Bollywood and the NBA: Notable Indian movie stars share space with NBA players | NBA.com India

With just under a month until the opening night of the league’s historic 75th year, the NBA has announced Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh as the league’s brand ambassador to India.

“I have loved basketball and the NBA since I was a kid and have always been fascinated by its influence on popular culture, including music, fashion and entertainment,” Singh said. “With the NBA announcing its 75th season celebrations, there couldn’t have been a better time to join forces with the league and support its efforts to develop basketball in the country.”

As part of the partnership, Singh will engage in several league initiatives to promote the sport in the country, including on “NBA Style” (@nbastyle_in), “a new lifestyle-focused Instagram account for fans in the country. India that showcases the convergence of NBA and popular culture.

There is also a plan in place for him to attend the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland and share behind-the-scenes content with NBA players and legends on social media.

While he will serve as a bridge between new fans and moviegoers, Singh is one of those rare personalities, let alone the Indian, to have had the chance to share the same camera frame with “His Airness” – Michael Jordan.

That said, here is a look at a number of other Bollywood superstars who have interacted with the NBA world in recent years.

Ranbir Kapoor

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One of the best actors of the current generation in Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor had the opportunity to meet the late Kobe Bryant in 2010 at Madison Square Garden.

After the Lakers beat the Knicks 115-105 where Bryant finished with 27 points and six assists, Kapoor – who was in the United States during the filming of the movie ‘Anjaana Anjani’ – not only met the Black Mamba but also received his worn sneakers with his autograph.

Dino Morea and Lara Dutta

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A few years earlier, Dino Morea and Lara Dutta – winner of the Miss Universe 2000 contest – met Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles for a shoot.

After the shoot, the duo not only posed for clicks with the NBA legend, but also received custom signed Lakers jerseys.

Abhishek Bachchan

In 2014, second-generation Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan participated in the NBA’s online product launch in India, partnering with Jabong.

The following year, Bachchan, a longtime Los Angeles Lakers fan, attended the 2015 All-Star Celebrity Game at Madison Square Garden as the league’s Goodwill Ambassador. He was part of Team East, which also included celebrities like Kevin Hart and Michael Rapport.

To learn more about his participation in the epic event, as part of All-Star Weekend 2015 in New York, click here.

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Bachchan has remained an avid member of the NBA fanbase in India.

In 2017, when India hosted Kevin Durant, then reigning Finals MVP and arguably the greatest NBA player to visit the country, Jr. Bachchan was among the celebrities – who also included the first and only choice. of India in the NBA Draft, Satnam Singh – in attendance. at the reception to welcome KD.

.@virendersehwag, @juniorbachchan, @RannvijaySingha and @thetanmay were all there to meet @ KDTrey5 #KDinInd @NBA @NBAIndia pic.twitter.com/OZeN18nHmM

– ESPN India (@ESPNIndia) July 27, 2017

To relive Kevin Durant’s epic trip to India in 2017, click here.

Neha Dhupia

In 2015, courtesy of the league office in India, Neha Dhupia – Bollywood actress and winner of the 2002 Femina Miss India contest – was able to attend a few matches live around the New Year 2016.

During the trip, she met a host of notable people including Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis and Walt Frazier. First, she was at the United Center in Chicago on December 30 to watch Jimmy Butler win the game in the last second in overtime against the Indiana Pacers.

A few days later, she was at Madison Square Garden, as the Knicks played host to the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 3.

After seeing all of the NBA action, returning home six months later, Dhupia was at the NBA.com regional website launch for India in April 2016.

At the launch of https://t.co/KdV9Yyc5em , A one stop shop for the love of #basketball @NBA @NBAIndia. @RannvijaySingha pic.twitter.com/zZauXxvaH

– Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) April 27, 2016

Disha patani

Actress Disha Patani traveled to Los Angeles to watch the Los Angeles Derby in January 2019, a game that saw LeBron James return from his injury on Christmas Day 2018.

His visit was part of a story-rich week for basketball fans in India. More on that, here.

Reggie Miller

It wasn’t technically a “Bollywood NBA reunion,” but given the way the world has operated since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual matters. So here is the context.

‘Dil Bechara’, an adaptation of John Green’s popular novel – The Fault In Our Stars, was the last film Sushant Singh Rajput worked on before her tragic death on June 14, 2020.

In the title song of the film, the first Rajput is seen performing in Reggie Miller’s No.31 Indiana Pacers jersey. Ekalavyas, among the most popular basketball media houses in India, posted a short clip of the track on his Instagram account and launched a rallying cry to mark the Hall of Famer in the comments section to give it a try. to get his attention.

The plan worked and the Hall of Fame responded.

Simran Kaur Mundi

Simran Kaur Mundi, an actress who was crowned Miss India Universe 2008, was part of the cast that hosted ‘Saturday Morning Live’, the NBA’s year-end show on Saturdays of the 2018-19 season.

Throughout the season, the show hosted many NBA stars like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Rashard Lewis, who traveled to India to promote the show.

Rannvijay singha

A native of MTV fame, Rannvijay Singh went on to star in several Bollywood films. Having played basketball in his youth, he is an NBA fan and owns one of the sneakers collections.

From the meeting Devin Booker in 2016 to shoot segments of shows with NBA players like Seth Curry and Robin Lopez for “NBA Slam,” an Indian NBA basketball TV show on Sony SIX, Singha has shared screen space with NBA players on several occasions.

He was part of the cast of “Saturday Morning Live,” adding to his list multiple appearances alongside NBA players.

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