What Happened To India’s Only NBA Player Ever?

What Happened To India’s Only NBA Player Ever?

The NBA is a global league. More than 43 countries 
have produced an NBA player. Almost 12,000 players have been drafted. And yet, only one of them 
came from India. Despite having a population of over 1.4 billion people, which marks 
17.3% of the entire planet’s population. So, how did Satnam Singh do the impossible and become 
India’s first and only NBA player? India has never had a player drafted to the NBA. Hopefully he 
can be that role model that Indian basketball solely desires so he can be the poster child 
for for Indian basketball. It is one of the   great NBA draft stories of all time and you’ll 
be shocked to find out what happened to him in his career because in India the best basketball 
players aren’t even professional. They have to   work jobs on the side just to make ends meet 
and the sport is discouraged in the country. Very few kids turn to basketball as a way 
out because no matter how good you are,   playing pro hoops isn’t a reality in their world 
because nobody of the billions of people to come from India had ever made it until Satnam 
Singh changed that. He came from a small village with a population of just 8,000 people. 
Growing up on a farm, he always had big dreams, but that’s all they were, dreams. He was always 
told growing up his responsibility would be to take over the family farm. and he even had to 
leave school at a young age to support his family   with maintenance and chores. Basketball wasn’t 
even in the equation at this point. He didn’t even know what the sport was, but what he was 
was abnormally tall for his age. At 10 years old, he was already 6’6. His father was 7’2 and 
his grandmother was 69. And because of this, people would always suggest to his father he 
should start playing basketball. And after reading   in a newspaper that an academy was opening up near 
their hometown looking for anybody over 6t tall, his father suggested that he goes and gives it a 
try. At first, Satnam was just playing for fun. He’d never even seen the sport on television and 
at first thought he was starting up in volleyball. But once he started playing, he fell in love with 
it. And after realizing his natural talent, his family and friends got behind him and supported 
his new dream. He was so good so quickly that   his first ever coach even said that he was born to 
play basketball. And at 10 years old, he made the bold decision to leave home and train full-time at 
one of the few basketballies in all of India. When I was in 9 years old, once I stopped basketball in 
India, you know, and my family stayed like four or five hour way to my where I’m playing ball. So 
my dad think is that uh I think it’s very hard for my son and he’s only 9 years old and how can 
he play ball but I guess so far you know. Mhm. Now while this was a great opportunity it didn’t 
come without hardships. The facilities were poor. It was an indoor wooden court with holes in the 
roof making it unbearably hot during the summer. So when Satnam first joined the academy he hated 
it. While he enjoyed playing his hometown and family made him want to quit entirely. His 
dream felt like a pipe dream and a waste of time. It didn’t matter how good Satnam was. The 
opportunities just didn’t exist in India. There was no organized setup or regular tournaments. And 
forget about the NBA. There had never even been an Indian basketball player who’d played NCAA college 
basketball before. But people back home started to believe that Satnam could be the one that changed 
that. A lot of us had this feeling that if it’s   going to be anyone from India who makes the NBA, 
this could be it. Because at the perfect time, the NBA announced a new initiative to grow the 
sport in India and hired a man called Troy Justice as its director of basketball operations who would 
discover Satnam and change his life forever. When I moved to India in February of 2010, the first 
question I asked was where are the most talented players? And they said you need to go to this 
basketball academy in Ludiana. And when I stepped off the train onto the platform at the train 
station, first boy that was standing there was Satnam. The head coach came and sat by me and I 
said, “You know, this tall boy that I met here, the first one that was in line, you know, how old 
is he?” And he said, “You know, he’s uh he’s 14.” And I said, “No.” I said, “He’s not 14. Tell me 
his tell me his real age, you know.” He said,   “No, he’s he’s 14.” I said, “Well, then I’m really 
excited.” Because of his unnatural size, Satnam would have to play in slippers. He couldn’t run 
because of it. And that’s because he was a size   19 and there was nowhere in India you could go 
out and buy a size 19 basketball shoe. But Troy, after seeing his potential, immediately got on the 
phone back home and outsourced a pair of size 19 basketball shoes. And as you can imagine, this 
changed everything for Satnam. And after that, the opportunities started flying in, even leading 
the Punjabi state youth team to a national championship. IMG Academy, one of America’s top 
developmental athletic schools, are always looking for developmental projects. Over the years, 
we’ve seen them take on giants like Zach Edi,   who they built up from scratch and turned into the 
best player in college and NBA lottery pick. Also, Olivier Ryu, the nearly 8 foot giant who just won 
a national championship with the Florida Gators. Back in 2015, IMG Academy agreed with the Indian 
Basketball Federation to take on four boys aged 14 and under to their academy and they held triyouts 
to select the four players and Satnam Singh was the obvious candidate. He was the type of prospect 
the coaches fantasize about. He was 67 at 14 years old with the projection to be a 7-footer. 
IMG Academy wasted no time. They offered him an athletic scholarship and Satnam, after being 
advised by friends and family to pursue his dream, took an 8,000mi leap of faith. But moving to 
the United States came with a whole new set of challenges. Satnam arrived barely speaking a word 
of English. And it was so frustrating for him not being able to express himself or communicate 
with anyone around him. It was hard for him to   fit in and integrate himself with his teammates 
and classmates because he couldn’t understand anything anyone was saying. But Satnam kept his 
head down and focused on the assignment. But even this was difficult. The majority of his training 
was spent in the weight room. And this wasn’t what he was expecting. He came to the United States to 
play basketball and spent most of his time lifting weights. And this really affected his confidence 
in play on the court. Layups and dunks that were   second nature for him back home suddenly became 
very challenging. His freshman and sophomore seasons were rough. Playing for the junior varsity 
team, he averaged less than five points per game   in limited minutes. In 2011 though, he was called 
up to represent the Indian senior men’s national team at the FIA Asian Championships, becoming the 
youngest player in the history of the national   team. This was a massive accomplishment and 
moment of pride for Satnam. And considering he was the youngest player in the tournament, 
he performed very well, even scoring six points   on three or four shooting with three rebounds 
against Indonesia. Throughout the tournament, Satnam played four times and averaging 9 minutes 
per game, he put up 2.5 points and 2.8 rebounds on 56% shooting from the field. It wasn’t anything 
spectacular, but it was progress. And while things weren’t going so well at IMG, the most important 
thing was he didn’t quit. He kept his head down, trust the process, and in time it paid off. 
And while he wasn’t playing much on the court,   Satnam was fully committed in the classroom. He 
fully dedicated himself to his studies and learned the English language and this helped him more than 
any basketball related coaching. He was now able to understand instructions, speak to his teammates 
and just communicate with people in everyday life. It enabled him to find joy in basketball again 
and you’d be surprised how much of a difference that can make. 3 years I can’t speak English and 
now I can speak English. I just go talk. I don’t need anything more than that. Just go talk. Satnam 
put a lot of pressure on himself to get better and fully trusted his coaches. He appreciated the 
commitment and faith they’d invested in him and   didn’t take it for granted. He felt like he owed 
it to them to give his all. Culturally in India, you’re taught that when you devote yourself to 
someone’s teachings and expertise that you give   them the utmost respect and trust and eventually 
that paid off. You could see the mindset of how can we get faster, how can we get stronger, how 
can we be more powerful, how can we move better. Satnam was in the gym every day perfecting his 
skills on the basketball court and going above and beyond in the weight room, becoming stronger, 
faster, and doing everything he could in his power to get better. Coaches described him as coachable, 
hungry, passionate, hardworking, and the type of player that would run through a wall for them. 
His combination of character qualities and   natural physical tools gave him the potential to 
be great. He was the type of player that responded well to tough love and hard coaching. And the 
perfect example of this is right here. Sub. What are you doing out there? You’re playing 
soft again. Daddy, aren’t you bad? Turn it to score. You’re playing down to their level. You 
make them come up to your level this time. Do   you understand? [ __ ] Go back in here and get 
his ass. Let’s go. Come on, big boy. Satnam as a prospect was a low post player whose biggest 
strength was his strength. But he was also a   great passer who could see over the defenses and 
make reads. He was team oriented, unselfish with a soft touch and hook shot with both hands as 
well as a rapidly improving jumper. In 2013, he was back representing the Indian national team at 
the FIA Asian Championships. And when he returned,   his improvement was on full display. He received 
a lot more playing time. In seven minutes against Thailand, Singh had six points and four rebounds. 
But his best game came against Kazakhstan, recording eight points on four five shooting as 
well as four rebounds. For the tournament, Singh played a total of 54 minutes, scored 25 points, 
made 11 of his 19 field goals, and made 61% of his two-pointers, shooting 60% at the line. He 
averaged 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9 minutes per game, making it pretty impressive stuff from 
a high schooler. During the 2014-15 season at IMG, he averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.2 
blocks in less than 20 minutes per game. He did this against top competition, playing for 
the number two ranked team in the country. And   best believe D1 scouts were monitoring his 
situation, receiving interest from Arizona, Kentucky, Maryland, Florida, Michigan 
State, and Purdue. During the IMG showcase,   scouts from all different schools were in 
attendance. And this is where he met Travis King, the agent of NBA All-Star Amari Stardomire and 
projected lottery pick Cameron Payne. He was immediately fascinated at the now 7 foot Indian 
big man. So he set up an individual workout and after seeing him up close and in person targeted 
him as a future potential client. The plan for Satnam was to send him to a good college 
and have a plan to continue his development.   He wasn’t quite ready yet, but his potential 
was off the charts. But then he faced a massive setback that had nothing to do with basketball. 
The NCAA’s eligibility became a real problem because while Satnam could speak and understand 
English, it still wasn’t his native language, and   he needed to pass classes with high enough scores 
to qualify as a student athlete. Unfortunately, he didn’t. And in the end, despite being good 
enough to play D1 basketball, he was deemed   academically ineligible after failing to meet 
the NCAA’s strict academic requirements. This was a massive blow. The plan had been the same 
the entire time from when he arrived in India,   he’d stuck to it, did everything that was asked 
of him and then suddenly at the last moment that changed and Satnam would have to settle for an 
unconventional path. The realistic options were junior college or playing overseas in Europe. 
And this is where Travis King intervened.   He was asked for his opinion and passionately 
believed that going from an elite prep school like IMG to Juko College or some low-level overseas 
would be a massive step backwards in terms of coaching facilities and everything else involved. 
But Travis King did find a loophole because Satnam Singh was a fifthear senior making him 19 years 
old and technically eligible to declare for the 2015 NBA draft. Now this was a long shot that 
nobody even considered a possibility. The NBA hadn’t drafted somebody out of high school since 
the one and done rule was introduced over a decade   ago. But over dinner sitting with Cameron Payne, 
Travis King promised Satnam that if he signed with him, he’d get him a foot in the door. So, you 
want to sign? Y. Okay. Good. Good. Good. Good. All right. The first line, this is a standard 
contract. Everybody in the NBA, as LeBron, James, anybody you see, this is the first thing that they 
sign. Okay. Okay. Standard player agent contract. All right, big fella. Welcome to the family, 
brother. Yeah. All right, big. His new agent got on the phone and used his connections to 
get Satnam through the door at the NBA draft   combine in Chicago, which originally he wasn’t 
invited to. The draft combine is an annual event where draft prospects get to work out in front of 
representatives from all 30 NBA teams. Scouts took a lot of interest in the Indian big man. Satnam 
then met up with several NBA teams in the leadup to the draft. The Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, 
Portland Trailblazers, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks. He even got to meet 
legends like John Paxton, Vlatty Dvac, and Larry Bird. Nothing ended up materializing with most 
of these teams. But after meeting them in person, Satnam was invited to several private workouts 
with NBA teams, including the Celtics, Wizards, Mavericks, Kings, and Trailblazers. He received 
mixed feedback from teams after working out. Some saw him as too much of a project that needed too 
much work, while other teams were concerned about   his foot speed, ability to change direction, and 
keep up with the pace of the game that just seemed too fast for him. There was also some positive 
reception, though. A Celtics director described him as a revolutionary stretch five, and a former 
Kings coach said, although rough around the edges, that his upside was off the charts. And that 
was the selling point going into the draft. Satnam Singh’s potential. He wasn’t a finished 
product and was nowhere close to the level of Galileo or Carl Anthony Towns who were the best 
prospects in his class for his position. But considering how far he’d come along in such 
a short period of time, teams were wondering   how good he could become if developed properly 
over the next few years. Still though, nothing was concrete or guaranteed. And Satnam went into 
the draft with no assurances from any NBA team. He was completely in the dark, carrying the 
weight of a country on his shoulders. He entered   the draft projected to go undrafted on most draft 
boards, but he was seen as a potential wild card that could maybe get selected late second round, 
and two or three teams did confirm that he was an option they were looking at on draft night, but 
making no promises. As the draft went on late into the second round, it seemed as if it wasn’t 
going to happen. Sacramento were very keen on him,   but they didn’t have a second round pick. 
And pick after pick, more and more teams who were interested in him decided to go with 
other prospects. It came down to two teams, Washington at 49 and Dallas at 52. His agent was 
in contact with the Wizards. They gave positive signs, but just as their pick was approaching, his 
calls went unanswered. And when the pick came in, they went elsewhere. With the 49th pick in the 
2015 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards select Aaron White from the University of Iowa. You 
know, it’s coming to the end. The building’s emptying out. This is the last team that I know 
on this list. This is really it. It all came down to the Dallas Mavericks at 52. This was the 
last shot. They were the only team left in the draft that had showed any interest in Satnum. And 
that night, the Dallas Mavericks decided to make history. With the 52nd pick in the 2015 NBA draft, 
the Dallas Mavericks select Satnam Singh from All of his sacrifice had paid off. Satnam 
Singh did it. He became the first Indian player to ever be drafted in the NBA. An 
impossible dream he left home at the age of 10 to pursue. And almost a decade later, he 
actually did it and became the first Indian-b born player to ever make the NBA. He returned 
home a hero, a living icon that proved success stories can come from anywhere. He became the 
face of Indian basketball, India’s Yao Ming, and he inspired the next generation of Indian 
hoops. But all of this happened in 2015. We are now in 2025. But what happened next? Well, 
Satnam debuted for the Dallas Mavericks at 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. And his first 
game came against the New Orleans Pelicans   and breakout star Seth Curry. Satnam played 
10 minutes, had four points on one of three shooting along with three rebounds. That’ll 
get you quick hook even in some league play. Sig rolling to the basket and he’ll shoot free 
throw. Camera. Final minute. Third quarter. Wayne’s trying to locate Sing the 7 foot2 inch 
Indian import up off to the blastless little drop step maneuver. I like that. And big fella is 
going to really hinder the Pelicans last year as a defer unable to connect. Sing face up baseline 
shot well short. I look right at Mark and Rick Carow and they are loving it that he’s out on the 
a decent first performance. In his second game, he was better in 12 minutes against the Trailblazers 
up against lottery picks Noah Vonlay and Myers Leonard. Satnam was solid again with four points 
on 50% shooting with three rebounds, but his most promising summer league game came against the 
D-League Select. He only played four minutes, but he had four points, four rebounds, and made two of 
his three shots. While it’s a small sample size, he made an impactful contribution in limited 
playing time. During 2015 NBA Summer League, Satnam averaged 2.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in an 
average of 7 minutes per game. But that was to be expected. He’s a long-term project and instead 
of joining the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA,   he was sent to play for the Texas Legends in the 
NBA DLeague for the 2015 16 season to get more playing time and experience. And November 
13th, 2015, Satnam made his professional debut playing against the Austin Spurs. And in 9 
minutes, he recorded four points, three rebounds, and an assist. Vipers trying to take care of 
their business. Sing tries the up and under. Nice feed to Holloway. Shot clock 10 seconds on the 
drive. Holloway goes reverse. No good. But it’s followed home by Sing. During his rookie season, 
Satnam played 19 games with the Texas Legends, starting in two of them. While he only averaged 
eight minutes per game for the season, he did   make history in one game in particular. He scored 
a season high six points on three of six shooting with six rebounds. Three of those came on the 
offensive glass. But this game was historic not   for Satnam’s performance, but for the significance 
of this game and what it meant because on the other side playing for the Raptors 905 was 
Simbul. So from having zero NBA players ever, we got to see two Indian players go headto-head 
in a basketball game within the NBA world all   in the span of a year’s time. And while Simbar 
got the better of this matchup with 13 points and 10 rebounds, none of that mattered. What it 
was was a special moment for Indian basketball. will have a 10. The legends have acquired from 
the available player. Jordan lobbing it high up to Bular and he throws it down to 20 or let’s cut it 
to 10 or let’s get it down from 10 to nine or you I don’t know how you you’re down 8548. [Applause] 
That’s nice. And sing with a nice are trying to emulate him by shooting threes first. Kareem Abdul 
Jabbar’s comments. We had a chance to speak to Nick Vanexel before the game and he said that I’d 
like to see the Legends get to within 40. Sing lays it in from the right side. As a rookie, 
Satnam only averaged 1.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and shot 43% from the field. Evidently, 
he was nowhere near ready for the NBA,   but nobody expected him to be. Remember, 
Satnam was supposed to go to college, but because of his ineligibility, he was forced 
to turn pro. And as a result of this, he faced   tougher competition. a lot earlier than he was 
supposed to. At the end of the D-League season, he returned to play NBA Summer League for a second 
year. And after a full season playing with the   pros as a part of an NBA organization, the maths 
were hoping to see some signs of improvement, but it was more of the same from Satnam. He played six 
summer league games, averaged just 1.3 points and   1.2 rebounds, shooting 50% from the field while 
logging under 5 minutes per game. These numbers, when paired side by side with his numbers from 
his first year in Vegas, are quite disappointing.   Same story for the 2016 2017 D-League regular 
season. Satnam played just eight games, logged fewer minutes, and regressed in every 
single statistical category, averaging 1.3 points, 1.3 rebounds, and had zero blocks all season 
despite being the tallest player on the floor. He also shot 33% from the field, down 10% from 
his rookie year. Not only was Satnam not showing any improvement, but he was regressing. And in the 
NBA world, you don’t have much time, making 2017 NBA summer league his last chance saloon. He’d 
played two full years with the Texas Legends. Now, he was drafted based on his potential. So, if he 
didn’t show any of that potential in his third   summer league showing, it was only a matter of 
time before his team moved on from him. It was really now or never for Satnam in his NBA dream. 
And unfortunately, it was never because 2017 NBA Summer League was his worst yet. He averaged one 
point per game, five rebounds, shot 42% from the field in just 5 minutes per game. All of these 
were his lowest averages ever in summer league.   And because of that, to no one’s surprise, after 
showing no considerable improvement over his two years, Satnam’s contract with the Dallas Mavericks 
wasn’t renewed, and no other NBA teams were in a hurry to pick him up either. He never even got 
a D-League contract. And that marked the end of   his NBA career without playing a single game. But 
just because he didn’t play in the NBA didn’t mean Satnam’s basketball career was over. Right after 
Summer League, Satnam was called up to play at the   FIA Asian Cup, representing his country at this 
tournament for the third time. But once again, Satnam underachieved. He only played three games, 
averaged one point and.7 rebounds per game, which is insane when compared to his previous numbers 
at this tournament. On the screen you can see his   stats in 2011 and 2013 which show he put up better 
numbers as a high school player than he did as a professional grown adult. You would think that 
after these poor performances at the FIA Asian Cup   that basketball would be over for Satnam Singh. 
But he did get another big opportunity in 2018. Satnam joined St. Dons’s Edge, a professional 
basketball team in the Canadian Pro League,   which is a respectable pro basketball league 
in the North American continent where a lot of NBA outcasts end up playing after failing 
to sustain a roster spot in the NBA. Satnam played a lot more in Canada than he did in the 
US, actually playing more games there than he   did in the D-League. He played 35 games, and 
yet again, the numbers were underwhelming. Outside of one game where he had 10 points and 
five rebounds against the London Lightning,   he never scored in double digits. And for the 
season, he averaged just 2.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and.1 blocks per game in under 6 minutes. It 
seemed to not matter where Satnam Singh played basketball. Regardless of the competition, whether 
NBA, G-League, FIA, or Canada, he was always putting up the same type of stats. That being said 
though, he did have his moments in Canada, some of which were worth watching. Being honest, I think 
this is a nice and a good idea because you have so much talent on this points a game. He doesn’t 
necessarily score a whole lot as again tomorrow and try to do duplicate uh the first three 
quarters try to certainly can. Here’s Satinam Singh now the big man takes it inside and gets 
the bucket back in for Keith. Keith shot clock to 10 into Sing. Sing underneath the basket gets 
that one to fall. But a big reason for Satnam’s pro failures was mental. He carried a very heavy 
burden. the hope of an entire nation weighed on his shoulders. And the way things happen for him 
in Dallas really took a toll on him. Sometimes   when you feel like you’re meant for something, 
you’ve been called the chosen one and it just doesn’t happen for you the way you expect, that 
can affect you in more ways than you can imagine. But just as all hope seemed lost, we did get 
to see Satnam Singh at his very best playing   basketball again. And this came with the 
Indian national team at the 2019 FIA World Cup qualifiers. Due to some injuries of other 
key players, Satnam Singh was forced to take   on a leading role and he finally showed us all 
what he was always capable of dominating during these qualifying games. Yinda Singh great pass 
to Satnam Singh. Barama count the bucket. Oh, big man going to licks it right back to Anna 
Durai. Comes in. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. That’s right. Satinam Singh’s got one too. Jinda back door. 
Justin Joseph Satnam Singh. Nice play from India. Satnam Singh. That’s a nice play from the big 
man. That’s what he should be doing all game. Two games stood out in particular. 
In the first round against Syria,   he dropped 18 points and 
eight rebounds in 27 minutes. First shot of the game is good to Satnam Singh. Good. Satam Singh with the pick 
and roll. Satnam Singh goes up and scores. Back on defense. Oh, it’s uh the Keystone Cops out there. 
Satam sing. Oh, we’re still playing down the other end. The mayhem continues. The big man in again 
for two. Satnam singers. Oh my goodness. Surely not. He did indeed. He got it through. Satnam 
sing. But his best game came against Jordan. Satnam had a double double, played a career-high 
35 minutes, and went off for 20 points and 10 rebounds, even shooting an efficient 57% from the 
field. Oh boy, they’re getting some easy looks and pass inside and look pass. Satnam going to show us 
his jump shot. Jordan hustle back to play defense and then Satan gets inside and [Music] Satnam goes 
behind his back. Holy cow. This was exactly the type of boost Satnam needed to revive his career. 
reminding not just the world but himself what he was capable of on the hardwood. But then again, 
the worst thing that could have happened did   happen, and Satnam’s pro career took a turn for 
the worst. He was handed a 2-year doping ban for failing a drugs test, which at 25 years old was 
a massive setback for his proas aspirations. And ultimately, it marked the end of his playing 
career. And while Satnam claims this was   completely unintentional, once you have that 
cheater and doping tag attached to your name, it’s very hard to come back from. And in his case, 
it was over. So now that it’s over, we have to ask the question, why did Satnam Singh’s basketball 
career not take off? He always had the potential, but I think there’s a multitude of reasons why 
things didn’t work out. Satnam Singh came into the   NBA too late and too early at the same time. He 
was drafted in 2015 and this marked the beginning of the three-point revolution spearheaded by Steph 
Curry and the Warriors. All of a sudden, the game became faster, more three-pointoriented. Less 
postplay and less need for sevenfooters. Teams had a lot more success playing with small lineups. 
Satnam was a traditional big and NBA teams were no longer seeking players of that profile in a 
space and pace league. Now, had he been born in a   different time, this wouldn’t have been a problem. 
But also, had he come along a few years later, he would have had more opportunities, and he almost 
certainly would have played in an NBA game. Over   the last few years, the NBA has become less strict 
and given more flexibility to G-League players, allowing for two-way contracts and other deals 
that can be converted throughout the season,   allowing players to come back and forth seamlessly 
from the NBA and G- League. When Satnam played, it was still the D-League. That was a lot more 
strict. In most cases, you were either on the   NBA team or the D-League team. There was nowhere 
near as much back and forth as there is today. So, with today’s rule, Satnam almost certainly would 
have been called up and played in at least one NBA game, even if it was only garbage time. But, 
I think the main thing in hindsight looking   back that prevented Satnam from reaching his full 
potential was his NCAA eligibility. Everyone knew Satnam wasn’t ready to play in the best league in 
the world when he was drafted. He was a raw talent   with a lot of potential out of high school. 
So making that jump from IMG Academy to the professional game was just too much too soon. You 
have to wonder that had he been able to play in   college, spent another four years developing in a 
similar environment to what he had at IMG Academy, then by the time he was a senior, he’d have had 
more opportunities playing and as a result of   that, a better chance of being ready for the NBA. 
But the fact that he was thrown into the fire, fresh out of high school into the D-League, 
that definitely stagnated his development. He   wasn’t only not getting better, he was getting 
worse. And that’s evident when you look at the numbers. Of course, Satnam did have limitations, 
and those limitations were amplified due to the change of how teams play basketball in the 
modern game. For his size, he wasn’t a great   rebounder or shot blocker, and he struggled 
with foot speed and keeping up with the pace of play. Long story short, he was probably too 
slow and not good enough to play in the NBA. But just because Satnam isn’t playing basketball 
anymore doesn’t mean it was all for nothing. No,   this story has a happy ending. He’s a celebrity 
now, a big name, and used this to transition into a new career in pro wrestling. And surprisingly, 
he’s actually had a lot of success with that. Since 2021, Satnam has been a part of All Elite 
Wrestling. He’s had viral moments over the years, participating in major events and even won a tag 
team world championship. So, he’s clearly thriving in his new career. And none of this would have 
been possible without basketball. WWE the AEW over WWE. I will be the first again first wrestler 
from India. I will make another history for Indian in AW. He’s 30 years old now and 
I think it’s safe to say things worked out. While he never played an NBA game, he did make 
history. He became the first Indian player to   ever be drafted. Nobody can ever take that 
away from him. He got to play pro hoops, not just in the States, but in Canada, too. 
And now he’s a wrestling mega star competing   on the world stage. Not too bad for a 
farm kid from a small village in India. [Music]   Nothing is easy. Everything is hard. If you 
are work hard, you will get your opportunity so fast. Never never figure out that nobody 
do for you. Nobody got nobody work for you. You have to work on yourself. Don’t wait 
for anyone. Just do it. But tell me down below in the comments what you guys think 
of Satnam Singh, his journey, his story,   and do you agree with me that had he gone to 
college, perhaps he would have been able to play in the NBA? Share your thoughts and feedback down 
below. And also, if you’ve enjoyed this video,   I know you’ll enjoy our last video where we talk 
about Japanese phenomenon Yuki Kawamura and Euro League star TJ Shorts, who together will become 
the shortest backcourt in NBA history next season. You don’t want to miss that. So, you can 
watch it by clicking the big box in the   middle of your screen right here. Subscribe 
to the channel, like the video, and turn on notifications if new around. And on that note, 
is DKM signing out. Until next time, and peace.

What happened to India’s first NBA player and where is he now in 2025? When Satnam Singh was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft he became the first and only Indian born player to ever play in the NBA, but what happened to him?

In 2015, something incredible happened in the world of basketball. A young man from a small village in Punjab, India, stepped onto the global stage in a way no Indian athlete had before. Satnam Singh, standing at an imposing 7 feet 2 inches tall, made history by becoming the first Indian-born player to be drafted into the NBA. The Dallas Mavericks selected him with the 52nd overall pick, sparking a wave of excitement and pride across India. For a country known for its love of cricket, this moment was a beacon of hope for the future of basketball. But that dream quickly faded into silence.

This video explores the untold story of Satnam Singh — his improbable rise, the weight of expectations he carried, and the quiet disappearance that followed. Many fans remember the headlines, the press conferences, and the hope that he would one day step onto an NBA court. But he never did. Not even for a minute. And years later, many are left asking: What actually happened to the only Indian player in the NBA?

Satnam’s journey began in Ballo Ke, a remote farming village with no real access to basketball facilities. Despite the lack of infrastructure, his extraordinary size and raw strength made him stand out. He was spotted early by scouts and selected for a program that would eventually bring him to the IMG Academy in Florida — one of the most elite sports training centers in the world. At just 14 years old, Satnam left behind his family, language, and culture to pursue an American dream. He barely spoke English and had never traveled outside India before, but he adapted quickly and trained relentlessly. At IMG, he improved his skills and began to attract serious attention from NBA scouts.

The 2015 NBA Draft marked a milestone not just for Satnam, but for an entire nation. Yet the fairy tale never quite took off. Because he didn’t play in college, Satnam came into the league as a raw, undeveloped talent. He was drafted more for his potential than his readiness. The Dallas Mavericks sent him to their G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, hoping he would grow into a viable NBA player. But it became clear over time that the jump from promise to performance was too wide. Despite hard work, Satnam struggled to make a meaningful impact. Injuries, conditioning issues, and the sheer speed and complexity of the NBA game became major hurdles. The Mavericks eventually let him go.

What followed was a series of short-lived stints — some in the G-League, others in minor international leagues. The buzz around his name began to fade, and the media coverage shifted away. He eventually made headlines again, but not for basketball. In 2020, Satnam was banned by the National Anti-Doping Agency in India for testing positive for a banned substance. It was another blow in a career already filled with setbacks.

Today, Satnam Singh has taken a surprising turn. He signed with AEW, a professional wrestling organization in the United States, hoping to reinvent himself in an entirely different sport. For some, it’s a disappointing end to a once-promising basketball story. For others, it’s a sign of resilience — proof that he’s still trying to make something of his platform, even if it’s not on the hardwood.

Satnam’s story is both inspiring and heartbreaking. It highlights the massive challenges that Indian athletes face when trying to break into global sports. The lack of grassroots development, the absence of high-level coaching in India, and the cultural preference for cricket all combine to make success in sports like basketball incredibly difficult. Satnam was a pioneer — but he was also alone. He carried the hopes of an entire country without the support system that most NBA prospects take for granted.

What happened to the only Indian player in the NBA? Satnam Singh’s story is a reflection of what happens when raw talent meets systemic obstacles. It’s a reminder that representation matters, but so does preparation. And it raises a larger question — when will India truly invest in building the foundation needed to produce the next global basketball star?

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

#NBA #SatnamSingh #IndianBasketball #BasketballDocumentary #SportsStory #NBAHistory #IndiaInNBA #SatnamSinghAEW #BasketballIndia #UnderdogStory

Gullible