Coming soon: Slam-dunk millionaire

America's National Basketball League (NBA), one of the country's most powerful sports brands, is eyeing to pitch its tent on Indian terrain and make a hoop-la (as it were) about it over the next couple of years in its bid to become a more powerful global entity.

A big push may come as early as June this year when star player Baron Davis flies to India on a roadshow of sorts, meeting fans, young players, corporations, et al, trying to spread the gospel of basketball. "And also meet some Bollywood people," he said with a big twinkle in his eye.

The success of T20 league cricket in India (the country already accommodates two leagues) has obviously inspired the NBA to hasten its expansion programme, as commissioner David Stern admitted. But Stern said he was not aiming to topple the number one sport from its pedestal.

"Cricket is a major product in India. Who hasn’t heard of it? So while we will try and compete, we are not naïve to believe we can upstage it," he said on the eve of the All-Stars game to be played here on Sunday.

Stern emerges as an administrator with a shrewd grasp not just of how to run a sports league, but also how the global social and economic trends will shape the future of international sport, and where opportunity lies. The NBA’s game plan for winning over India entails reaching out first to youngsters in the 10 biggest metros, and from there downwards to the rest of the country.

"We are in it for the long haul," said Akash Jain, business development head for India. "Look, we have been in China for 20 years, and it is now that the benefits are beginning to show. India will be no different. We will tap children, schools, institutions and build from there."

This adds brick and mortar to Stern's vision of globalising basketball. "Look, the NBA has 100 million (10 crore) followers all over the world, and India has a population of 1,000 million. We would be happy to get 100 million supporters in India too."

The next few years promise to be interesting as India becomes a battlefield for various sports to be played out — for money, eyeballs, and also the joy of sports. Some might say, about time too.

All stars, truly
Phoenix wears a festive look as basketball players, fans, and the media have descended from all over the world to catch the action of the All-Stars game. Even in these recessionary times, there is an all-pervasive buzz of mega salaries and endorsement deals to go hand-in-hand with a star player’s prowess with assists, rebounds, and slam-dunks.

A recent Sports Illustrated story reveals that four of the Top 10 earning sportspersons in the US are basketballers: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett, their incomes ranging from $31 million to $50 million. (Tiger Woods tops the list with $129 million.)

That's huge bucks by any reckoning and is reflected in the superstar status enjoyed by basketballers. Their style and swagger is legendary, and enough of this was in evidence when the key players, including the four mentioned above, interacted with the media and fans. In contrast, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Akhtar, and other cricketing showponies would appear like kittens.

Almost all of them wore big diamond-embellished rings on their fingers and studs in their ears, had private security dogging every step, spoke reasonably well but all predictable stuff, and were whisked away by cronies after answering queries for 10-15 minutes as if an extra minute would lead to a loss of a million dollars. It probably would, considering that their every word and action means so much to so many. That's what they call a 'mature' market, though it does take some of the fun out of meeting a sportsperson. But after shaking Shaq's bucket-sized hand, one can't have too much complaint.

Tailpiece
The word 'groupie', so much a part of NBA lexicon for decades, is used in very hushed tones nowadays. "It's become politically incorrect," says one associated with the NBA, "The establishment is looking to send out very positive signals about the sport, and players have been asked to be wary." Does that mean groupies have vanished? "Not at all," says a wag. "You can take the slam out of basketball, can't dunk the sex."