Dallas Mavericks Select Satnam Singh First Indian-Born Player In Draft

[eedukondalu]

The NBA is an ever-expanding league, with broad fan interest throughout the world and players increasingly coming from new nations and areas of the globe. That reach hit a new milestone on Thursday night when the Dallas Mavericks selected 7-foot-2 center Satnam Singh with the 52nd pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Singh is the first Indian-born player to be selected in the draft, following in the footsteps of 7-5 Sacramento Kings center Sim Bhullar, who became the first player of Indian descent to play in the league in April.

The 19-year-old Singh was born in a small village in the Indian province of Punjab and came to America in 2010 to attend high school and train at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He had planned to play in college but was not heavily recruited due to concerns that he would not qualify academically, which essentially forced him to turn pro. Singh spent the past year playing for IMG's graduate team with an eye toward being drafted.

It's not clear how Singh fits into the Mavericks' future. While he is very, very raw, he has a strong outside shot (via SB Nation):