Satnam Singh

Last updated

Satnam Singh
Satnam Singh FULL GEAR 2023 11 18 005 (cropped).jpg
Singh in 2023
Personal information
Born (1995-12-10) 10 December 1995 (age 29)
Baloke, Punjab, India
Listed height7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) [1]
Listed weight400 lb (181 kg)
Career information
High school Antariksha Academy (Bradenton, Florida)
NBA draft 2015: 2nd round, 52nd overall pick
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks
Playing career2015–2019
Position Center
Career history
2015–2017 Texas Legends
2018–2019 St. John's Edge
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Satnam Singh Bhamara (born 10 December 1995) is an Indian professional wrestler and former professional basketball player. As a wrestler, he has been signed to the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since 2021. He also makes appearances for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where he is one-half of the current AAA World Tag Team Champions (with Raj Dhesi) in their first reign. He became the first Indian player to be drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) when the Dallas Mavericks selected him with the 52nd overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft. At 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) [2] and 400 pounds (180 kg), [3] Singh played the center position. He played high school basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Contents

Early life

Singh was born on 10 December 1995, to Balbir Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur in Balloke, a small, remote village located in the state of Punjab. [4] [5] Both Singh's father, who played basketball due to his exceptional height, and his paternal grandfather were wheat farmers and millers. He grew up with two siblings, sister Sarabjot Kaur and brother Beant Singh Bhamara [5] [6]

When he was nine years old, Singh stood 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m), taller than most people in his village. [5] His father helped introduce him to basketball and mounted a hoop in a dirt courtyard near his house. By local spectators, Singh was nicknamed "Chhotu," meaning "little one" in Punjabi, as his rapid physical growth made the basketball seem to shrink in his hands over time. Singh soon saw great success in youth leagues in his state. [6]

At age 10, he enrolled at Ludhiana Basketball Academy in Ludhiana, Punjab, with the help of his father's friend Rajinder Singh. [5] [6] At the academy, Singh first learned many basketball skills and drills. [4] At age 14, Singh stood 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m), weighed 230 pounds (104 kg), and wore size-18 shoes. [6] As he was further exposed to professional basketball, including the NBA, he began idolizing Kobe Bryant and modeling his game after Yao Ming and Dwight Howard. [6]

High school basketball career

In early 2010, it was announced that the global sports marketing business IMG was partnering with Reliance Industries, the largest corporation in India, to form a new company known as IMG Reliance (IMGR). They formed a new sports and entertainment marketing company and made their first move by signing a 30-year contract with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The decision was an attempt at improving the facilities and leagues in the country and they started allowing athletes to attend the Bradenton-based IMG Academy on a full scholarship. [6]

Singh led the Punjab state youth team to a national championship in June 2010, leading the BFI to choose him to play at an NBA Basketball Without Borders camp in Singapore. The BFI's head coach, Harish Sharma, had him play against members of the Indian national team, and he managed to compete with them. Sharma recommended Singh for IMGR to consider him for a scholarship, but at 14 years of age, he was too old. Sharma said, "This boy, you will want to see. I've told people many times, he can become India's Yao Ming." [6] Troy Justice, who directed basketball operations for the NBA in India, also visited Punjab and discovered Singh at the NBA Mahindra Challenge. [4] He said, "First time I saw him play, he was wearing shoes that were falling apart. The seams had split, and he was coming right out of them. That's all he had. He was growing so fast. We helped him get shoes. I've heard people talk, but we're not sure they know how big he'll get." [4] Justice had confidence in him, however, saying, "He can be the chosen one for basketball in India." [6]

Nevertheless, Singh was later awarded a scholarship under the IMGR basketball training academy and shifted to Bradenton, Florida in September 2010. Despite knowing no English at the time, he was one of 29 student-athletes—male and female combined—to be selected to train at IMG Academy. [4] [6] During the 2014–15 season, he averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in less than 20 minutes per game for IMG, the No. 2 ranked team in the country. [7] However, due to his poor English and lack of American citizenship, Singh was ineligible for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). [8]

Professional basketball career

In April 2015, Singh was announced as an early entrant for the 2015 NBA draft. [9] At the draft on 25 June 2015, he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd overall pick, becoming the first Indian-born player to be drafted into the NBA. [10] Earlier he was interviewed by the Houston Rockets. The story of his interview by Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets is recounted in detail by Michael Lewis in his book The Undoing Project. [11] Singh also became the first player since the 2005 draft to enter without playing in college, overseas professionally, or in the NBA Development League. [12] On 8 July 2019, his draft rights were traded alongside two second round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a sign and trade for Delon Wright. [13]

Texas Legends (2015–2017)

In July 2015, Singh joined the Mavericks for the 2015 NBA Summer League. [14] On 31 October 2015, he was acquired by the Texas Legends, the D-League affiliate of the Mavericks. [15] On 13 November 2015, he made his professional debut in a 104–82 loss to the Austin Spurs, recording four points, three rebounds and one assist in nine minutes. [16] On 5 February 2016, he had a season-best game with six points and six rebounds in 22 minutes of action as a starter in a 136–80 loss to Raptors 905. [17] He appeared in 19 games (two starts) for the Legends during the 2015–16 season, averaging 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8 minutes per game. [18]

On 30 October 2016, Singh was re-acquired by the Legends. [19] After playing for the Legends during the 2016–17 season, he joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2017 NBA Summer League. [20] In January 2017, he featured in a one-hour documentary on Netflix, titled "One in a Billion," which covered his background and path to the NBA. [21]

On 3 November 2017, Singh signed a contract with the UBA Pro Basketball League in India. [22] In January 2018, he took part in the UBA US Pro Performance Camp in Phoenix, Arizona. [23]

St. John's Edge (2018–2019)

On 6 September 2018, Singh signed with the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada. [24] His arrival to the team's training camp was delayed by visa issues, which were settled after he contacted Canadian and Indian government officials through Twitter. [25]

National team career

Singh (left side) with the Indian national team in 2013 Satnam Singh Bhamara.jpg
Singh (left side) with the Indian national team in 2013

In the summer of 2009, when he was 13 years old, Singh played for the Indian national under-16 basketball team at the 2009 FIBA Asia Under-16 Championship hosted by Johor Bahru, Malaysia. [6] He averaged 1.5 points per game in limited minutes, as his team finished in 10th place. [6] [26] Singh debuted for the senior Indian national team at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China, where he averaged 2.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. [27] At the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, he received more playing time, averaging 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds for India. [28] Singh returned to his national team for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon. [29] However, he struggled to keep up with the pace and only played about eight minutes per game during the tournament. [30] Singh averaged just one point and 0.7 rebounds through three games. [31] In 2017 and 2018, he joined India at 2019 FIBA World Cup qualification, assuming a leading role due to the absences of multiple key players. [32] In 2020, Singh was handed a two-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) disciplinary panel for failing a dope test. [33]

Professional wrestling career

Singh [rear] alongside Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal in October 2023. Jaylethal2023inKC.jpg
Singh [rear] alongside Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal in October 2023.

On 23 September 2021, he was signed by All Elite Wrestling. [34] He made his televised debut on the 13 April 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite , where he attacked Samoa Joe and aligned himself with Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt. [35] On 17 August 2024, Singh teamed with Raj Dhesi (formally known as Jinder Mahal in WWE) at the Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide event, Triplemanía XXXII: Mexico City , where they competed in a three-way tag team match for the AAA World Tag Team Championship, which they won, marking Singh's first title win in his career.

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirk Nowitzki</span> German basketball player (born 1978)

Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is considered by many to be the greatest European player of all time. In 2021, he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 2023, Nowitzki was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goran Dragić</span> Slovenian basketball player (born 1986)

Goran Dragić is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Dragon", he played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering the NBA in 2008. Dragić also played for the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks. He was an All-NBA Third Team selection and the NBA Most Improved Player with the Suns in 2014. He was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2018 with Miami. He led the senior Slovenian national team to its first FIBA EuroBasket title in 2017, while being named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India men's national basketball team</span>

The India men's national basketball team represents India in international men's basketball. It is controlled by the Basketball Federation of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Curry</span> American basketball player (born 1990)

Seth Adham Curry is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one year at Liberty University before transferring to Duke. He is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry and the younger brother of NBA player Stephen Curry. He currently ranks eighth in NBA history in career three-point field goal percentage.

In India, basketball is a popular sport with a multiple club league system, as well as state and national teams. Indian basketball made significant improvements, most notably in 2015, making them one of the top emerging continental teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boban Marjanović</span> Serbian basketball player (born 1988)

Boban Marjanović is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He also represents the Serbian national team in international competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bismack Biyombo</span> Congolese basketball player (born 1992)

Bismack Biyombo Sumba is a Congolese professional basketball player who last played for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings and subsequently traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Biyombo has also played for the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Wiggins</span> Canadian basketball player (born 1995)

Andrew Christian Wiggins is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers after one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Ray Parks Jr.</span> Filipino-American basketball player

Bobby Ray Barbosa Parks Jr. is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who last played for Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese B.League. A 6'4" guard, he played college basketball for the NU Bulldogs for three years before declaring for the NBA draft in 2015 where he went undrafted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwight Powell</span> Canadian basketball player (born 1991)

Dwight Harlan Powell is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal and is a member of the Canadian national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amjyot Singh</span> Indian professional basketball player (born 1992)

Amjyot Singh Gill is an Indian professional basketball player. He has previously played for the Tokyo Excellence of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) and the Delhi Capitals of the UBA Pro Basketball League. He and Amritpal Singh became the first Indian male to sign a professional basketball contract abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaiah Hartenstein</span> German-American basketball player (born 1998)

Isaiah Hartenstein is a German-American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has played for the Germany men's national basketball team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UBA Pro Basketball League</span>

The United Basketball Alliance (UBA) was the first men’s professional basketball league in India, comprising eight teams. The UBA was headquartered in Pune and had a city team, Pune Peshwas. The first UBA match was played on 17 July 2015 at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad between Bengaluru Beast and Pune Peshwas. The match was won by Pune Peshwas as they pulled out an 88-81 win. This marked the first time a professional basketball league tipped off in India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rui Hachimura</span> Japanese-Beninese basketball player (born 1998)

Rui Hachimura is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and has played for the Japan national team. He plays both the small forward and power forward positions. After being selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yadwinder Singh</span> Indian basketball player

Yadwinder "Yadu" Singh is an Indian professional basketball player. He currently plays for Haryana Gold of India's UBA Pro Basketball League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anfernee Simons</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Anfernee Tyrik Simons is an American professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played prep basketball for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He became the first American to enter and be selected in an NBA draft directly after graduating from high school since the league first implemented age restriction rules in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Green (basketball)</span> American-Australian basketball player (born 2000)

Joshua Benjamin Green is an Australian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremiah Robinson-Earl</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Jeremiah Christian Robinson-Earl is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Bediako</span> Canadian basketball player (born 2002)

Charles A. Bediako Jr. is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

References

  1. ↑ "Satnam Singh, Basketball Player". Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Satnam Singh AEW | News, Rumors, Picture & Biography | Sportskeeda AEW". Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  3. ↑ "Satnam Singh Bhamara". ESPN. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "NBA Awaits Satnam From India, So Big and Athletic at 14". AOL News . 10 November 2010. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Najar, Nida (29 July 2015). "N.B.A. Pick From India Makes Entire Village Feel 7 Feet Tall". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Winegardner, Mark (26 June 2015). "The Mavericks' Satnam Singh becomes NBA's first Indian-born player". ESPN . Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Mahoney, Rob. (2015-04-21) Indian prodigy Satnam Singh Bhamara exploring NBA draft Archived 5 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine . Si.com. Retrieved on 2015-10-16.
  8. ↑ Judge, Shahid (24 April 2015). "With college dream fast fading, Satnam Singh Bhamara hopes to take draft route to NBA". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "NBA announces early entry candidates for 2015 Draft". National Basketball Association. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  10. ↑ Bengali, Shashank (26 June 2015). "Mavericks draft Satnam Singh, the NBA's first Indian-born player". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  11. ↑ M.), Lewis, Michael (Michael, The undoing project : a friendship that changed our minds, ISBN   978-0-221-07107-2, OCLC   1158019461 , retrieved 30 June 2022{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Sherman, Rodger (26 June 2015). "Everything you need to know about Satnam Singh, the NBA Draft's most fascinating prospect". SB Nation. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Sefko, Eddie (8 July 2019). "Mavericks make it official, acquiring veteran guard Delon Wright". Mavs.com. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "MAVERICKS ANNOUNCE 2015 SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER AND SCHEDULE". Mavs.com. 6 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Legends Complete Two Trades, Announce 2015-16 Training Camp Roster". OurSportsCentral.com. 31 October 2015. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Cotton, Spurs Rout Legends as Satnam Singh Debuts". NBA.com. 13 November 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "Sim Bhullar and Satnam Singh Square Off in Historic Meeting". NBA.com. 5 February 2016. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Satnam Singh G-League Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  19. ↑ Wynn, Britney (30 October 2016). "Legends Announce Training Camp Roster". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  20. ↑ Sohi, Seerat (14 July 2017). "At NBA summer league, Satnam Singh is still fighting for his chance". ESPN. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  21. ↑ Joseph, Adi (16 January 2017). "'One in a Billion' captures Satnam Singh's journey, leaves future of India Basketball open". Sporting News . Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  22. ↑ "UBA Signs Satnam Singh, first Indian National drafted into the NBA". UBA Pro Basketball League. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  23. ↑ "Satnam Singh- Raising their Game: UBA US Pro Performance Camp". SportsKeeda. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  24. ↑ "Edge Sign Satnam Singh". St. John's Edge. 6 September 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  25. ↑ "St. John's Edge centre Singh to join team after visa issues". CBC. 30 October 2018. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  26. ↑ "Satnan Singh Bhamara's profile - 2009 FIBA Asia U16 Championship for Men". FIBA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  27. ↑ "Satnam Singh Bhamara's profile - 2011 Asia Championship". FIBA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  28. ↑ "Satnam Singh Bhamara's profile - 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for Men". FIBA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  29. ↑ "Satnam Singh to make big difference for India according to Sharma". FIBA. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  30. ↑ Madhok, Karan (22 August 2017). "Breakdown in Beirut: What went wrong for Indian men's basketball team at FIBA Asia Cup?". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 16 April 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  31. ↑ "Satnam Singh Bhamara's profile - 2017 FIBA Asia Cup". FIBA. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  32. ↑ "India's Satnam Singh: We are a different team now". FIBA. 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  33. ↑ Hentschel, Sergio (20 December 2020). "Indian basketball star Satnam Singh gets two-year doping ban from NADA". ESPN. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  34. ↑ "AEW Sign 7'3" NBA Draftee Satnam Singh". WhatCulture. 23 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  35. ↑ Lambert, Jeremy (13 April 2022). "Satnam Singh Makes AEW Debut On 4/13 AEW Dynamite, Aligns With Jay Lethal And Sonjay Dutt". Fightful. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  36. ↑ Pulido, Luis (17 August 2024). "Raj Dhesi And Satnam Singh Win AAA Tag Team Titles At AAA TripleMania 32 CDMX". Fightful. Archived from the original on 18 August 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.