Ray Allen and Indian Basketball - What's the Link?

- June 24, 2023

POSTED BY: Eurobasket

India doesn't have a tradition of basketball as it does for cricket. Currently, the country is 82 on FIBA's ranking, including 161 countries. It doesn't mean Indians don't enjoy basketball, though. In 2020, there were over 90 million fans nationwide already.

Unsurprisingly, the NBA has its eyes on this growing market, and it's also investing in the development of the sport in the country. Enter Ray Allen, a two-time NBA champion who is part of an ongoing NBA effort to expand its popularity overseas. How is it going?

Spreading the Word

The NBA is one of the most-watched basketball leagues worldwide, and it's like it has never left the top. Still, the Association invests considerable effort and resources to bring its name further. It's been over a decade since NBA stars and businessmen started visiting India, trying to build bridges and foster new audiences.

Investing in the sport's development and popularity goes beyond promoting games, sponsoring teams, or greater media coverage. According to Scott Levy, managing director of the Association in Asia, bringing it to younger generations is necessary, stimulating the creation of junior teams and training centres.

The Reliance Foundation Junior NBA was built in 2013 as a part of this effort. This foundation provides free and nationwide training to kids and young athletes. The Association also has a headhunting agency in the country, seeking new talents to join the NBA Academy.

Basketball and Online Gaming

Although India remains a cricket nation, basketball's popularity is increasing. It won't be easy to find an online sportsbook without betting options for the sport. It's been proven already that sports betting increases fanbase engagement and television viewership.

According to research conducted by CRG Global, about 60% of NFL fans said they watch more games when they're betting on them. It's an understandable phenomenon: if you put your money into a game, you're more likely to watch it until the end just to see if your bet will succeed.

India also has a very vibrant online gambling/betting scene. So, having basketball in sportsbooks and online casinos is another way to promote the sport and increase its audience. The search term 'find the best online casinos India' will return many sites that potentially feature your favourite basketball-themed games.

A Special Visit

Ray Allen is a celebrity for basketball fans. Indeed, his name is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an honour for few. He was part of the NBA All-Stars nearly a dozen times and won the league twice. Undoubtedly, Ray Allen is an example for aspiring Indian athletes. In May, Allen spent four days in the country.

Between May 12 and May 16, the former champion visited key installations in the country, such as the NBA Academy, led 50 students at a basketball clinic, and got acquainted with NBA school programs in the country. He also took time to watch an IPL match.

Ahead of his visit, he told the press he was very excited to be part of the NBA's continued effort to promote the sport in the country. Ray also remarked that about three-quarters of the NBA's top players are foreigners.

He concludes from this fact that there's outstanding basketball being played in other countries as well, and soon enough, the country's leadership in the sport will no longer be undisputable. Overall, it's excellent news for the sport and a sign that American players will have to train harder to face the future generations fostered in high-quality training centres worldwide.

The Next Quarter

The investments coming from the National Basketball Association are sizable. Apart from the academy, the clinic and the headhunting agency, the Association has already built 100 basketball courts in the country.

The Sacramento Kings, owned by the Mumbai-born businessman Vivek Ranadive, has a Hindi version of its official website; so far, it's the only American team targeting the Indian market so specifically. The team played against the Indiana Pacers in Mumbai, in 2019, in one of the many events promoted by the Association in India.

The impact of a more comprehensive and professional media coverage of events is also undeniable. In 2012, a partnership between a local media group and Sony helped increase viewership considerably.

Likewise, more recent partnerships, such as the one signed with Viacom18 to broadcast NBA's live games on its two TV channels, MTV and Vh1, and online platforms like JioTV and VOOT, are expected to increase the league's reach. Additionally, Viacom18 will develop relevant programming talking about basketball. It'll report the latest news, daily highlights, and more.