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Giannis Antetokounmpo would love to play in China and India
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s presence on social media over the last few days has highlighted how good a time he’s having in Abu Dhabi. He’s been involved in the coaching clinics, and exploring Abu Dhabi with his family.
Antetokounmpo’s energy in the first match-up against the Atlanta Hawks was spectacular to watch, and he’s as cheerful as he can be - entering his 10th NBA season.
Giannis wants to take the game everywhere
The Milwaukee Bucks star is one of the most dominant international players in the NBA. In a short time, he’s elevated his game to a level where he is now consistently in MVP discussions. Giannis has grown so much since he entered the league and wants to do everything he can to help more athletes get that chance.
During the post-game interview in Abu Dhabi, Giannis shared his desire to play in China and India.
“I would love to play in China, maybe Shanghai or Beijing; that will be a fine experience. And maybe somewhere in India - try to expand the game as much as possible and make it global and reach places that we have not reached,” Giannis said. “A lot of people around the world love basketball and we have got to present [NBA] and we want to create something for the fans.”
NBA’s plans for India
The NBA hosted a pre-season match-up between the Sacramento Kings and Indiana Pacers in Mumbai, India, back in 2019 – and it was a huge hit. The country has a huge fan base for NBA basketball, and the Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is a Mumbai native. India has had representatives in the G League, which includes Satnam Singh, Amjyot Singh, and Princepal Singh – a testament to the scope of the country.
While there was no confirmation on the time frame, Adam Silver has kept the option of returning to India open.
“We do have plans to come back to India and again that was one of the setbacks that occurred with the pandemic, as you recall, it was the fall right before the pandemic really hit the whole world,” Silver said.
