Sim Bhullar continues to make history, becomes first Indian-origin player to sign full NBA contract
The 7 foot 5 inch gentle giant from New Mexico State University Sim Bhullar announced via Twitter on Thursday that he has signed an NBA contract with the NBA team Sacramento Kings.
After failing to be selected in the 2014 NBA Draft, Bhullar was picked up for the Kings’ Summer League team and is now one step closer to making history. The contract assures that he will remain with the franchise, whether it is with the NBA team or its D-League affiliate Reno Big Horns.
The Kings are set to tip off their training camp in September, and the signing of Bhullar might be a precautionary measure after news broke out that the team’s starting center DeMarcus Cousins needs to get a MRI done on his knee after possibily injuring it while training with the USA National Basketball team.
If Bhullar gets selected with the Kings’ NBA team after the training camp, he would be the first Indian origin player in the history of the league to be on the roster of an NBA team, and will land the minimum salary for rookies set by the league of 507,366 dollars.
“I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation,” said Kings owner Vivek Ranadive. “While Sim is the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA franchise, he represents one of many that will emerge from that region as the game continues to garner more attention and generate ever-increasing passion among a new generation of Indian fans,” he added.
Prior to making the Summer League team for the Kings, Bhullar was a back-to-back Western Athletic Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. He dropped college after his sophomore season and declared his eligibility for the NBA Draft.