Hoopdarshan

In a must-win qualifying game against Palestine, Amritpal Singh posted 32 points and 12 rebounds to secure a dramatic comeback victory for India. Now, the Punjabi big man joins Hoopdarshan to look ahead at the FIBA Asia Cup, share how he remained sharp during the Lockdown, and reminisce his time with the NBL in Australia. Hosted by Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok. 

After years of perseverance, Pune-based Pritish Kokate found his dream come true in true 'filmi' fashion to become one of the recruits in the prestigious NBA Academy India. Kokate joins Hoopdarshan 108 to speak to Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about his hoops journey, the Coco On Air podcast, and to discuss Giannis Antetokounmpo's legacy after the amazing NBA Finals. 

To preview the unlikely, unfortunate, unprecedented NBA Finals, we welcome to Hoopdarshan Episode 107 Shivam Patel, one half of the Patel and Kumar NBA Show. Patel joins hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss the main storylines, everything from CP3 to Giannis, Booker to Middleton, Steve Nash to Lew Alcindor. Who'll be raising the banner when it's all over? 

Earlier this month, Mizoram teenager Lalhnehpuia Chhakchhuak, announced his commitment to the North Park University in Chicago, Illinois, becoming the latest in the line of student-athletes from the NBA Academy India to take their talents to the USA. In Episode 106 of Hoopdarshan, Chhakchhuak joins co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss what made him choose North Park, the growing popularity of Mizo Basketball, and how he plans to elevate his game to the next level. 

Over the past few years, the NBA Academy India has helped a number of bright Indian prospects take the next leap into placements abroad, include G-League's Princepal Singh, Amaan Sandhu, Riyanshu Negi, and more. Director of NBA India's Basketball Operations Marc Pulles joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok on Hoopdarshan to discuss his grassroots work in India, Princepal's improvements, and coaching Luka Doncic. 

Eight First Round Series. Eight BIG Questions. In Episode 104 of Hoopdarshan, NBA expert Akshay Manwani joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss the end-of-season award winners and help preview the playoffs with the most pressing questions of the First Round: How many Wizards does it take to stop Embiid? What does Giannis do to jump up the next level? Who is the second-best Maverick? And lots, lots more. 

Princepal Singh became the third Indian to play in the G-League. Last month, Mirin Fader wrote a story on The Ringer about Princepal, his journey from Punjab to the G-League Ignite, and more. Fader joins us on Episode 103 of the Indian basketball podcast, Hoopdarshan to give the story behind the story: her impressions of Princepal, his current situation, and her research into Punjabi pinni. Plus, she shares details from her highly-anticipated biography of the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hosted by Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok  

Team India captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi returns to Hoopdarshan to discuss his miraculous game-winner in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers against Iraq, his dream come true with the Arjuna Award, his recent biography, and that viral ‘pawri’ video.

The 2021 NBA All Stars have already been named, and of course, we have some thoughts to share. Hoopdarshan Episode 101 features co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok in conversation with Ashwin Gopinath, co-host of the Ball is Bae podcast, to discuss the names that made it, the names that didn't, and answer some questions about what have gotten right and wrong in the NBA season so far. 

It's episode 100! A time for the Hoopdarshan, India's truest basketball podcast, to celebrate our century. In this landmark episode, co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok discuss the podcast's highlights over the past 5 years, interview Indian baskebtall's Padma Shri awardee Anitha Paul Durai, and add the film Chhalaang to the Indian Basketball Movie Database. 

A true hoops lifer, Aparna Rajkumar has been the voice behind many of top Indian basketball broadcast over the years, commenting on national and international tournaments and hosting India's top women's players on her online show, 'Stree Got Game'. Rajkumar joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok on the Hoopdarshan podcast to discuss basketball broadcasting in country, challenges faced by India's top female players, watching Magic Johnson on the court, and the Indian women's GOAT.

Gautam Kapur, the Associate Manager of Basketball Strategy at the NBA, spent several months this year in the NBA's "Bubble" in Orlando, helping monitor the league's state-of-the-art healthcare technology. Kapur joins Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok in Episode 98 of Hoopdarshan to share fascinating stories from the Bubble, growing up and playing basketball in India, memories from the NBA India Games, and the Lakers' Butter Chicken connection. 

The Lakers are 2020 NBA Champions! In Episode 97 of Hoopdarshan, Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok invite Vinod Muthukumar - Maharashtra basketball tsar & co-host of the Patel and Kumar NBA Show - to discuss what this championship means in Lakers lore, appreciate LeBron’s consistent greatness, AD’s game-changing addition, Jimmy Butler’s inspiring moments, and more.

It took a lot longer than usual, but the 2020 NBA Finals are finally here! In Episode 96 of Hoopdarshan, hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok welcome Lakers superfan Abhishek Bhardwaj to discuss a number of intriguing storylines including AD vs. Bam, Riley vs. LeBron, Kuzma vs. Herro, Lakers stars vs. Heat Culture, Kobe, Dwight, and much more.  

In Episode 95 of Hoopdarshan, we welcome NBA India editor and writer Yash Matange. Matange discusses the success of recent Indian prospects like Prince Pal Singh, Anna Mary Zachariah, Siya Deodhar and more with co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok. Then, we preview the unprecedented NBA Bubble Playoffs, from Dame Time and Lakers Questions to Giannis, Toronto, Nuggets, and more. 

To watch the first-ever NBA India Games in October, Indian basketball superfan and journalist Siddharth Sharma (aks SidBreakBall) embarked on an epic 3-day, 2,000 km bike journey from Kolkata to Mumbai. On Episode 94 of Hoopdarshan, Sharma joins co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok to discuss this wild trip, his memories at the very first NBA preseason game in India, working as a broadcaster for the UBA league, and the hoops scene in Kolkata. 

One of the brightest young stars in Indian basketball, 17-year-old Harsimran 'Hunny' Kaur, joins Episode 93 of Hoopdarshan. The teenager from Kapurthala, Punjab spoke to hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about joining San Diego State of the NCAA D1, dreams to become the first Indian in the WNBA, and how she finally defeated her father - a former national player - on the court.

On Episode 92, Indo-Canadian baller Bikramjit Gill joins Hoopdarshan from Toronto, where he talks to co-hosts Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok about staying fit in lockdown, the journey that made him a 3x3 phenom in India, the state of Indian basketball, and how the nickname '6earded King' came about. 

In a pandemic-afflicted world without sport (or any outdoor activity), there is nothing that we needed more than 'The Last Dance' the documentary on Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. In Episode 91, we invite indisputably the biggest desi MJ fan on earth - Krossovr founder/CEO Vasu Kulkarni - to discuss his early reactions to the documentary, his memories of becoming an MJ fan, the numerous times he met Michael Jordan in person, plus bonus stories of the Warriors dynasty and David Stern's favourite emoji. 

After spending the last few years 'in the lab', improving his game at the NBA Academy India, 17-year-old 7-footer Amaan Sandhu made his senior national India debut in the winter. In Episode 90 of Hoopdarshan, Kaushik Lakshman and Karan Madhok welcome Sandhu to talk about his rapid improvements, inheriting the hoops-gene from his high-flying father, his plans during the nationwide lockdown, and the world's greatest nickname: Big Baby Punjab.