The NBA Academy India opened in May of 2017 at the Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) to give the top male and female prospects in the country the coaching and facilities required to realise their potential on and off the court.
The Academy began with 21 male student-athletes and grew each year, providing the young prospects exposure to competitive basketball by playing alongside and against prospects of similar ages from across the world at events such as the Basketball Without Borders regional/global camps and the annual Academy Games.
ACG, the official partner of the NBA Academy India, has assisted in conducting the annual ACG-NBA Jump since 2016. Every year from 2017, the program has worked like a funnel to add a new group of student-athletes.
Few years in, the NBA Academy's efforts are starting to show. Princepal Singh became the torchbearer for the NBA Academy program when he became the first NBA Academy prospect to sign with the NBA G League Ignite - a new team of elite young prospects - in July 2020. Of his three years with the Academy, he spent one and a half in India and the rest at the Global Academy in Australia. For more on his journey, click here.
As of Feb. 2022, nearly five years since its inception, the Academy has assisted six more Indian youngsters to get into prep schools or colleges in the United States. These boys have begun their historic journey to greatness and would hope to achieve what Princepal has and maybe even more.
Jagshaanbir Singh
In April of 2020, the 7-foot Jagshaanbir Singh committed to Point Park University - Pittsburgh's only downtown university which is part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the River State Conference (RSC).
Prior to committing to Point Park, Singh had spent a year at Golden State Prep, a postgraduate basketball academy in Napa Valley, California.
Some of the season highlights playing for Golden State Prep @GSP_Bball pic.twitter.com/C1hgzseEzJ
— Jagshaanbir Singh Jhawar (@jagshaan23) April 23, 2020
He was nearly 17 when he was among the Academy's first 21 student-athletes.
For more on his journey, click here.
Pranav Prince
In August of 2020, Pranav Prince signed with the First Love Christian Academy, a private high school in Washington, Pennsylvania. A 17-year-old, 6-foot-6 guard from Trivandrum, Kerala, Prince was one among eight selected through the ACG-NBA Jump program to be part of the Academy's second group of student-athletes in 2018.
For more on his journey, click here.
Amaan Sandhu
Nearly a couple of months after Prince's commitment, his NBA Academy India teammate Amaan Sandhu signed up with the same high school.
MORE: Sandhu - Excited to team up with Prince at FLCA
Fondly called "Big Baby Punjab" at the Academy, Sandhu was just 14 when he joined the Academy as one of its first 21 prospects. The remarkable transformation of his physique has been the driving force of his rise over the past three years.
Hard work, dedication, perseverance – Amaan Sandhu gets it done!#ACGNBAJump #NBAAcademy
— NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) August 9, 2019
@ACGWorldwide pic.twitter.com/MqTNNL0O1R
For more on his journey, click here.
Riyanshu Negi
Over a year since graduating from the NBA Academy India, Negi signs with the DME Sports Academy - a prep school in Daytona Beach, Florida.
He becomes the fourth overall and third student-athlete in a matter of five months to commit to a prep school or college program in the U.S.
Riyanshu Negi’s transformation story is motivating!#NBAAcademy #ACGNBAJump
— NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) August 15, 2019
@ACGWorldwide pic.twitter.com/PPtnnhoP2v
After a year at DME Sports Academy, in Aug. of 2021, Negi announced the signing with Crandall University, a liberal arts university in New Brunswick, Canada.
Harshwardhan Tomar
The 6'7" forward joined the NBA Academy India in 2018 and since has represented them at the 2019 NBA Academy Games and both phases of the EYBL tournament in Hungary.
He was one of two Indians and the only Indian boy to receive call-up to the fifth annual Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Charlotte during the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend.
For more on his journey, click here.
Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak
Chhakchhuak first participated in the 2017-18 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program before joining NBA Academy India in 2018 as a part of the Academy’s second class of student-athletes identified through the ACG-NBA Jump program.
The 6-1 guard represented NBA Academy India at the 2018 and 2019 NBA Academy Games in Australia and the U.S., respectively, as well as the Point Loma Nazarene Team Camp in San Diego in 2019.
17-year-old Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak plays point guard for #NBAAcademy India with the support of their official partner @ACGWorld.
Committed to putting North East on the basketball map in India, Lalhnehpuia was identified through the #ACGNBAJump programme.
Check out his story 🔽 pic.twitter.com/LDUxiPyKV8 — NBAIndia (@NBAIndia) December 14, 2020
Pritish Kokate
Pritish Kokate, an NBA Academy India alum, has enrolled into Eastern Michigan University.
Kokate, a native of Pune, Maharashtra, was one of eight players selected in 2018 as part of the NBA Academy India's second batch of student-athletes.
Aashay Verma
Aashay Verma began college at Butte-Glenn Community College in August of 2019. Although a native of Hyderabad, Verma never spent time at the NBA Academy India. He was among the first prospects to join the NBA Global Academy when it was set up at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, in June of 2017.
For more on his journey, click here.
The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.