Q&A: Steve Smith – “Basketball in India is moving into a positive direction”

If you followed NBA basketball closely in the 90s, there is little chance that you would’ve missed the great Steve Smith. Boasting a buttery-smooth jump shot, a hunger for racking up points, and a winner’s mentality, Smith enjoyed a successful pro basketball career, highlighted by an NBA championship (2003), a FIBA World Championship (1994), and an Olympic gold medal (2000).

Currently, Smith serves as a studio analyst for NBA TV. He appears on NBA GameTime, a live studio show featuring highlights, analysis, commentary and live look-ins at games being played across the league.

Smith has been in India for the last few days, as a special guest to help inaugurate NBA Jam, which is NBA-India’s ‘travelling basketball festival’, at the Ambiance Mall in Gurgaon on Saturday, September 10. In addition, Smith took part in a different type of interactive basketball programme earlier, as he spent Thursday and Friday morning working with India’s U16 National select teams, who are currently in camp at the Indira Gandhi stadium in New Delhi.

I spoke to Smith on Saturday about his time in India, his experience of working with the Indian youngsters, and the future of the NBA globally:

Hoopistani: Is this your first time in India? How has your experience been so far?

Smith: Yes it is my first time here and I’ve been enjoying it a lot, especially the time that I spent working with the U16 teams.

Hoopistani: Describe your experience with the U16 sides? What drills did you work on? Anything in specific that you shared with them?

Smith: It was great: I worked with the U16 boys side on Thursday and Friday, and with the girls just on Friday. It was a good chance for me to spend time teaching them some drills. The kids are very passionate about the game of basketball.

We did a lot of drills: I even played a game in one of the boys’ teams. For the girls, I helped coach a side for a practice game.

The drills that we practiced included perfecting different kind of shots and jump-shots, and specifically, we worked on getting their balance right. The U16 coaches wanted my help in many other specific situations, for example, in setting up good out-of-bound plays. We touched on several other drills, such as rebounding, defense, and dribbling.

The best part was that the kids were asking me a lot of questions and had a genuine desire to improve their game. I was very impressed by their interest in the game.

Hoopistani: You’ve trained the future players, the under-16s of India: What do you feel about the future of basketball in the country?

Smith: I think the future of the game is in great hands. Basketball in India is moving in a positive direction. I have met some passionate coaches who want to learn and help improve the level of play in the young players here.

Hoopistani: How do you think that programmes like the NBA Jam will help promote the NBA here?

Smith: The NBA Jam is going to be fantastic: I call it a basketball arcade. It will have many interactive events to engage fans of the game and get them enthusiastic about NBA and about basketball. It will be great fun, especially for the kids who attend and learn more about the NBA.

Hoopistani: The NBA has been heavily involved in promoting the game over the past few years. What are its future plans in India?

Smith: Well, I think the NBA is going to continue doing the things it is already doing: bringing in more players here into India, holding more events such as the Mahindra NBA Challenge. We want to see the game succeed here, and so we will keep increasing our efforts of bringing the game into this country.

Hoopistani: The NBA has now become a global league – international players are having starring roles and the league has reached out to fans across the globe. What will be the next step in continuing to grow the league internationally?

Smith: I think the next step will probably be in having an NBA team in another part of the world or in further promoting NBA teams to more places around the world. The NBA has indeed helped in making basketball a global game – and we will keep striving to take it into more and more countries.

Hoopistani: And the golden question of the day: When will the NBA return again? When will the lockout end?

Smith: If I had an answer to that then I’d be a very rich man!

But really, it seems like things are heading in the right steps. The two sides are meeting each other often now and everyone is working on making sure that the season starts on time.

NBA Jam to tip off in India for third consecutive year

NBA-India Press Release, Delhi: The NBA is launching its largest fan event ever in India when NBA Jam tips off in Gurgaon (NCR) on September 10. The traveling interactive basketball festival will bring the sights and sounds of the NBA to high traffic malls across India as part of the league’s commitment to grow the sport and its fan base in the country.

The programme, returning for the third consecutive year, has expanded and will visit five malls in four cities and feature more basketball activities and celebrity appearances and fan prizes than ever before.

Former NBA Champion Steve Smith will appear in Gurgaon at the Ambience Mall on September 10-11 to tip off the tour, which will also travel to malls in Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. Smith will interact with fans by providing basketball tips and signing autographs. As part of his trip, Smith will also train with India’s Youth Men’s National Team at Indira Gandhi Stadium and make various appearances for NBA Jam partners.

Smith, who currently serves as a studio analyst for NBA TV, was an NBA All-Star in 1998, won an NBA championship with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, and was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team that won a gold medal in Sydney, Australia.

“Basketball is a global game and I am very excited for my first trip to India to join the NBA’s efforts to grow the sport,” said Smith. “NBA Jam is going to be a great event that will provide fans across India with a unique opportunity to experience the NBA.”

NBA Jam will transport fans to the floor of an NBA arena on Center Court, which will host exciting skill competitions such as the HP Free Throw Contest, and the adidas Shootout. Fans can also test their basketball knowledge during NBA trivia games.

The tour will feature the first-ever Sprite NBA 3-on-3 tournament in India in each city for players 16 to 21. Winning teams from each city will earn an all-expense paid trip to Mumbai to compete in the Sprite NBA 3-on-3 National Championship Finals on Oct. 8-9 at the Phoenix Mills Mall. The National Champions will receive NBA prizes.

Sprite will also conduct its first-ever NBA promotion in India which will launch in conjunction with NBA Jam and will include a grand prize all-expense paid trip to the United States for five lucky winners. The ‘Sprite NBA Basket Blast’ promotion will provide fans that purchase a Sprite at participating outlets from the middle of September to middle of October an opportunity to win a trip to New York to visit the city’s landmarks and tour NBA headquarters.

Here is the schedule for the 3rd NBA Jam:

Gurgaon: Sept. 10-11 Ambience Mall

Delhi: Sept. 17-18 Select City Walk

Bangalore: Sept. 24-25 Forum Mall

Chennai: Oct. 1-2 Express Avenue Mall

Mumbai: Oct. 8-9 Phoenix Mills Mall

Former NBA champ Steve Smith to launch NBA Jam in India

Steve Smith, the former NBA champ will be visiting India to launch the 3rd 'NBA Jam'. Smith, who had a fairly productive career in the 1990s, which included an All Star appearance in 1998 and winning a championship in his ageing years with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003.



His years with the Miami Heat (1991-1995) and the Hawks (1994-99) were probably the most productive individually of his career (he averaged above 20 ppg three times in this stretch), and the stint with the Spurs was his high-point for team success, but I remember Smith mostly for his contribution to the Portland Traiblazers, for whom he played just 2 seasons from 1999-2001, but left some indelible memories.



That Blazers team will go down in history as one of the greatest to NOT win an NBA championship. In 2000, Portland boasted a team with Damon Stoudamire, Steve Smith, Scottie Pippen, Rasheed Wallace, and Arvydas Sabonis in the starting lineup, and Bonzi Wells, Detlef Schrempf, Brian Grant, Jermaine O'Neal, and Greg Anthony off the bench. Averaging 14.9 ppg, Smith was the 2nd leading scorer in this balanced squad. This team banded together to give the LA Lakers one of the most classic Conference Finals of all time, and on of the best NBA games ever. With the series tied 3-3, the Blazers blew a 15 point lead in the fourth quarter and watched the Lakers reach the NBA finals, and eventually become champions for the first time in the Shaq-Kobe era.



Smith did get his ring though, with the Tim Duncan-led Spurs three years later. A specialised shooter, he played his role of the bench to help the team succeed.



Since retirement, Smith has worked in broadcasting, both for the Atlanta Hawks and for NBA TV.



Smith will be launching the NBA Jam on September 10-11 at the Ambiance Mall in Gurgaon. From NBA.com/India

NBA JAM India is a four-city, five-week free interactive basketball experience, which captures the excitement of the NBA through basketball activities, entertainment acts, and off-court events. The opening event will take place on September 10 & 11 and then travel to five malls across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore.



NBA Legend Steve Smith will launch the event in Delhi, interacting with the fans and spectators at the event and making various marketing appearances during his time in India.



At NBA Jam, fans are transported to the floor of an NBA arena on Center Court, which hosts exciting skill competitions and shooting contests. The highlight activity of NBA Jam will be the Sprite 3x3 tournament which will run daily at each NBA Jam stop.

Dwight Howard in India: “Basketball brings people together.”

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When asked what India can do to help the growth of basketball, Dwight Howard, Centre for the Orlando Magic, had very simple advice:

“Just pick up a ball and play. Basketball is such a fun sport – the more people play it, the more they will realise how great it is.”

Over the last few days, Howard has been bringing his message of the joys of basketball to India, visiting Bangalore and New Delhi in his tour. India is a country that sorely lacks modern sport infrastructure and facilities, but Howard believes that this shouldn’t deter young players from working on improving their athletic ability.

“I started playing this game when I was just three years old,” Howard said, “Growing up, I didn’t have the best conditions and facilities around me. And I wasn’t always this tall – I worked at this game every single day to get to this level.”

He added: “Inevitably, the game is more about heart and mental strength.”

The player nicknamed ‘Superman’ due to his Slam Dunk competition theatrics said that the most important thing for Indian players hoping to make the NBA is to keep training all the time. “Train in the off-season, train when you don’t have any games, just keep working every single day to improve. That is the best way to stay in shape.”

Upon his arrival in India at Bangalore on August 10th, Howard soon headed to the Sri Kanteerava Stadium where he turned coach, working with several members of the Indian Senior Men’s team. Players such as Sambhaji Kadam, Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Prakash Mishra, Jayaram, Harpal Veghala, Hirendra Singh, and Somvir Chahal got an opportunity to get some tips from Howard.

The Indian team, also known as the ‘Young Cagers’, are currently preparing for the Asian Games, set to be held in China in November. He worked with the team on several drills, screen-and-rolls, and post-up plays. But Howard’s focus remained of defence, as he stressed on the important of defensive positioning to the players.

Howard should know – he is the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, having won the award for the second year in a row. His broad shoulders carry with him several accolades, including four all All-Star, three time All-NBA first team, and most entertainingly, the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Champion.

But there are two moments that he cherishes over all else – the gold medal that he won in the Beijing Olympics while representing the US basketball team, and his appearance in the NBA Finals last year, where the Magic lost 4-1 to the Lakers. “We lost, but people should know how difficult it is to get to the NBA Finals. That accomplishment showed the togetherness and the strong self believe that we all had.”

Howard worked with the Indian team for another day, and also taught some drills to young players taking part in the NBA-Mahindra Challenge in Bangalore. He then came to New Delhi to tip off NBA’s travelling interactive fan event, the NBA Jam, at the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon on August 13th.

A horde of fans followed Howard to the mall to catch a glimpse of their favourite star, and he didn’t disappoint. The mall was covered with fans in Orlando Magic jerseys and ‘Superman’ T-Shirts. A makeshift basketball court was installed in the ground floor of the mall, surrounded by many other hoops, NBA merchandise stalls, video games, and other interactive goodies to present a gala NBA event in India like never before.

Finally, to rousing cheers of ‘Superman’, Howard made his way out to greet the eager crowd. “It was my dream to visit India, and I’m very happy that it has been accomplished,” he said. Howard, whose hometown is Atlanta in the US, says that he felt extremely privileged to go to places such as China and India and continue spreading the message of basketball to people. “I have come a long way, thanks to hard work and the blessing of God,” he said.

“Basketball is a very lively sport – it is my sanctuary – I love to put a smile on people’s faces through the game. I encourage people in India to pick it up too because it has the power of bringing people together.”

Along with the Troy Justice, the NBA’s Director of Basketball Operations in India, Howard took the court where he taught shooting and defensive drills to a crowd of eager youngsters. Chants of “We want dunks!” quickly began to raise, and Howard finally obliged them by slamming one down the basket.

Howard has raised fan interest for the NBA Jam event, which is set to be held in Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai over the next month.

Additionally, this event also marks nearly four years of the relationship between NBA and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). Harish Sharma, the Secretary-General of the BFI, was all praises for Howard. "He's 'Superman' both in his game, but also in his heart," Sharma said, "I hope his visit here encourages NBA to continue investing in their work in India and help us in making basketball the second biggest sport in the country."

Howard’s journey will continue in India for one more day, as he continues to take part in the NBA Jam activities on Saturday. He is slated to make one more visit to China before returning to Orlando for another season of NBA basketball that is slated to begin in the end of October. “We have to continue improving as a team, because every other team in the NBA has become stronger.” He further added that his own personal improvement will be more to do with his mental game. “As I get older and more experienced, I need my game to reflect that experience.”

Until then, he can leave India satisfied, discovering not only that he has eager fans thousands of miles away from home, but that he has been able to get through his simple yet important message across to them: Go out and play!

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Dwight Howard to hold clinics in Bangalore, visit Delhi

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A little over a month ago, Troy Justice, the NBA's director of basketball operations in India, had promised Indian fans that he will be revealing some "big news" soon.

Few expected the "big" part to be this literal. As literal as a 6 foot 11 dominating NBA giant. The news is finally out - Dwight Howard will be coming to India from the 10th-14th of August. NBA-India sent out a release today confirming this news. Howard will be participating in a series of events in Bangalore and Delhi to further the growth of basketball in India.

“The game of basketball has been so good to me and I am excited to go to India on behalf of the NBA,” said Howard. “Basketball is a global game and I love that the NBA is bringing the fun and excitement to fans around the world and introducing young athletes to the sport.”

By the way, in another interview earlier, the player known as 'D12' and 'Superman' had said that "I've always wanted to go because I'm in love with tigers!"

Among his activities in India, Howard will train with India’s Senior Men’s National Basketball Team; conduct coaching and player clinics for Mahindra NBA Challenge participants, the NBA’s first community league in India; launch NBA Jam, an interactive fan basketball event; and attend the launch of the first two NBA shops opening within adidas stores in Bangalore and Delhi.

The players of the Indian Men's National team, the Young Cagers, will have the chance to train with Dwight Howard and learn some moves from him on August 10-11 at the Sri Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore. This will help them prepare for the 16th Asian Games which takes place in China this November.

Howard will also make an appearance during the Mahindra-NBA Challenge in Bangalore, where he will meet participants and conduct basketball clinics for players and coaches on August 11th.

Howard will then come to New Delhi - on August 13th, he will be at the Ambience Mall in Gurgaon to launch the second consecutive NBA Jam, which is a traveling fan event in India that features interactive basketball activities. He will meet fans in Delhi and teach fundamental basketball skills to the youth.

“Dwight is extremely talented and charismatic and his presence at the Mahindra NBA Challenge and all the events will provide great inspiration to young basketball players in India,” said NBA President of International Heidi Ueberroth. “Bringing top players like Dwight to communities in India is an important part of the NBA’s overall efforts to teach the game of basketball and increase participation in the country.”

Howard was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and he led his team to The Finals at the end of the 2008-09 season. He has won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award two seasons in a row and was a member of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He earned the nickname “Superman” for his performance during the Sprite Slam Dunk contest at NBA All-Star 2008.

Stay tuned - Hoopistani is going to have a lot more material during this BIG visit.

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