‘Lot going on in India’: NBA’s Mark Tatum stresses need for investment, recalls meeting with BCCI chief Jay Shah
The NBA top brass also marvelled at the rapid growth in popularity of the league and the sport in India after last season saw more than 115 million unique viewers across linear and digital platforms from the country.
Published : Oct 23, 2024 09:19 IST , Chennai - 2 MINS READ
FILE PHOTO: Mark Tatum said there are encouraging signs in growth of basketball and NBA’s fanbase in India. | Photo Credit: VIVEK BENDRE/ The Hindu
There is a need for more investment for the growth of basketball in India, said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum on Tuesday.
“We need more investment and infrastructure and we’re talking to different potential partners in India about that,” the 55-year-old said on the prospect of India hosting NBA games in the future.
The country hosted its first-ever NBA games back in October 2019 when the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers played two pre-season fixtures in Mumbai.
“I’m optimistic that at some point, we’ll get people to invest alongside us in helping to get that infrastructure built. There’s a lot going on in India, and more to come,” he added during a digital roundtable ahead of the new 2024-25 NBA season.
Tatum also recalled meeting BCCI president Jay Shah in New York earlier this year. “We continue to talk. I’m so impressed by what the BCCI has done and how popular cricket is there (India).”
“The conversations that I’ve been having with Jay are about how we can continue to collaborate around the number one sport in India in cricket and one of the fastest growing sports in the country in basketball. There are a lot of synergies there in ways we can work together, and I look forward to continuing those conversations with BCCI and figuring it out,” Tatum added.
The NBA top brass also marvelled at the rapid growth in popularity of the league and the sport in India after last NBA season saw more than 115 million unique viewers across linear and digital platforms from the country. “We’re encouraged by the growth of basketball and our fanbase in India since we entered that market.”