India has just started to pick up the fundamentals of basketball: Kevin Martin

"India has just started to pick up the fundamentals of the sport. The country also had a player (Satnam Singh) snapped up in the draft by the Dallas Mavericks a few years ago. It speaks volumes about the level of improvement over here," acknowledged Kevin.

Commenting on the number of years it will take for India to become a powerhouse in Asia, the American said, "It is pretty tough to put a timeframe for expectations, that too on a developmental sport. All I can say is that it is moving in the right direction and people are happy about it. The reception I received here was just a proof of that."

A solid base always helps in creating something valuable. When asked about the kind of structure that is required to evolve the sport at the grassroot level, the ex-San Antonio Spurs man added, "You have to be a student of the game first of all. It starts with the coaches. They have been through the fire and the tough route to be very successful. They will have to pass on their understanding of the game to the kids who can then share it with who they rub shoulders with."

Tamil Nadu's S Pushpa, who was part of the India Under-16 Asia Cup team in 2017, has been selected to go on an exposure trip to USA as a part of the 'Basketball Without Borders' programme. 

Speaking on the significance of such experiences during the early stages of one's career, the 34-year-old said, "I got to see first-hand of how it works in 2007 when I was in South Africa. We know the amount of impact it created in the 'Rainbow nation' and the effect it had on basketball in a positive way. We now have so many African players who are part of the NBA. The same can be done here as well but it requires more than one person's effort." 

The shooting guard seems to be moved by the display of the juniors who are part of the country's NBA academies. "I didn't know what to expect from them as it is my first trip to India. I am very impressed with the levels of the kids who were part of the programs," signed off Kevin.