Kevin Durant to Travel to India to Promote NBA, Donate Basketball Courts
Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant is set to travel to India next week in an effort to grow the game of basketball in the world's second-most populous country.
According to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes, Durant will donate two new basketball courts in New Delhi for the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation next Thursday before coaching many of India's top basketball prospects at NBA Academy India.
Durant said the following with regard to his upcoming trip:
"I'm excited to travel to India to help promote the game of basketball and meet the prospects at the NBA Academy India. I've wanted to visit India for a long time, and I can't wait to experience the country's unique culture and share my knowledge with the kids there."
Per Haynes, NBA Academy India opened in May, and Durant will have the opportunity to instruct 5,000 male and female athletes as part of a youth clinic.
Durant has long been one of the NBA's elite players as an eight-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion, but he currently has more cachet than ever before.
The 28-year-old veteran led Golden State on a dominant playoff run culminating in winning the NBA Finals MVP award.
Despite India's massive population, it has yet to leave a significant mark on the NBA.
Sim Bhullar became the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA in 2014, while Satnam Singh Bhamara was the first India-born player to be selected in the NBA draft when the Dallas Mavericks took him with the No. 52 overall pick in 2015.
