I don’t know a thing about sports and even my fleeting interest in the World Cup is largely due to stuff like this. All that said, we need to talk about Sim Bhullar. Because he’s awesome. He’s also the first NBA baller of Indian descent — Indian-Canadian, actually! — to truly make waves. So what do we need to know about the man? Well, EVERYTHING. Read on, friends.
1. You can buy him a beer. Bhullar is 21 years old!
2. Aunties could ask him to reach for that container of garam masala from way up there — how did it get there, anyway? According to The Globe & Mail, Bhullar stands tall at 7’5″.
3. He might know where all the best Indo-Chinese joints are in Toronto, BTW. That’s ’cause he’s a Toronto native.
4. He’s a fellow Aggie. That’s right, Bhullar was attending the New Mexico State University as a sophomore until he opted out in order to pursue his NBA dreams.
5. He’s only two degrees of separation away from a certain aspiring pop singer. Remember Anjali? Well, her dad owns the Sacramento Kings — with whom Bhullar has just signed a summer contract, after he wasn’t picked in the NBA draft.
6. “Burly” might be an adjective people use to describe him. In fact, the Bleacher Report cut this spot about how he’s an unlikely NBA hopeful given his stature and build.
7. He’s got a brother! His brother Tanveer also shares his build — and his skills. NBA scouts have reportedly been keeping an eye on him, too.
Writes Pete Thamel from The New York Times:
The Chinese star Yao Ming, a former No. 1 pick, is retiring from the Houston Rockets, so it is easy to infer that Asia is ready for its next great basketball ambassador. Although Bhullar does not yet show the potential to be a top N.B.A. pick, his size, his hands and the need for big bodies make it very likely that he will have a professional career somewhere.
9. But his outlook on life is pretty awesome and it’s the kind of attitude we all should swear by. “Guys my size don’t have very long careers and you have to take advantage of it and do the best you can with the time you have to play,” he tells the Toronto Globe & Mail.
Find Rohin on Twitter at @ohrohin.
