NBA India Games 2019: Harrison Barnes talks about India's passionate fanbase and his love for Indian food (Exclusive)
If you're a fan of the NBA, exciting times are ahead with several preseason games lined up for the next two weeks as we inch closer to the season tip-off on 22nd October.
If you're a fan of the NBA in India, however, things couldn't be better. The Sacramento Kings and the Indiana Pacers are all set to play two preseason games on October 4th and 5th at Dome @ NSCI in Mumbai as part of the NBA India Games 2019.
While these will be the first-ever games to be played by teams from a North American sports league in India, this will not be the first trip to the South Asian country for one of the touring players. Harrison Barnes had visited India earlier this year in April to promote the NBA India Games 2019. He had the opportunity to get a feel of India and its culture then itself.
I was able to connect with him on a conference call as a preview of the two games.
I asked Harrison Barnes about his aforementioned trip to India and whether there was any chatter between him and his Sacramento teammates as to what they can expect from their visit to the country.
Barnes was more than happy to admit his love for Indian food as he mentioned:
"The biggest thing that I've been trying to tell my teammates is that the culture is beautiful. Me coming over there, I was a huge fan of Indian food."
He then went on to describe the rest of his experience during his short stay in India:
"Just getting a chance to walk in the city, getting a chance to see the Taj Mahal, getting a chance to work with the kids that were there at the India Academy getting ready for the Jr NBA Global Championships, was quite an overwhelming experience."
Barnes summed it up by giving a shoutout to the fans of basketball in India:
"I think, from a basketball perspective, how passionate the fanbase is, I think that's what I've been the most excited about and that's what I've been trying to relay to my teammates."
The former Golden State Warriors player – who also won an NBA Championship with the Bay Area franchise in 2015 – is all set to enthrall fans in the upcoming NBA India Games 2019. In the meantime, you can check out Harrison Barnes' best plays from last season here.
Be sure to tune in to Sony TEN 1 or Sony TEN 3 at 6:30 PM on 4th and 5th October to catch the NBA India Games 2019 live!