s intense sports industry landscape.

On a lighter note, Johnson, who called himself “Gordon Ramsay when it comes to cooking” said he was “down to learn” cooking Indian food.

NBA All-Star Voting concludes on February 16th (US time), and you can vote for Keldon Johnson here.

You can follow Keldon Johnson on Instagram here.

About the Patel & Kumar NBA Talkshow

India's First and Only Live NBA Youtube Talkshow

The Patel & Kumar NBA Talkshow is India’s first and only Live NBA talkshow on Youtube, co-produced by Patel Pick & Roll Sports and Ekalavyas Consultancy Pvt Ltd. Currently in its second season, the ‘P&K’ Show enjoyed a pathbreaking debut season, documenting the 2019-20 NBA Bubble Play-in tournament, Playoffs & Finals.

It is co-hosted by Shivam Patel (from San Antonio, USA) and Vinod Muthukumar (from Mumbai, India). 'Patel And Kumar' is a joint Indo-US production that aims to be a candid and conversational take on all things NBA, with a distinct Indian ‘tadka’ (touch).

Previous guests include Grizzlies Coaches Taylor Jenkins & Sonia Raman, Pro Kabaddi League co-founder Charu Sharma, ‘Voice of NBA Top 10’ Beau Estes and Coach Nick from the viral YouTube channel BallBreakdown.