By John Leuzzi
Before it became a reality, Gautam Kapur and Roy Rana had a thought: bring the best Indian-originated basketball players in the world onto the same team for the first time.
But how?
Enter the platform of The Basketball Tournament, which the two considered just several months ago.
Now, a few months after that idea, the two are set to bring the first ever all brown basketball team to ESPN and TBT this summer.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨BREAKING🚨: For the 1st time in history, the world’s best Indian hoopers have assembled on the same basketball team for TBT 2022.<br><br>This group, better known as India Rising, come from the NBA, G-League, NBL, 3x3 Leagues, & multiple FIBA national teams.<br><br>Follow them! <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiaHoops</a> <a href="https://t.co/5e3ZyM83zG">pic.twitter.com/5e3ZyM83zG</a></p>— TBT (@thetournament) <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/1518617439109627905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>“TBT is an amazing platform for a team like India Rising,” Kapur said. “(It) enables us to do what we want to do, which is essentially to show the world that brown people can play basketball at a very high level.”
Kapur, who serves as the team’s general manager, said applying to TBT this summer was emotional.
“It was one of the most proud and exciting things I’ve really done in my life,” he said.
The attachment to seeing this come to fruition became personal.
“I’m Indian-American and I went to high school in India,” Kapur said. “Just being like a central force and bringing a brown basketball team to ESPN, that’s never been done before. Being a pioneer and doing something historic is super exciting.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="und" dir="ltr">👀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaRising?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaRising</a> <a href="https://t.co/rGKtLLZ8OJ">pic.twitter.com/rGKtLLZ8OJ</a></p>— India Rising (@IndiaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops/status/1519181626374332416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Breaking the mold
There are 10.5 million basketball players in India, with it being the most popular sport amongst both the Indian-American and Indo-Canadian diaspora. However, there remains a cultural stereotype.
“It’s more so in the Indian community that everyone’s very jealous of each other because ‘I want to be the first, I want to do this,’” India Rising forward Bik Gill said.
After playing collegiately at Ball State, Gill, who is known as the Bearded King, played in the Japanese JBA/B-League along with being the MVP of the 2017 3×3 EXE Premier League on the FIBA circuit. Additionally, he is a member of the Canadian national team.
And with India Rising, playing on a network like ESPN helps redefine that cultural stereotype.
“The broader mission is (to) provide people both in the states, Canada and India the opportunity to tune in, watch a basketball game and see people that look like them,” Kapur said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With over 10 million Indian-origin hoopers playing today, India Rising was created to showcase to the world that brown ballers exist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaRising?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaRising</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TBT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TBT</a> <a href="https://t.co/5KrX5w5Ead">pic.twitter.com/5KrX5w5Ead</a></p>— India Rising (@IndiaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops/status/1519323601857654784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Gill said India Rising will represent something bigger than basketball.
“This is the first time that we’re actually going to come together as a community, as a country and play together without any hate,” Gill said. “We all have one common goal: putting India on the map.”
Like the other 63 teams in TBT, India Rising is looking to win the cash prize of $1 million. But Gill said the team’s overall goal is slightly different.
“Obviously we want to win but we want to showcase who we are and put it on the grand stage,” Gill said. “It’s not the NBA but it’s very close. We just want to show that we belong.
“Yes we look different and haven’t been where other people of other races have been, we haven’t achieved at the highest level but our talent is there. It is one of those things where we are coming and this was meant for us.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/KapurGautam?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KapurGautam</a> about <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiaHoops</a> and his dreams for basketball engagement in India and its diaspora:<a href="https://t.co/SyFTtDb4KF">https://t.co/SyFTtDb4KF</a></p>— Frontier (@frontier_is) <a href="https://twitter.com/frontier_is/status/1516148181632921601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Gill, who hails from Toronto, Canada, said this stereotype “has been always around” him including when he came to the United States to play collegiate basketball.
He said these experiences were a big reason why he cut his hair, had a fade and lined up his beard while playing at Ball State. But, when Gill began playing professionally, he said he came to a realization.
“I was like, ‘if I want to rep Indian basketball, I have to make sure I look the part,’” Gill said. So he then grew out his hair and beard, plus began wearing a turban.
“I look the way I look now because there has been a lot of stuff in my life that I’ve been bullied for,” Gill said. “But overcoming it, I never talked to anybody, never felt bad. My thing was I’m going to show you what it is to put the ball in the basket and you are going to respect it.”
Forward Sukh Mathon joins India Rising after a five-year career at Boston University, where he won the Patriot League Player of the Year this past season. Mathon said being able to further break the stereotype after playing Division 1 basketball means “a lot” to him as growing up with the stereotype “can be overwhelming.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Introducing the first athlete for the <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thetournament</a> from our team <a href="https://twitter.com/Smathon123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Smathon123</a> 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/uI3KJi0PLS">pic.twitter.com/uI3KJi0PLS</a></p>— India Rising (@IndiaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops/status/1523803833649885184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>“Now that I’ve created a platform where I was Patriot League Player of the Year and have a chance to play professionally, I hope that my platform can help me make an impact for young kids and just show that there’s a chance for you to play Division 1, there’s a chance for you to play professional, you just got to set your mind to it,” Mathon said.
Saying “yes”
As the India Rising scouting team built their roster, Kapur relied on the relationships that he built with players as a fan in the past.
“I would reach out (through Instagram) to people and say, ‘Hey, I love your game, I love what you’re doing and you mean something to me,” Kapur said. “(So) none of these players are reaching out for the first time.”
Basketball is in Gill’s blood. His father, Dalwinder Singh, served as a captain on India’s national team. He said getting the opportunity to represent India in TBT is special.
“It’s great,” Gill said. “I get to rep my home country, but also a country that provided everything with my lifestyle here with Canada. It’s just great showing that Indian guys can hoop.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Introducing the second athlete for the <a href="https://twitter.com/thetournament?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thetournament</a> representing India Rising, 2022 <a href="https://twitter.com/3X3BL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@3X3BL</a> Champion <a href="https://twitter.com/InderbirGill12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@InderbirGill12</a> 🏀 <a href="https://t.co/UowCbgG2V9">pic.twitter.com/UowCbgG2V9</a></p>— India Rising (@IndiaHoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaHoops/status/1524910756810063883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Being a fan of TBT since it started in 2014, Gill said there was no way he would pass up the opportunity to play in the tournament.
As for Mathon, who is working on a master’s from Boston University in Health Sciences, he said after his initial conversation with Kapur, he joined India Rising to make an impact on the next generation of brown basketball players.
“I told him I loved his idea and really wanted to make an impact and show Indian hoopers can hoop,” Mathon said. “I joined to help change the culture of Indian basketball for future generations and bring more awareness to brown basketball players.”
Imagining history
Though roughly nine weeks remain until its first game, both Gill and Mathon said it will be a surreal moment when the ball is tipped in the air while donning a jersey that reads “India Rising” across its chest.
“It is another thing in my life that I can say I played in. I can say I not only played in the TBT but played in it with India Rising,” Gill said. “It’s going to be meaningful for a lot of people and I’m going to share the court with such great players.”
Regardless of the outcome of India Rising’s first round matchup, a group of 13 individuals will feel a win that has no words to describe it.
“Hopefully by making this team, it can help break that stereotype and change that culture of India basketball for future generations,” Mathon said.