NBA Champion Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to support the continued growth of basketball in the country and coach the country’s top prospects at the NBA Academy in India.
Durant, the 2017 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, will donate two new basketball courts as part of an initiative by the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation.
Before arriving in India, Durant had said in a statement:
I’m excited to travel to India to help promote the game of basketball and meet the prospects at the NBA Academy India. I’ve wanted to visit India since a long time, and I can’t wait to experience the country’s unique culture and share my knowledge with the kids thereKevin Durant
Durant, a 6 feet 9 inch forward from the University of Texas, was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2007 NBA Draft.
An eight-time NBA All-Star and the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player, Durant averaged 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game during the 2016-17 NBA season while leading the Golden State Warriors to the franchise's fifth NBA Championship.
Kevin Durant is delighted to see the growing popularity of basketball in India but said the country needs to adopt a patient approach in order to produce world class hoopsters.
I haven’t played cricket before but I know how deep the sport is in the culture (of India). It will take some time for basketball to take over. But we had to start somewhere and this is a great start. We want to keep growing the game and see more and more kids start playing (basketball).Kevin Durant
Durant is confident that an Indian will make it big in the sport in future. Only two Indians – Palpreet Brar and Satnam Singh Bhamara – found out a place in NBA's Development League earlier.
No doubt. It’s on us NBA players to spur new basketball players, the players that haven’t really enjoyed the game before. It’s on us and you guys (media) to show them what the game is all about. I think the buzz around basketball here is just growing. Just be patient and we will see more. Promotion of the game will go a long way because people are so passionate about the game here. It’s a great market and great place to be in.Kevin Durant
Durant, who will visit the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra on Saturday, is overwhelmed with the love and respect he's getting from the people of this country.
It’s been great so far. It’s been overwhelming to be honest. So much love is definitely appreciated by me. Coming here is a major move and I believed that it would happen in some point in my career.Kevin Durant
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
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