Princepal Singh interview: Indian youngster on why he skipped NBA Draft, his future and more-Sports News , Firstpost

India’s Princepal Singh at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra. Image courtesy: NBA Academies

Exactly a month ago, when the NBA held its annual Draft for its 30 teams to handpick the most exciting up-and-coming basketball prospects at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, India’s Princepal Singh was on the other side of the country, in Los Angeles.

Princepal was eligible for the Draft but chose to forego it, believing that he was not ready for it.

“I had a feeling that the time was not right. I also consulted with my agent before taking the decision not to enter this year’s Draft. He told me that it would be better for my career if I first got some competitive gametime in the Summer League and G League. I need more experience. More playtime. I need to improve. The goal for me is to get my body in shape and focus on skillwork. I need to improve myself,” Princepal told Firstpost earlier this month, right after playing a part in Sacramento Kings’ NBA Summer League title-winning run.

Princepal, nicknamed the ‘next big Singh’, is one of India’s top basketball prodigies. For years now, he has been taking measured steps towards playing in the NBA, starting with a stint at the NBA Academy India in 2017 then moving to NBA Global Academy in Canberra. He was one of the few top prospects from across the world who were handpicked for the one-of-its-kind Ignite team, with whom he played an entire season in the G League, the NBA’s developmental league. Taking part in the NBA Draft this season was the natural next step for him as well as other elite prospects from the Ignite.

Many of Princepal’s Draft-eligible teammates made headlines in the past month, with Jalen Green being picked second overall by the Houston Rockets and Jonathan Kuminga getting drafted seventh by Golden State Warriors. Isaiah Todd was picked in the second round (31st overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks.

But Daishan Nix, another elite youngster, went undrafted.

“When I saw that D-Nix went undrafted, I was reassured that I took the right decision,” said Princepal, who has spent the past three months training in Los Angeles with hopes of catching the eye of a G League outfit.

It must be noted that since Princepal was eligible for this year’s Draft, and was technically undrafted, any NBA team can hand him a contract from this season onwards. Even next season, he does not have to come into the NBA through the draft.

Princepal Singh of Team Ignite shoots the ball during practice in February this year. Image courtesy: NBAE via Getty Images

In his debut G League season, Princepal had got just 25 minutes, in four appearances on the court. In those minutes, he totalled nine points and grabbed four rebounds.

“When I went to the G League Ignite and met my teammates for the first time, I just wanted to compete with them. All the skills that these guys have, I had as well. But I learnt a lot playing alongside them as well. Things like how you call out defensive plays,” said the Indian.

On being asked to compare the Ignite stint with his recent two-week campaign in the NBA Summer League with Sacramento Kings, the eventual champions, Princepal said the difference was his own confidence level. At Ignite, he had landed up after the hard lockdowns in India had essentially throttled his time on the court to sharpen his skills.

“When I had gone to play for Ignite, I had gone from India right after lockdowns were starting to ease. So, I had not had good training sessions for a while. But I was in Los Angeles for nearly three months just working on my skills before the Sacramento Kings stint worked out. That’s why I was feeling a lot more confident than I was going to Ignite. At Sacramento, I also had the feeling that I had learnt a lot from the stint with Ignite,” he said.

India’s Princepal Singh watches his Sacramento Kings teammates hold up the NBA Summer League winners trophy on 17 August, 2021 in Las Vegas. AP Photo

Given his lack of conditioning and training due to the lockdown, at Ignite, Princepal would come in early to train alone with members of the coaching staff for 45 minutes before the actual team training sessions.

For the Indian youngster, though, the solo training sessions were a throwback to his initial days when he was learning the ropes of the sport at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy. In those initial days, Princepal says that he would pick up things quickly. His growth impressed his coach so much that he was soon getting called in for afternoon sessions where he would usually be the only one training on most occasions. “Everyone in our village used to nap at that time. And I would be called for an extra training session. I would go, but would always wonder why I was being singled out. I also wanted to sleep in the afternoons!”

With a crucial season in front of him, Princepal (who returned to India after the Kings stint) said he would return to the US to train in Los Angeles.

On the agenda is working on his skills and bulking up to fit the needs of the position he plays: centre.

“When I was Ignite, my weight hovered between 100 to 102 kgs. In Australia, it was around 94 to 98 kgs. Currently, my weight is 108kg. I believe I need to put on five to seven more kilograms. I’m working on it.”