NBA announces digital partnership with Times Group

In a move that the Financial Times called a 'slam dunk' for basketball in India, the NBA took another major step in making sure that it increases its visibility in India, and ultimately, promote the game here, by announcing a 'digital partnership' with Times Internet Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of the Times Group that brings you The Times of India. This move comes just in time for the 2011 NBA Finals, as the Dallas Mavericks get ready to face the Miami Heat.

This partnership will ensure that the NBA will now have a dedicated section on the Times of India website: www.timesofindia.com.

The NBA becomes the second sports league after the Indian Premier League (IPL) to partner with the Times Group in India, highlighting the growing popularity of basketball and the NBA in India.

The new dedicated NBA section on the Times of India website will reach more than 12 million users per month. The NBA section will provide fans with comprehensive daily updates on the latest NBA news and scores, and will feature original columns from Times Group journalists. Daily video highlights, photo galleries and articles from NBA analysts will be offered, as well as in-depth features on the league and its players. Furthermore, journalists from the Times Group will travel to the 2011 NBA Finals to provide on-site and behind-the-scenes coverage for fans in India.

“We are proud to be associated with one of the most recognized sporting leagues in the World,” said Rishi Khiani, CEO, Times Internet Limited.” The NBA is the premier men's professional basketball league in North America. With the growing popularity of basketball globally, and more recently in India, we plan to leverage our audience to help popularize the sport further and drive newer audiences to the game.”

“The Times Group has unrivaled reach in India and they are an ideal partner to help showcase our game and engage more NBA fans throughout the country,” said Heidi Ueberroth, President, NBA International. “We are in the midst of one of our most exciting playoffs in recent memory and the innovative, in-depth sports coverage provided by the Times Group allows us to bring fans in India closer to the game.”

I check out the NBA section of the TOI website and it looks pretty good: Nothing too fancy, just simple, clear information, especially targeted towards the new, growing fanbase of the league in India. It has several news articles and features of current events - i.e., the Finals - sourced from NBA.com, and it also features generic information such as profiles of other NBA teams, and some facts about the history of the NBA, such as previous champions and a list of the NBA's greatest players, with credentials and all!

(I'm kinda offended that my personal all-time favourite player Gary Payton isn't on it. Come on Times of India, show The Glove some love).

Good move by the NBA though - it will help promote the league to a bigger, more mainstream audience.

IMG Basketball’s Bobby Sharma: “The future of Indian basketball is very, very bright"

Bobby Sharma is Senior Vice President, Global Business Development, Basketball, for IMG, the global sports and media company. IMG, in their partnership with Reliance, have come together to work with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) to oversee the growth of basketball in India. Sharma who is in India to oversee the growth of IMG’s basketball business visited the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls in Nagpur (Maharashtra) this past week to watch some of the best U-16 players from around the country take part in this competitive tournament.

The brand new Indoor Stadium at Mankapur, in Nagpur, was almost as much of a showcase as the talent on the floor. The stadium was inauguarated on the opening day of the Youth Nationals by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday. I got a chance to speak to Sharma, who was welcomed at the tournament and introduced to some of the participating players on Saturday, about the emerging basketball talent and infrastructure in India.

Hoopistani. What are your thoughts on the new stadium and facilities and the host city of the Youth Nationals, Nagpur?

Sharma: “As the geographic epicenter of the country, Nagpur makes a perfect host for events such as the 28th BFI Under-16 Youth National Championships. I think that this Indoor Stadium of the Divisional Sports Complex is absolutely beautiful. Thanks to the great efforts of the government officials and Harish Sharma of the Basketball Federation of India, this arena is a showcase venue, not only for Nagpur, but all of India.”

Q. What impression have the Youth players left on you after watching them play? Have you noticed any standout players or teams at this competition?

Sharma: “The impression I get is that the future of Indian basketball is very, very bright. I was just remarking to one of the coaches yesterday how impressed I was with the level of the talent and athleticism on display, for both boys and girls, from all over India. But the thing that struck me the most was how much fun everyone was having, how much joy so many have for the game – and that isn't limited to the kids. It's so great to see basketball in its most pure and organic form, played, coached, officiated, organized, and watched out of love.”

Q. What should be the next step in improving youth and grass roots level basketball in India?

Sharma: “That is an important question, as improving youth and grassroots basketball is one of the highest priorities of the great partnership forged between IMG Reliance and the BFI. I think we have recently taken a giant leap forward with the hiring of three incredible coaches from the highest levels of basketball for the senior teams - Kenny Natt from the NBA, and Pete Gaudet and Zak Penwell from the most elite Division I American colleges. Importing their knowledge and passion for the game into the existing structures of the BFI, stretching throughout the entire country, will yield immediate and long-lasting returns all the way to the youngest and newest players and coaches.”

“I am incredibly honored to be here, and so thankful for all the warmth and kindness I have received from the Indian basketball community. I already feel I am part of the BFI family.”

NBA Finals Prediction

NBA Finals:

2. Miami Heat over 3. Dallas Mavericks in 6 games

Will the Heat or Mavericks walk away with the Larry O'Brien Trophy?

Stanley Cup Finals Prediction

Stanley Cup Finals:
1. Vancouver Canucks over 3. Boston Bruins in 6 games

Will the Canucks or Bruins walk away with the Stanley Cup?

Poonam Chaturvedi: The next next big thing

Off the court, she quietly tries to hide behind her teammates. But while silence may deny us from hearing her, she can’t stay visibly hidden for too long. A month shy of her 16th birthday, Poonam Chaturvedi is already 6 foot 6 inches tall, at least half a foot bigger than any of the other girls in her Chhattisgarh Youth team. Any attempt to hide is futile.

Poonam Chaturvedi grew so tall, so quickly, that she has already forgotten tall she exactly was just three years ago.

“A grew a lot when I was 13,” she says.

“How much did you grow?” I ask, trying to get her to be a bit more specific.

“A lot.”

It isn’t easy for a 6 foot 6 inch human being to hide, but everything from Poonam’s own shy demeanour to the years she played ball silently away from the public eye indicate that somehow, this giant teenager remained a secret. Women’s basketball in India is mostly a small girl’s game, and so anyone with the perfect advantage of height and skills literally rises head and shoulders above all to dominate. See the case of Geethu Anna Jose, India’s best known basketball player, who at 6 foot 2 has been the best player in the Women’s game for half a decade and became the first Indian to be invited for a WNBA trial.

Still at the U16 level, Poonam has already become the tallest female basketball player in India. The height came by nature, but it is the work she is putting into her game now that will help her grow into the best basketball player that she can be.

Born and bred in Kanpur (UP), Poonam now finds herself as the centerpiece of the U-16 girls side representing the Chhattisgarh state at the Youth National Basketball Championship in Nagpur. After a false start to her basketball career at the hostel in Agra, she was spotted at the National Women’s Games in Chhattisgarh by Chhattisgarh Basketball Association’s secretary Rajesh Patel. A man with a shrewd eye for scouting and grooming successful women’s basketball players, Patel, who is also the coach of Chhattisgarh’s women teams, realised that the young giant Poonam would have to become his next project.

“We saw her playing for UP at the Women’s Games and we wanted to speak to her,” Patel says, “Over the next four months, I must have called her father 30 to 40 times to try and convince him to send her to join our basketball camp in Billai (Chhattisgarh).”

Patel’s camp and hostel in Billai has gained the reputation of becoming Indian Basketball’s talent factory – it took until the end of April before Poonam finally joined the other talented young girls at the hostel, and the opportunity couldn’t have come a moment too soon.

“Back in Agra, her game wasn’t developing at all,” said Patel, “There were only six or seven girls in the hostel there, so the only practice they got was shoot-around, there were never enough to play a full five-on-five game. When we recruited her to Chhattisgarh, we barely had a month to make sure she fit in with the system. She had to be ready to play for our U16 team at the Youth Nationals.”

Her big unveiling, and her first competitive game for Chhattisgarh, was against Uttarakhand on the first day of the Youth Nationals. Still showing a lack of coordination in fitting in with the run-n-gun Chhattisgarh side, Poonam nevertheless managed to score 14 points in a dominating blowout win for her side.

“We’ve had to practice extra to fit her in,” Patel says, “For the last month, the girls would be up at 4 in the morning to practice extra drills and extra plays that involve Poonam.”

Patel’s Chhattisgarh sides have always suffered from height, but never have they let that come between them and success. In producing one of the most-triumphant programmes ever in several different age levels over the last decade, Patel has preached a style of ball-hawking defense and quick fast-break baskets to make sure that his teams almost always win.

Now, both Patel and his latest recruit are in new territory: the coach because he has to change his offensive and defensive schemes around a taller but slower player, and Poonam because she was playing with a quick team which already carried with it a winning culture. It was no surprise then that she was a step too slow in her early competitions with Chhattisgarh, but both player and coach realise that there is a long road to improvement.

“My game has improved a lot since I came to Chhattisgarh,” she says, “But I want to keep playing harder and keep improving. This is a good defensive team and I realise that my defense will need work to fit in: I still need to learn how to always stay in front of the player I’m guarding.”

Patel is even more critical of his young and potential-ridden player. “We have changed our defensive patterns for her, and she will have to fit in. But there are a lot more areas where we have been working hard on, giving her hours of extra, individual training: her jumping/athletic ability, her back to the basket game, free throws, showing, dribbling, and of course, we want her to gain more weight and bring a lot more power to her game.”

Yet, regardless of the holes in Poonam’s game, it isn’t difficult to see why this 6 foot 6 teenager is garnering all the hype at the competition. She already has a naturally good shooting stroke, a good offensive post game, and in just her first month of proper basketball training, she has become good enough to be a real threat for opponents at the Youth Nationals.

“She makes our team a lot better too,” Patel adds, “We now feel a psychological edge of having the tallest player whenever we go against any opponent. With her on this side, I know this team can qualify for the final.

But both Poonam and Patel are looking way beyond the Youth Nationals: Patel’s next aim is to make sure that Poonam is chosen for Indian National U16 Select Camp after this tournament. He is also hopeful that, with the arrival of a world class strength trainer Zak Penwell, Poonam will have just the kind of guidance she needs to bulk up into perfect shape.

“Her future is very bright,” says Patel, “She’s still young, and is already the tallest player in India: she can go a long way.”

And while her coach gives the outspoken support, and while the comparisons of ‘next Geethu’ pour in, Poonam remains confident in her own quiet and calm way. “I want to play for India,” she says.

No matter how hard she tries, a big girl with potentially bigger talent like Poonam can’t remain hidden behind anyone. Kanpur and Agra saw her grow, Chhattisgarh helped her develop, and Nagpur will see the early fruits of the combination of skill and size. And it won’t be long before all of India Basketball knows about the next next big thing.

Barcelona-Manchester United Champions League Final Reaction

Final Score: Barcelona 3 - Manchester United 1 (Barcelona's second victory over United in the Champions League Final in three years)

• As expected coming into the huge matchup, Barcelona had the majority of possession during the game. Aside from the first 10 minutes of the fixture, United struggled to keep the ball, while they couldn't keep Barcelona off the ball. There were long spills during play when United found themselves without a touch for 5 to 10 minutes. At the end of the first half, Barca had 70 percent of possession and they finished the game with about 68 percent. In the middle of the field, Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi were given way too much space for Barcelona. United was able to frustrate Barcelona in the first 10 minutes of the game because they didn't give Xavi, Iniesta, or Messi any time on the ball. However, as the game went on, Barcelona began to shred apart United in the middle of the field with combinations and clever passing.
•  Barcelona kept United on their back foot the entire game. If it wasn't for 9 great saves from Van der Sar including one in the 66th minute that he turned away after a blast from Xavi, Barcelona could have scored more than 3 goals. Barca took 22 shots and 12 on goal including a total of 18 shots from Iniesta, Xavi, Villa, and Messi. United could muster just 4 shots and only 1 on net. Unlike Barcelona who had so many chances to score throughout the match, United really didn't have any opportunities to finish aside from Rooney's goal in the 34th minute. 
•  The finishing for Barca was exquisite and clinical. The first goal came in the 27th minute from Pedro Rodriguez. Xavi carried the ball into the attacking third when Nemanja Vidic turned his head and lost Pedro on the edge of the circle. Xavi played the ball into Pedro's feet, who finished beautifully into the bottom right corner by a helpless Van der Sar. Barca came back with their second goal in the 55th minute of play. Xavi and Iniesta were exchanging passes in the middle before the ball was played to Messi, who somehow was not being marked about 25 yards out. As Messi so often does, he took a few touches to his left and finished by Van der Sar for a lovely goal into the bottom right corner. Messi's early shot from distance caught Van der Sar off his guard. Van der Sar said about the goal, "I though I was positioned well. He tends to curl it into the far post but he didn't. They are very good, you have to try and score the first goal and we didn't do that. It is not always a given." Van der Sar was positioned so he could save a curling shot from Messi into the back post, but Messi went to the short side and Van der Sar had no chance to keep the game deadlocked at 1. Barca completed the great finishing in the 70th minute when Villa slotted a beautiful goal home to seal the victory for Barca. Messi traveled into the box before losing it to United but they scuffled with the ball and lost it to Busquets. Busquets delivered a pass to Villa, who curled the ball into the upper right corner from the top of the box for a magnificent goal. Vidic said, "The goals we lost, we didn't do what we have to do to close their players down. When they have time on the ball they can make the final pass and that is what they did."
• After the game, Man United gave all the credit to Barcelona for their victory. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said, "We were beaten, there is no other way to addess the situation, by the best team. I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team. They are the best team we have ever played, they are at the peak in this cycle of their team. There wa good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that. Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those night... Great teams go in cycles and the cycle they [Barcelona] are in at the moment is the best in Europe, there's no question of that... they are enjoying the moment that they have just now." Manchestr United captain Nemanja vidic said after the 3-1 loss, "I think if you look at it we have never played a team in the past like Barcelona, they played good football and deserved to win... A couple of the goals were preventable but you have to give credit where it's due. They've got a system they work to and did it well. We had a game plan we though could beat them, but wasn't to be."

Here are the match highlights of the final.

Don't Overlook Roger Federer In The French Open

With Rafael Nadal aiming for his 6th French Open title to tie Bjorn Borg for the second most French Open championships in history and Novak Djokovic's current 41 match win streak, most people have forgot about a man that has won 16 majors and is currently ranked 3rd in the world. However, to look past Roger Federer when talking about serious contenders to win the French Open, is a huge mistake.

Roger Federer has not had an easy walk in the park for the first three rounds of the French Open. To begin this quest for a second French Open crown, he had a tricky looking match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Lopez had previously played Federer in a great match early in May in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won that extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak in that match. However, Federer played some great tennis and beat Lopez in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3). 

In the second round, he lost just 5 games to the young Frenchmen Maxime Teixeira, as he took the match 6-3, 6-0, 6-2.

In the third round, Federer beat Janko Tipsarevic in a difficult third round match 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. His first set against Tipsarevic took just 19 minutes. Tipsarevic said after the match, "I was honestly expecting more from myself today but he was just too good."

Federer is also extremely confident right now. He said, "I'm at peace with my game right now. Physically I feel better. My body is in better shape. I've had more practice, more matches, because between Australia and Roland Garros last year I didn't play much, and when I played it was a bit difficult. It's still early in the tournament but at the same time it's really nice to be moving in the draw so well and so quickly.

In the round of 16, Federer will play his fellow countrymen from Switzerland Stanislas Wawrinka. Federer has owned his really good friend Wawrinka. Federer is 8-1 against Stan and he has won 18 sets out of 21 against Wawrinka in 9 matches. 

The last time Federer was seeded outside of the top two at a grand slam was in 2003 and Federer has never flown so far under the radar as he has at this year's French Open since before he won his first major at Wimbeldon in 2003. Federer doesn't mind having so much attention on Nadal and Djokovic and having less pressure on his shoulders. He said, "People expected me to hopefully win or to prove myself here in Paris over many, many years, and this year I don't have to do that because I have already won this tournament before. And now the expectations are sky-high for Novak and Rafa, because he's the defending champion. That leaves me a bit out of the pressure situation, which is not a bad thing for me.

2011 NBA Finals Prediction: Heat vs Mavs, the Sequel

Before we talk about the present, it's important that we talk about the past.

Five years ago - May/June 2006 - and the last two remaining teams in the NBA were the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat, with their young superstar Dwyane Wade (who was just finishing his third year in the league) and with still not-washed-up Shaquille O'Neal, played some inspired basketball to get to the Finals, but once there, they were against the NBA's deepest and most talented squad in the Mavericks.

It was the first time in the history of either franchise to make the NBA Finals. And it would be a first ring for either of these two teams. Led by Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks were odds-on favourites: they had broken a vicious cycle out West - Since the Jazz did it in 1998, no other team except for the Spurs or the Lakers had won the Western Conference - and even before the 2011 Finals were set up, the Mavericks were the only other team in the West since 98 to win the conference.

What happened next? As expected, a deeply talented Mavs squad won the first two games easily, taking a 2-0 lead over the series as it shifted to Miami. Game 3 looked like it was going to be more of the same: but Dwyane Wade went into superhero mode, scoring 42 points to erase a 13-point 4th quarter lead and help Miami secure a win. Credit Gary Payton for hitting the game-winner, and the series changed.

And from then onwards, it was the Wade show - Wade scored 36, 43, and 36 points in the next three games, putting up the most impressive individual performance I have ever seen over an NBA finals series, and helped Miami win in six games, 4-2, clinching their first NBA title. Unfortunately, the story of the series weren't Wade's heroics - it was the many, many, (many, many, many) arguable calls made by the referees that went Miami's and Wade's way.

On the other end - it was a bitter pill to swallow for Nowitzki, who was so close to etching his name into the Finals' greats, but wasn't good enough in clutch situations to match Wade.

History lesson done, perspective acquired; it's now 2011.

2011: And the two best playoffs teams in the NBA find themselves deservingly facing off in the Finals in a repeat of '06. Some of the names are the same, and some are new, adding a lot more complexities to this already exciting match-up. Seeing how both these teams changed the level of their play between the regular season and the playoffs, I'm not even going to bother looking back at their season match-ups. All you need to know is that Miami hold home-court advantage, and Miami haven't lost at home in the playoffs. The Mavs have only lost once.

The Conference Finals were surprisingly one-sided. I was wrong in predicting a Bulls win after Game 1, because Chicago went on to lose the next four, and their biggest problems were exposed - lack of depth beyond Rose, and their youth/inexperience. Meanwhile, Dallas took care of business versus another very young Thunder team, and most impressively, making two massive comebacks to show heart and hunger that they have never shown before.

And I know LeBron had an incredible series, but I have to give the player of the Conference Finals award to Dirk Nowitzki, who was deadly efficient, especially in that first game where he had 48 points of just 15 shots.

Phew... So we're in the Finals now... And here's what these Finals would mean from the point of view of all the crucial parties involved, in last-name alphabetical order:

Chris Bosh: The man who has suffered innumerable jokes (it's not the big three, it's two and a half men) found his aggression when needed and stepped up to help Miami beat Chicago, completely dominating his opposite number, Carlos Boozer. This could really mean redemption for Bosh, and even though he isn't of the Wade-James-Nowitzki class, he's still an all star (with feelings). Bosh will also have the toughest time in this series as he attempts to defend the league's most unstoppable force right now in Dirk Nowitzki.

Rick Carlisle: It's about time that Carlisle, one of the most efficient coaches of the last decade, is finally getting his shot at the big deal. He has had some up and down years as a coach, but has never wavered his discipline - the work he has done with this Mavs squad, especially in the playoffs, is tremendous: both in the tactical viewpoint as well as inspiring them to stay hungry and make the big comebacks.

Mark Cuban: The owner of the Mavs and a billionaire on the side, there was no man more outspoken about Miami's "unjust" 2006 win than Cuban. A great recent article by Yahoo Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski's talks about how Cuban never gave Miami the respect for winning that title, and criticised them on their rebuilding plan. Well, here we are now - and for his own team's championship, Cuban has to go through his Miami nightmare once more.

LeBron James: Ah.. LeBron James. It's hard to read the word NBA these days without seeing his name nearby. Talent-wise, he deserves to be one of the league's best-known player, but without a championship, talent is nothing but potential wasted. This is James' second trip to the Finals - the first one was a forgettable affair when his over-achieving Cavs got swept by the Spurs in 2007. So what does he do after going nowhere with Cleveland? He makes a Decision and comes to Miami, teaming up with Dwyane Wade to make the most deadly duo since Nagraj and Super Commando Dhruv started to fight crime together.
(FYI: LeBron is Nagraj, Wade is Dhruv).
Anyways - it was a major decision, and it was going to have major repercussions - anything less than a championship was to be an under-achievement for Miami. And as the regular season went, with teething troubles in alpha-dog status, Wade and LeBron suffered those troubles. But the playoffs have been a whole different animal: as the two of them have perfected the art of surviving and thriving together. Meanwhile, LeBron, especially after his performance in the Bulls' series, has been the best player in the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
But nothing in the past matters - The Decision was made to win a championship - and so far, the plan seems to be on track for the currently ringless 'King'.

Jason Kidd: Those who know me personally know that I have never been a fan, but even I can't deny what Kidd brings to the table. The last of the remaining 'true' point guards before the era is fully handed over the Rose's, Westbrook's, and Wall's of the world (I know CP3 and Deron Williams will have something to say about that), Kidd's game will never be appreciated by someone who just looks at box scores and recaps. He uses his brain more than his 38-year-old body, and after two unsuccessful runs in the finals nearly a decade ago, this veteran has one final shot. This time, he has a squad better than anything he has ever worked with before. Kidd was brought into Dallas almost three years ago to bring a mature presence to the frequently not-so-responsible Dirk, and he did just that. Will this future hall-of-famer finally get his ring?

Dirk Nowitzki: The nightmares of 2006 must be crashing back in front of Dirk now, and if there's ever been a man on a redemption mission, it's him. Nowitzki has been the best player in this year's playoffs, and is playing at a higher level than I've ever seen him play before. It is fitting then, that, his second chance at the ring once again goes through Miami and through Dwyane Wade. He seems to have left behind the jitters that labelled him a 'soft' player or a 'choker' - but it is this final stand that could make or break his legend, that could decide whether he was one of the greatest or just a damn good player.

Pat Riley: One of the greatest coaches ever, and my personal favourite, and the man who led Miami to that 2006 victory: but this time, Riley is looking for a different kind of win. Now as Heat's team president Riley pulled off a miracle by getting LeBron and Bosh to join the side, and had faith in his young coach Spoelstra to oversee this team make its way to the Finals. Now, he's four wins away from adding to his illustrious trophy collection, and once again, it is the Mavs that stand in his way.

Erik Spoelstra: The man who shouldered all the blame for Heat's early struggles is still here, still standing, and now, in the Finals. The Heat coach always had the support of Riley and always preached defense first. Couple his defensive philosophy and hand him two of the league's best players, and its easy to see why this team is successful - it is just hard to believe that they are successful so soon! While fans were calling for his head early in the season, this post-season performance has turned everything around and made sure that he remains a coaching mainstay for years to come.

Jason Terry: The other star from the 2006 losing Mavs team, Terry has been in the Mavs for a long time, battling alone with Dirk and looking for that championship. It will be a great reward for the fruits of his patience and labour on the bench all these years. Plus, he had a Larry O'Brien trophy tattooed on his arm before the season even began. He better win to justify something like that.

Dwyane Wade: The man who was the undisputed legend five years ago is now being looked at as the third-best player in 2011. Funny how things change - because Wade's game hasn't gotten much worse. His explosive 2006 performance saw him average 33 ppg and 7.8 rpg through the series, and those numbers don't take into account how well he performed in clutch time situations. LeBron came to Miami to play with D-Wade and go to the Finals, and here they are now. Wade had a bad series against the Bulls, but he came up big when most required, scoring 10 points and making massive plays in that incredible 4th quarter rally that saw Miami defeat Chicago in Game 5 to close the series. If there was any time for Dwyane Wade to rediscover himself, it was right before a finals rematch with the Mavericks. And here they are now...

And my Prediction: These two teams are way to close to call, because both have shown grit and heart to win. Mavericks have a deeper squad, but the Heat are more top heavy. In a situation like this, I go to my thumb rule, which is: 'If the difference between 2 teams is too close to call, always go with the better defensive side.'
It's the playoffs, and I'm going to call Defense - which is Miami. Dirk will have a big series, and so will LeBron and Wade, but it will be the Heat's defensive intensity that will end up limiting Nowitzki, and on the other end, their superstars will take care of business, especially during the clutch periods. Plus, having home-court advantage will help Miami, too.

So my Finals Prediction is Miami Heat win 4-2.

And as for Finals MVP? Well it's the question that has been in my mind ever since the season started. Between LeBron and Wade, who will be better when it mattered most? Well, that question could be answered very soon: LeBron has been a better all-round player, but Wade has a reputation of being the best when the chips are down. And in this series, I say that the Mavs will suffer a Dwyane Wade nightmare again. Also, I have a Wade bias. And it's my blog - Dwyane Wade wins Finals MVP

So what are your predictions? Who will be the champion? How many games will they play? Who will be Finals MVP? And who will be the X-Factor?

From player to coach, Manisha Dange looks to complete the hoops cycle

Could an early bloomer also be a late bloomer? How many stars dominate at a young age, and as they grow older, find the inspiration to bloom again, into a different kind of star? From a star young player, to an inspirational veteran, and now planting the seeds of a potential coaching career, Maharashtra’s Manisha Dange hopes to do it all.

Three months ago, Manisha Dange and Shireen Limaye were playing on the same court on the same squad: the former a 30-year-old legend of Maharashtra’s women’s basketball; the latter had just turned 16 and was already being touted as the next big thing in women’s basketball in India. Dange, as the team’s captain, and Limaye, as the young, do-it-all sparkplug, led an exciting Maharashtra Women’s team into the Federation Cup at Raipur.

Three months later, the faces are the same, but the roles have changed: it is the Youth (U16) National Basketball Championship in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Dange and Limaye’s home-court, and the Maharashtra team is captained by Limaye, who is the most experienced young star leading a group of girls who are relatively fresh to the big stage. But Dange is here too – staying involved with Maharashtra and her young teammate as the coach of the U16 side.

The transformation to coach for teammate has been seamless for Dange. “I’m only the team’s coach on the court,” Dange says, “Outside it, I’m more a Didi - an older sister – than a coach. The difference of age between me and Shireen or any of the other girls isn’t too much, so they are comfortable with me. I have to be strict but allow the girls to have their fun.”

“Because I’ve been a player myself I can understand the girls and know exactly how it feels to travel for a tournament, feel the pressure, and perform at this stage. During basketball games, working now as a coach, I get to see understand many of my own faults as a player and find a way not just to improve my coaching ability but also my playing ability.”

And as she continues to discover her coaching attributes and rediscover her talents as a player, Dange makes sure to indicate that she has enough gas to keep both her careers going. “I want to continue playing and coaching simultaneously,” she said, “This is just the first step: I want to keep progressing as a coach as time passes and keep playing for as long as possible, too.”

Her star player, Shireen Limaye, doesn’t believe that Dange’s shift from player to coach has been a complicated affair. “She has been and is still a very good player,” Limaye says of Dange, “Even as a team-mate, she is always a coach on court – she has always making sure to train us and give us advice, and we used to practice drills with her as team-mates that I now practice with her as coach. It is an advantage for us to have a coach who is also a good active player.”

This is Dange’s second attempt at leading Maharashtra’s U16 Girls squad at the Youth Nationals – she was also the team’s coach last year when they went for the Nationals in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. This time around, the pressure to perform as hosts and as one of the most talented young teams in the competition is squarely on Dange’s side.

“Our team has a lot of positives,” Dange said, “The biggest of them all, obviously, is Shireen. But this year, we have come prepared physically to be the best and put up a good show as the hosts. Before this tournament, the girls took part in an 18-day fitness camp in Vashi, which helped them improved their speed, agility and overall fitness.”

The current Maharashtra Girls side also has a good size advantage and will hope to exploit it against most of their other opponents.

As a player, Dange has been here and done it all before. Hailing from Thane in Mumbai, she picked up the game when she was only 12 years old, but didn’t make her first major Nationals until the youth/U16 stage, the same stage at which she has made her coaching debut nearly 15 years later. From then on, the game of basketball began opening several new avenues for her: she was picked to play for Railways at the age of 18 – a move she calls the ‘best moment of her basketball career’ – and she represented India in two crucial tournaments in 2007: the FIBA Asia Championships in South Korea and an Invitational Tournament in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

Although she won’t be making a comeback to the Indian National team soon, she continues to be a dominating and respected figure in Maharashtra Basketball – besides, it is now the turn for her teammate/star-pupil to shine: Shireen Limaye has become the youngest player to get a call-up for the Indian Senior National Camp in New Delhi, and she will have a shot at making her own debut with India’s Senior National team at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in Japan this August.

As she has experienced the past and the evolving present of basketball in India, Dange is hopeful for the future that Limaye and other young stars of the country. “The current crop of stars have a good future,” she says, “They are getting a lot of opportunities now, and will soon get a lot more exposure and returns for their hard-work in the game.”

But for now, ‘Coach’ Dange – or Manisha Didi – has only one mission in mind: helping Limaye, Shruti Menon, Ayushi Gupta, and the rest of the young squad live up to their top billing and capture the Youth Championships on home soil. “We have a good team, and because we’re playing at home, we’re the favourites. Once the crowds get bigger, there will be more pressure on the girls to perform – I have to make sure that they blank out the outside noise and just focus on their game.”

And if anyone can help them deal with the pressure it’s their experienced coach – after all, she has been there, done that, and is now back to bloom again.

28th Youth Basketball Nationals tip off in Nagpur; Hosts Maharashtra start positively

Look no further if you want to spot the next basketball superstar of India: On Thursday, May 26th, the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra, popularly known as the ‘Orange City’, welcomed hundreds of under-16 boys and girls from two dozen states in India to take part in the 28th Youth National Basketball Championship for Boys & Girls, slated to take place from May 26th – June 2nd.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan got the games underway after inaugurating Nagpur’s brand new Indoor Stadium of the Divisional Sports Complex, but it was the hosts Maharashtra who got the hoop fans really fired-up with back to back wins for both the girls’ and the boys’ teams.

Chavan, who declared the new Indoor Stadium open on Thursday afternoon, welcomed the players and the spectators. “It feels great to be at this inauguration at the ‘second capital’ of Maharashtra, Nagpur,” Chavan said, “I’m glad to see the best young players here from all over the country of India.”

The first game following the opening was the highly touted Maharashtra Girls side, featuring superstar Shireen Limaye as captain, who is the youngest player to be called up for the Indian Senior National camp in New Delhi. Maharashtra didn’t disappoint, even though they faced a motivated Punjab squad, and raced away to a double digit lead in the first quarter. Maharashtra really perked up their defense in the second half, allowing only four points in the last 20 minutes of play, en route to a convincing 65-31 victory. Shruti Menon had a confident outing with 19 points for Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Boys started off their campaign with a tenaciously fought win over a gritty Karnataka side. Although Maharashtra led most of their way, Karnataka remained right on their tails, with big performances by Jeethender (24) and Melever (16). The second half was especially tightly contested but Maharashtra maintained their lead to notch a 63-50 win. Rohan Jagtap was the high scorer for the hosts with 17 points.

Meanwhile, Kerala Girls, the winners of last year’s tournament in Trichy, didn’t skip a beat as they started off with a dominating performance against Delhi. Kerala used hard-nosed defense and a balanced scoring threat to get an early lead over the team from the capital, and they carried their momentum throughout the game. It was an easy win for Kerala in the end, with the final score 54-13.

Important Scores

Boys

Group A: Maharashtra (Rohan Jagtap 17, Salim Malik 14) bt Karnataka (Jeethender 24, Melever 16), 63-50 (16-13,20-11,15-14,12-12).

Group C: Uttar Pradesh (Rahul Yadav 22, Ankit Malik 11, Abhishek Rai 10) bt Himachal Pradesh 77-40 (13-8, 16-10, 15-14, 33-8)

Girls

Group A: Maharashtra (Shruti Menon19, Shireen Limaye 15, Aditi Kamble 12) bt Punjab (Nirmal Kaur 13) 65-31 (22-11,18-16,16-2,9-2)

Group B: Chattisgarh (Sangeeta 21, Anjana Daisy 14, Poonam Chaturvedi 14) bt Uttarakhand, 90-19 (28-10, 28-2, 18-6, 16-1)

Group A: Kerala (Poojamal 14) bt Delhi 54-13 (21-4,6-1,15-5,12-3)

Group B: Haryana (Monika Vias 20, Bhakti Singh 15) bt Uttar Pradesh (Garima Singh 12,Shruti 16) 52-43 (11-14,8-6,16-17,17-6).

Kenny Natt to Coach Indian Basketball

India welcomes three world-class coaches for its national teams

This article was first published on SLAMOnline.com on May 18th, 2011

If there’s one thing that you can say with complete surety about Indian culture is that we treat our guests with honor. As a child, when my family had visitors staying over and I refused to give up my bedroom for the guests, my mother would take me to a corner and repeat the old Indian proverb: “Mehmaan Bhagwan Saman Hai” – The Guest is like God.

Yes, guests in India are showered with presents, treated like royalty, and are force-fed meals until their stomachs churn (we consider this a good thing). Anyone who has ever been welcomed into an Indian household knows that, when it comes to food, ‘I’m full’ means ‘I could eat two more rotis, please,’ and a firm ‘No’ means, ‘Yes, I wouldn’t mind that last piece of Butter Chicken.’ From simple households to State Diplomats, the over-welcoming philosophy of the Indian people (mostly) remains.

And this is one of the major reasons why, despite all the teething troubles that have hampered the game of basketball in the past (rampant corruption at the state level, backward infrastructure, little cohesive organization, etc.) the game continues has continued to develop at a good pace. India has welcomed the world of basketball with open arms – from IMG Worldwide to the NBA – and in return, the world of basketball has invested wisely to the growth of the game in India. The welcoming attitude has worked well in our favor, as everything from infrastructure to personnel is now showing promise of progress.

April in particular was especially big for the game in India. Geethu Anna Jose, the former captain of the Indian Women’s team, became the first Indian to get a tryout with the WNBA – she wasn’t accepted, but she left a good impression with the Chicago Sky, the L.A. Sparks, and the San Antonio Silver Stars. Meanwhile, Bucks’ point guard Brandon Jennings made a trip over to our shores, becoming the 16th NBA/WNBA player/legend to visit India over the past three years.

But the biggest piece of news was leaked out this week, as the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) announced that it hired three world-class coaches to lead the Indian Basketball Teams and further the BFI’s grassroots growth of the game in India.

Kenny Natt, who was interim head coach of the Sacramento Kings after the firing of Reggie Theus during the ‘08-09 season, has been brought on board to coach the Indian Senior National Men’s Basketball team. Natt was an assistant coach under Jerry Sloan with the Utah Jazz from 1995-2004, and was part of the team that twice reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. He then became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2004-2007, including the season when the LeBron James-led Cavs reached the NBA Finals.

Natt’s first job will be to work with Indian Men’s team at a camp in Delhi in preparation for the FIBA Asia Basketball Championship set to be held in Wuhan (China) in September. Natt will be taking over the reins of the Men’s team after Coach Bill Harris, formerly head coach of NCAA DIII side Wheaton College, who led the Indian team to the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou (China).

The Indian Senior Women’s National team will be headed by Pete Gaudet, a famous name amongst college instructors. Gaudet has been involved with college hoops for over 40 years, coaching both men’s and women’s basketball in the process, including holding positions at West Point, Duke, Vanderbilt and Ohio State. While at Duke (as mostly an assistant to Mike Krzyzewski), Gaudet won two NCAA Championships and made seven Final Fours, coaching eight All-Americans, three national players of the year, and 12 NBA draft picks.

Like Natt, Gaudet will also be preparing the Women’s side for the FIBA Asia Basketball Championship – the Women’s edition of this competition will be held in Omaru and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of August. Before Gaudet, the Indian Women’s side was coached by WNBA player Tamika Raymond at the 2010 Asian Games.

Lastly, the BFI brought in Zak Penwell as a Strength and Conditioning coach for the national sides in India, the first time that such an appointment has been made for the national level players in the country. In the past, the Indian national teams had been thoroughly exposed by several Asian opponents who were stronger, faster and more durable – even if the skill and talent level was closed, India lagged behind when it came to their physical fitness and performed poorly.

The last bit of news has been especially encouraging for top-level Indian players like Jose, who admitted that she struggled amongst the stronger American players during her WNBA tryouts. And now, with experienced NBA and college coaches being the guiding forces behind some of India’s brightest stars, expectations are high for the country to follow in China’s footsteps and play up to its potential – more than a sixth of the world’s population is over in India, and it is about time that the country ends its historic underperformance in most other sports excluding cricket.

Meanwhile, the other pieces to complete basketball’s jigsaw puzzle are shaping up nicely: Jose may not have qualified for the WNBA, but a tryout in itself was a major step forward. Youngsters have been encouraged by her success and are now confident that they can follow her footsteps to the world’s best leagues.

The biggest contribution comes by the hand of IMG-Worldwide, who in their partnership with India’s Reliance Industries is hell bent to change the face of the game – IMG-Reliance have been behind every major development for the BFI since 2010.

The NBA continues to put a lot of its time and effort in developing grassroots popularity of the game here: Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Brandon Jennings and George Gervin, to name a few, have carried the message of hoops to this cricket-crazy country over the last year. The NBA has held inner-city recreational leagues in five major cities around the country, and this year, introduced a Junior Skills Challenge to get the kids started early.

And then of course, there are the players themselves. More than ever, young players are taking basketball seriously as a career option and present stars are hopeful that they will one day participate in India’s own National Basketball League. The biggest (in size and potential) hope comes in the size-22 sneakers of Satnam Singh Bhamara, the 15-year-old, 7-2 inch giant with a rare combination of size and skill who is currently a student-athlete at the world-renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL and is, as we called him on SLAMonline, the ‘Big Indian Basketball Hope.’

So yes, we’re ready to welcome the world of Basketball in India, bring it into our households, treat it with the respect that only a guest deserves, and make sure that we feed it until it’s full and then feed it a little more.

Is the world ready to welcome us?

EPL Team Of The Season

Goalkeeper: Joe Hart, Manchester City

Joe Hart took away the starting role from Shay Given between the pipes this season for Manchester City and lead them to a third place finish and qualification in the Champions League. He was the model of consistency in the Premier League. Hart was 1 of only 6 goalies to play all 38 games in the league this season along with Petr Cech of Chelsea, Pepe Reina of Liverpool, Tim Howard of Everton, Brad Friedel of Aston Villa, and Ben Foster of Birmingham City. Among starting goalkeepers, he conceded the least goals in the premier league at home with just 12 in 19 games and he was tied for the premier league low with just 33 goals allowed in 38 games. Hart allowed just 0.87 goals per game, which was tied with Petr Cech as the low in the league. Hart led the Premier League and set a Manchester City single season record with 18 clean sheets. Hart also led the premier league with a save percentage rate of over 75. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini said about his starting goalkeeper, “I think Joe is young and can improve a lot but he can also become one of the top goalkeepers in England history... He can improve a lot in his job because he is a fantastic keeper. He is as good as Cech and Van der Sar. He is younger than them but he can become like them. Joe broke the record for clean sheets and has been a solid rock and, in every important crucial game for us, he has come up with the goods. In the Tottenham game, he made some pretty crucial saves, and in the final against Stoke he made an instrumental save, without which the game could have gone in a different direction.”

Center Back: Nemanja Vidic, Manchester United

In his first year as captain of Manchester United, Vidic led United to a Premier League title. He started all but three games for the champions. Although Vidic was sometimes guilty of committing silly fouls, his toughness led a defense that allowed just 38 goals during the season, which was tied for the 3rd least in the Premier League. He also scored the fifth most goals for United with 5 including a goal against Chelsea off a corner to give United a 2-0 advantage in the game. He was very dangerous off set pieces the entire season. Vidic was named the English Premier League Player of the Year for his importance to the United back four.

Center Back: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City

A huge reason behind Joe Hart's success this season was due to the unbelievable play of his central defender Vincent Kompany. Kompany started 37 of City's 38 Premier League games and was mr. reliable in the back. Roberto Mancini said about his center back, "Vincent can become number one in the world. He has always played at a high level. When he was at Anderlecht and I was at Inter, I wanted to buy him. He was a good player then. He has improved a lot and now is one of the top defenders in Europe. But he can improve even more. Vincent is incredible. He has a fantastic mentality. His attitude has been excellent. Without doubt he has been one of our top players this year." Kompany was awarded the Manchester City Player of the Year for his role in the City back four. Kompany was so good this season fo City that both Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are now interested in buying the defender.

Full Back: Leighton Baines, Everton

The English defender had a great season for Everton with a career high of 5 goals and 11 assists, which was tied for the third most in the Premier League and most among defenders. He played every minute of every game for Everton in the Premier League. Baines was voted the Player of the Season for Everton to top off his unbelievable year. Everton manager David Moyes sai about his left back, "Leighton has had a realy good season.He has played well - been good going forward, created goals, and scored some goals. Where I go people ask me about Leighton Baines. They can see how well he is doing and what a great season he has had." Like Vincent Kompany, Leighton's great season has attracted other clubs such as Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City. Roberto Mancini values Baines so much that he is willing to spend 25 million on the left back. 

Full Back: Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea

This selection is a combination of the lack of star power at the right back position and the quality season that Ivanovic had for the Blues. As always, Ivanovic was very dangerous in set pieces and strong in the air, as he scored 4 goals for Chelsea in the Premier League. The right back was a key component to Chelsea's offense, as he constatly was getting forward into the attack. Ivanovic was also one of the nominations for Chelsea's Player of the Year award. His outstanding season was rewarded with a new five and a half year contact with Chelsea, which will last until the summer of 2016.

Midfield: Rafael Van der Vaart, Tottenham Hotspur

Rafael Van der Vaart nearly went to Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window for 18 million pounds. As the deal collapsed, Van der Vaart fell right into Tottenham's lap for an unbelievably cheap 8 million punds, especially for a world class player like Van der Vaart. Although he missed 10 Premier League games, Van der Vaart still scored 13 goals, had 8 assists, had 113 shots including 41 shots on goal, which all led Tottenham. Van der Vaart had a nack of coming through for Tottenham when they really needed it and always scored the big goal. In Tottenham's second to last game, Van der Vaart scored the opening goal of the game in the 9th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. Luck enough for Spurs,Van der Vaart said he isn't going to leave White Heart Lane, so he can play in the champions league. He said, “I won’t be looking to leave Tottenham to play in the Champions League. I have only been here one year and I have really enjoyed my first year. Of course I want to be playing in the Champions League. Every player is the same. But I don’t want to leave and will see what next season will bring."

Midfield: Luka Modric, Tottenham Hotspur

Modric pulled all the strings and was the playmaker for the Spurs. His stats of just 3 goals and 2 assists don't tell any of the story of how great the Croatian international was for the Spurs. His ability to see the field and pass was unmatched in the Premier League. Like Van der Vaart, Modric always came thorugh when Tottenham needed him. In Tottenham's second to last game, Modric scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute and helped Tottenham secure a spot in the Europa League with a 2-0 victory. He led Tottenham in games played at 32. Harry Redknapp isn't the only coach he believe that Modric was the best player in the Premier League this season. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglsih said, "Jack Wilshere has shown that he is a top-class player. But my personal favorite this season is Luk Modric, a really gifted footballer who, at 25, is going to entertain us for many years ahead."

Midfield: Charlie Adam, Blackpool

Although his side was relegated, Charlie Adam had a fantastic first season in the Premier League. The Blackpool captain was tied for 12th in the Premier League with 12 goals and was tied for 10th in the Premier League with 10 assists. He also led his team in shots with 112 including 35 shots on goal, while missing just 3 Premier League games. Adam did his best to keep Blackpool from being relegated. He scored 3 goals in Blackpool's last 5 games. On May 7th against Tottenham at White Heart Lane, Adam converted on a penalty kick that helped Blackpool stay in contention to stay in the lead with a 1-1 tie on the road. On May 14th against the Bolton Wanderers, he scored the game winner in the 63rd minute in a 4-3 victory. Even on the last game of the season against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Adam scored in the 40th minute to tie the game at 1 before United won 4-2. The speculation can now begin on where Charlie Adam will be next season.

Midfield: Jack Wilshere, Arsenal

The 19 year old midfielder was absolutely fantastic this season in the Premier League.  He showed that he is a complete midfielder who can do nearly everything on the pitch. His combination of speed and quickness with vision and passing made him one of the best players in the Premier League this season. Wilshere's ability to play any position across the midfield allowed Wanger to utilize the full array of Arsenal's skillfull midfielders. His manager Arsene Wanger said about him, "He's a box-to-box player, more than just a holding midfielder. But to be honest, he can play in any position across the midfield. He can play behind the striker because he can penetrate." Wilshere's outstanding play was recognized as he was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year. England boss Fabio Capello said about Wilshere, "... he plays without fear, and with confidence. Also, for somebody so young, he is a leader. It is incredible. I never saw someone so young be a leader on the pitch. It is incredible... As a young player, I think he is at the top, not only in England but Europe and the world."

Striker: Carlos Tevez, Manchester City

Tevez was tied for the Premier League lead with 20 goals this season and Manchester City needed every single one of his goals. Aside from Tevez, no other Manchester City player had more than 8 goals. Tevez scored a third of City's goals during the season. He also led Manchester City with 120 shots including 45 on goal. Only one other Manchester City player had over 50 shots and no City player had more than 20 shots on goal. He was also second on City with 6 assists. Tevez was arguably the most important player to City's third place finish and qualification in Champions League. In the thirty-one games Tevez played in (30 of which he started), City was 18-7-6. In the 7 games Tevez was out, City was just 3-1-3. However, Tevez has recently admitted he wants to make a move away from City to another club during the summer. He said, "I want to leave Manchester City. Football has changed a lot from me and I don't know if I will even make it to the next World Cup. And that has nothing to do with wheather I'm selected or not.... I need a change of scene."

Strike: Javier Hernandez, Manchester United

Hernandez, commonly known as Chicharito, had an outstanding season for the title winners. His paternship with Wayne Rooney up front, led to a league high 78 goals including a league high 49 at home. Hernandez was tied for 6th in the Premier League with 13 goals in only 27 appreances. It is even more impressive that he only played a full 90 minutes in the Premier league 7 times and he only started 15 games. He played his best towards the end of the season. Chicharito scored a huge goal on April 23rd against Everton in the 84th minute, which gave United a 1-0 victory. The huge win point United 6 points clear of Chelsea instead of just 4. His biggest goal of the seaon came within the first minute of United's huge game with Chelsea on May 8th. It gave United a 1-0 lead, which they never surrendered and won the game 2-1 at Old Trafford, which virtually wrapped up the league title.

Nagpur welcomes 24 boys’ and 23 girls’ teams for Basketball’s Youth Nationals

The future of basketball in India will assemble together to compete for the ultimate prize – the Youth Nationals Championship. The 28th National Basketball Championship for Youth (U16) Boys and Girls will be organised by the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) at Nagpur (Maharashtra) from May 26, 2011 – June 2, 2011. The Indoor Stadium in Mankapur in Nagpur will be hosting this championship.

Only players born on or after 1st January 1995 are eligible to participate.
24 boys teams and 23 girls teams from across the country have confirmed their entry into this tournament. The participating squads are:

Boys: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Orissa, Punjab, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

Girls: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Pondicherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal.

“The Youth Nationals will be a great exhibition of the young and upcoming players in the country,” said Mr. Harish Sharma, the CEO of the BFI, said, “These youngsters will become the future superstars of Indian basketball.”

The 27th Youth Nationals, held in Trichy (Tamil Nadu) from June 1-8, 2010, were won by Punjab (Boys) and Kerala (Girls).

Basketball Coaches clinic to be held in Thiruvanathpuram

A special three-day basketball clinic for basketball coaches in the state of Kerala will be held at the Central Stadium in the state's capital of Thiruvanathpuram from June 6-8th. The clinic will be headed by Troy Justice, the Director of Basketball Operations, NBA-India.

Coaches working with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as well as the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) will be able to participate in this clinic. The clinic is also open for interested amateur coaches.

According to the Kerala Basketball Association (KBA) (source: The Hindu):

The release said that Troy has indicated three priorities for the growth of Indian basketball. To ensure the growth of the game throughout the country, provide a focus on the grassroots programme to encourage more kids to play the game and then to train and develop quality coaches and players. The idea, the release further stated, was to hear basketballs bouncing all over the country. Thirty-two boys and girls of the Kerala junior teams will also get the chance to work out with Troy during the three-day clinic.

Troy Justice, who assisted India's Kerala-born superstar Geethu Anna Jose to seal tryouts with three-WNBA squads last month, will be returning to Geethu's state to help the growth of the game.

In an interview with the Deccan Chronicle, Justice added: "NBA has set itself some goals in India. Firstly, we want to build and develop the game of basketball throughout the county. Secondly, we want to do that by focusing on programme at the grassroot level and finally to train and develop coaches and players. I am eager to lend my international experience to this workshop."

Coaches interested in attending the clinic should contact Dr. M.M. Chacko, clinic coordinator, ph: 9446030638 or 0471-2530638.

The World's Most Marketable Athletes

Sports Pro, a British-based sports and sports-business magazine, recently compiled a list of the 50 most marketable athletes in the world. Marketable - mind you, not best - because not only is it difficult to compare athletes in different sports (Leo Messi or LeBron James?) but some of the most talented athletes in the world couldn't sell water to a well (read: Tim Duncan).

Anyways, it is an interesting list, and this is how Sports Pro describes how they got to their conclusions:

The list comprises the 50 athletes deemed by SportsPro to offer value for marketing money if signed today to a long-term global endorsement deal.
As the sports landscape has shifted over the last 12 months, so has the make-up of these unique rankings. Clearly, when evaluating ‘potential’, a degree of subjectivity is involved. Nevertheless, myriad resources were consulted and contacts nigh-on interrogated.
As was the case last year, the list has been designed and compiled to shed light on where the value might lie across the industry, and as a basis for discussion – both a snapshot of the moment and a three-year forecast.

The top ten are:
1. Usain Bolt
2. LeBron James
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
4. Lionel Messi
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Carmelo Anthony
7. Sebastian Vettel
8. Michael Phelps
9. Caroline Wozniacki
10. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Here are some thoughts from the rest of the list, which you can check out in its entirety here:

Usain Bolt is #1 - partly because he's the fastest man on Earth, and partly because his last name is Bolt.

LeBron James was #1 on this list last year - no really, he was. Of course that list was named before he became Public Enemy #1 in the eyes everyone on the planet expect Miami Heat bandwaggoners after his 'Decision'. Still, #2 ain't half-bad.

The most marketable basketball players, in order, are LeBron James (2), Carmelo Anthony (6), Yao Ming (11), Kobe Bryant (13), Dwyane Wade (15), Kevin Durant (30), Deron Williams (48).

Yes, you read that right, Kobe Bryant is 13th - below LeBron, Carmelo, and Yao (!!!). I know Carmelo's Knicks move has been taken into consideration, but then why no Amar'e on this list? Why is Deron Williams there?

Why no Derrick Rose on this list? He plays for formerly the most marketable team ever, right.

Shaq?

I'm surprised Kevin Durant, despite all his talent, made it to 30. Personality-wise, he's about as marketable as white bread.

There are two Indians on the top-50 list, both cricketers: MS Dhoni, at an impressive 10th, and Yuvraj Singh, who just makes the cut at 49.

Which brings me to my next question: Where the zark is Sachin Tendulkar? He's a friggin God, you know? If every second advertisement on television isn't considered good marketing, then I don't know what is. I know he's old, but this guy is going to remain India's sure shot salesmen for everything from Visa cards to chocolate milk for the next three decades, at least.

What is most impressive that is the variety in the top 50 - 18 different sports are represented, including 7 racing drivers, 7 NBA players, and 6 football players.

Wow, racing car drivers are popular.

Ronaldo and Messi remain virtually inseparable - whether in talent, output in goals, league standings, and now, marketability.

I wasn't exactly sure why tennis star Caroline Wozniacki is so marketable, but then I saw this and I shut my mouth.

In addition, Sports Pro is doing a poll of the world's most marketable retired athletes too, a list that is headlined by Michael Jordan and Zinedine Zidane

Men's Notable French Open First Round Matches

1. Rafael Nadal vs John Isner: John Isner has really struggled this season. He began the season ranked inside the top 20 at number 19 in the world but has now fallen to 39 because of a rough 5 months to start the season. He is just 9-12 this year. Isner is not at all a clay court specialist and is much better on hard courts. John is just 3-5 on clay courts this season and hasn't reached the semifinals of any clay court tournament. Isner has never made it past the 3rd round at the French Open. However, his big serve and ability to hit the big forehand makes him somewhat of a threat to Nadal even if he is really struggling and has never been to good on clay. Nadal said about playing Isner, "He's one of these players that you prefer not to have to have in the first round. His style of game is dangerous. His serve is unbelievable. He can be dangerous... I have to be very focused with my serve."

24. Sam Querrey vs Philipp Kohlschreiber: Philipp Kohlschreiber has always played very well at Roland Garros and he is very good on clay. In 2009, Kohlschreiber beat Novak Djokovic in the third round of the French Open 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 before he was knocked out in the round of 16. On the other hand, Sam Querrey has really struggled on clay. This season he is just 1-3 on clay courts and his only win came because Kevin Anderson had to retire after one set. Sam said about his early season struggles, "Even though I haven't had great results this year, my game feels really good and I actually feel confident. I have been hitting the ball as well as I have ever hit it and I am working really hard. I just need one little spaek to get going... Everyone has their ups and downs aside from gus like Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal], who are pretty consistent at the top. But I think I'm just a bit og a cycle and can turn it around pretty qucikly." Querrey has especially struggled at Roland Garros. He has never made it out of the first round and is 0-4 at the French Open in his career. Querrey said about his struggles at the French Open, "I have never won a match at the French, so the goal is to win one match. That is all I am really focusing on right now. I can't afford to look beyond that... Sometimes in sports you make runs out of nowhere. It would be great to do that here [at the Fench Open] and prove everything wrong." Thus, this matchup is so intriguing and could definitely be a possible upset because Kohlschreiber plays so well on clay and Querrey struggles so much on clay especially at Roland Garros.

3. Roger Federer vs Feliciano Lopez: Rafael Nadal is not the only highly seeded player who has a difficult first round match. Roger Federer will have a tricky match with the Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. In fact, Lopez and Federer played a great match early this month in the 2nd round of Madrid that lasted nearly three hours. Federer won the extremely tight match, where all three sets went into tiebreakers, 7-6 (15-13), 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (9-7). Federer even had to save a match point during the third set tiebreak. Although Federer has never lost to Lopez and is 0-8, Lopez looks like a different player in 2011. Lopez has had a terrific season especially on clay as he made it to the quarterfinals of Bareclemona and the finals of the Serbia Open before he lost to Djokovic. Although most people believe that Federer will advance out of the first round, Lopez will be a tricky opponent especially if he is playing well.

Lleyton Hewitt vs Albert Montanes: This is by far the most intriguing matchup of two guys who aren't seeded in the French Open. Lleyton Hewitt hasn't played since he lost to Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round of Indian Wells due to a foot injury. However, as always you can expect the Aussie to fight, scrap, and crawl for every point like he always does. His coach Tony Roche said about Hewitt playing through the pain at Roland Garros, "I think he's used to that. Look, he'd be the toughest competitor that I've ever seen. He's had a lot of setbacks over the last couple of years but he keeps bouncing back... It's his first tournament back fom his operation. It's a big ask, but he could do it... Lleyton is still as keen as ever. He feels in the grand slams, given the right opportunity, that he can still be competitive with the top guys." The other side of this matchup is the Spaniard Albert Montanes. He is a clay court specialist, as his 4 runner-ups and 5 tournament victories, have been all on clay courts. His only winning record at a major is at the French Open. He has made it to the third round of the French Open 5 times. However, this season Montanes has just not been good on the clay. He is 6-7 in 13 matches on clay this season and his ranking has dropped from 25 at the beginning of the season to 37. 

13. Richard Gasquet vs Radek Stepanek: Richard Gasquet has looked absolutely fantastic this season. He began the season ranked 30 in the world and has moved up 16 spots to number 14. At Rome, Gasquet had a great tournament. He beat Roger Federer in the third round 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-4). Gasquet beat Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 before his great tournamnet ended with a loss to Rafael Nadal 5-7, 1-6. He showed his new found toughness and grit by coming back to beat both Federer and Berdych after dropping highly contested first sets in both matches. Gasquet showed his maturity, which he failed to show when he was younger and has shown his resolve and determination to fight for every point. His change of attitude makes him look like a real contender to make a deep run at Roland Garros as long as he can first get by the old veteran Radek Stepanek. Stepanek was ranked in the top 20 just last year but has fallen to 57 in the world now. However, he has begun to show his 2010 form, which should be dangerous for Gasquet. He beat Marcos Baghdatis at Monte Carlo in the first round and made it to the semifinals of Munich on clay.

25. Juan Martin Del Potro vs Ivo Karlovic: Juan Martin Del Porto is 6'6. Ivo Karlovic is 6'10. These two guys are huge and their first round match at the French Open should have huge serves and hitting from both guys. Although Del Potro hits the ball very hard and flat, he is also very good on the dirt. In 2009, he made it to the French Open semifinals. Del Potro has been working himself back into shape and tennis form this season after a 9 month break due to a wrist surgery. Del Potro has played pretty well since his return. He has won 2 tournaments and has beaten 5 players in the top 20 including Robin Soderling in straight sets twice, Fernando Verdasco, Mikhali Youzhny, and Marin Cilic. Karlovic and Del Portro aren't very familiar with each other either, as their only meeting was on grass four years ago. Both of these guys are great servers. Karlovic ranks 1st in 1st serve points won at 80%, service game won at 91%, and break points saved at 73%. He also ranks 2nd in aces with 357. Del Potro is a pretty god returner. He rankes tied for 2nd with Novak Djokovic and only behind Andy Murray in break points converted at 50%. Del Potro isn't too bad serving himself either. He rankes 6th in service games won at 87%, 5th in break points saved at 68%, and 5th in 2nd seve points won at 55%. It should be a great match especially if Karlovic can serve well and stay in the match.