Polishing the fundamentals of the game is something that former NBA champion Rashard Lewis takes very seriously. That word comes up atleast five times during the conversation.
Another word that constantly comes up and that is ‘3x3 basketball’, a form of the sport which has seen steady rise in India. Lewis suggests that popularising the shorter format of the game might just see a upswing in the talent pool in India.
“I think it is the way going forward. It is very popular and great to learn the fundamentals,” Lewis, who was in Mumbai for an NBA promotional event, said.
“In five on five, there are a couple of players who can hide but in 3x3, that is not the case. With the ball in your hands, you have to know how to play defence, you have to pass the ball. You can’t sit on the weak side and be a participant. You have to be effective,” he added.
After retiring from top-level basketball in 2006, Lewis signed on with the Big3 league, which also features many former NBA stars. There, the 39-year-old was reunited with Gary Payton – the legendary point guard – for the side 3 Headed Monsters. Lewis and Payton may have not delivered an NBA title for the Seattle Supersonics but blitzed opponents with ease in the late-1990s and the early-2000s.
“It is in the Olympics now,” Lewis said. “Every kid in the front yard or the driveway plays two on two and three and three. If you have to play five on five, it’s in an organised environment or in school. It helps you learn the fundamentals of the game.”
A handful of recent exports to USA and Australia might have given hope that the Indians are making strides in the sport. But in the International Federation Rankings, the Indian men languish at 66th and the women, at 45th.
The two-time NBA All-Star, though, has a slightly different take. “Yes, it starts with the grassroots programme with the young kids and how you go about with it. But India will be hosting NBA matches here [in Mumbai] in October.
“It’s not just about shooting threes; it’s learning the fundamentals of the game. I wouldn’t be here if was not for the NBA.”
NBA title a long time coming
The focus shifts to Lewis’s illustrious career, which stretched from the twilight years of Michael Jordan to a time when a young LeBron James broke through. The power foward finally reached the promised land in 2013 with Miami Heat after previous failed attempts.
“I was in the NBA for 16 years before that,” he said, looking back at Heat’s memorable win over San Antonio Spurs. “The first time I made it to the Championship, it was about 12 years [of playing NBA] at the time. I finally made it with Orlando [Magic]. Winning the championships with Miami was some sort of a dream come true.
“Not everyone can say that say that they have won an NBA Championship. There are some hall of famers on that list too. So I am excited and blessed to have won the title.”
That win though came after several near-misses, and Lewis thought at the time that his first taste of an NBA Championship might just never arrive.
“Yeah, when I was playing for Orlando and lost to the [Los Angeles] Lakers [in the 2009 playoffs],” he said.
“At the time, I was excited the following season to get over the hump to not lose the final. But we didn’t even make it to the final. We got beaten by the Boston Celtics.
“I got traded to the [Washington] Wizards. I thought I would get an opportunity and there was a three-year window and I didn’t get it. I thought my time was gone. Then, Miami called me when I was a free agent and that window of opportunity came up again.”
The 6’10 athlete is still in great shape and is far from done. He will go back to playing for the Big3 for the upcoming season as well.
“I love that league, man. It is perfect for the NBA guys that still want to compete at the highest level and a lot of guys who are not ready to retire, or forced out of the league to to certain circumstances.
“The Big3 eases players into retirement. It helps the players travel with some of them who have played the NBA. You get the same atmosphere and sold out arenas. I am looking forward to playing there this season.”
With 3x3 now an Olympic sport, India may find takers in the near future, especially with NBA spreading its wings rather seriously in the country in recent times.
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