By pitting the Sacramento Kings against the Indiana Pacers in two games, the NBA aimed to establish a real foothold in India. Mumbai served as the venue for these first-ever games on Indian soil, drawing a massive crowd. Despite some fans being new to the rules and etiquette of the game, the energy was high, filled with shouts of \"NBA! NBA!\" and declarations of love for the sport. Given that cricket is the primary passion in India, basketball has historically found it hard to gain traction, prompting the NBA to launch a strategic push to grow its Indian fanbase prior to these pre-season exhibitions.
To generate hype, the NBA lit up the iconic Gateway of India in red, white, and blue and even placed a basketball court on the waters of the Arabian Sea. Indiana Pacers' Myles Turner, who played a key role in his team's success on Friday and Saturday, admitted that India is rarely the first place people think of when it comes to basketball. Yet, the capacity crowd of 4,000 and the sheer excitement of the Saturday game showed that there is a genuine appetite for the sport. Akash Saraswati, a 22-year-old graduate student who spent over $90 on a ticket, called it a thrilling experience. If these inaugural games are any indication, there is a hungry audience waiting for more high-caliber basketball in the region.
Vivek Ranadive, the owner of the Kings and the only Indian majority owner in the NBA—who was instrumental in bringing these games to India—suggested naming a potential new league 'Monsoon Madness,' a nod to the famous 'March Madness' in US college basketball. While Commissioner Silver acknowledged that India still needs to develop the necessary infrastructure for a professional league, he believes it could happen within five years. The NBA's efforts to expand in India aren't new; back in 2011, they partnered with Sony TEN for live broadcasts and established youth development initiatives and an NBA Academy near New Delhi. This vision is further supported by Diane Gotua, the NBA’s VP of global business operations.