National Basketball Association (NBA) point guard Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings arrived in Mumbai today for a week-long tour to promote the game of basketball and to enhance NBA's fan base in the country.
On his first trip to India, Thomas will travel across Mumbai and Chennai, participating in a wide range of activities, coaching children and interacting with local celebrities.
Thomas, a 5'9'' guard from the University of Washington, was the 60th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
In the 2013-14 regular season, he set career highs in minutes per game (34.7), points per game (20.3), assists per game (6.3), steals per game (1.3) and field goal percentage (45.3%). He finished 11th in the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award voting.
On January 19, he scored a career-high 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Five days later, he tied this total against the Indiana Pacers. On March 18, he recorded his first career triple-double with 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 117-111 overtime win over the Washington Wizards.
Thomas marks the 31st NBA or WNBA player or legend to travel to India since 2006 to help grow the game following All-Stars such as Chris Bosh, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard.
"I'm honoured to be representing the Kings and the entire NBA in India this off-season and will do whatever I can to help grow the game here by inspiring children," said Thomas.
The Kings are owned by Vivek Ranadive, the first NBA owner from India, and have a rapidly growing fan base in the Indian and Asian markets. During the past season, more than 20 Kings games were broadcast on Sony SIX, including a live broadcast of the Kings opening night. The Kings were also the first team to launch a dedicated Hindi website -- www.Kings.Com/hindi.
"We are extremely excited to have a member of the Sacramento Kings visit India this summer, and Isaiah's passion for the game and the community makes him a great ambassador for the sport in India," said Ranadive.
