Satnam Singh leaves NBA to sign for United Basketball Alliance

What's the story?

On Friday, the United Basketball Alliance (UBA) announced that they have signed Indian star Satnam Singh. Two years ago, Satnam became the first Indian national to be drafted into the NBA and will be one of the key members this season.

Satnam made history when he was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks with the 52nd overall pick.

In case you didn't know

The hoopster from Punjab played for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA's Summer League and spent two years with the Texas Legends, a G-League affiliate of the Mavericks.

The heart of the matter

NBA legend and UBA Director of Sport, A.C. Green praised Satnam's game craft and said that he had watched the Indian play earlier. He added that he is happy that Satnam will now get the chance to play in his home country.

Satnam stated that he is excited to play in the competition with the nation's top players and play a role in taking the sport in India to the next level.

What's next?

The UBA is India's first men’s professional basketball league in India. There are 8 teams competing in the league, divided into two divisions, North and South. The North Division teams include Mumbai Challengers, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Steelers and Haryana Gold. South Division teams include Bengaluru Beast, Pune Peshwas, Chennai Slam and Hyderabad Sky. There have already been four seasons and Satnam is expected to join the action for Season 5.

Sportskeeda's take

It is certainly encouraging to see that a player of Satnam Singh's calibre is doing so well in his craft. It is also great to see that he and other NBA stars are actively trying to encourage Indians to take up basketball.