Being a big guy in NBA can be a good thing and bad thing: Sim Bhullar

Saturday (April 4) was probably the biggest day of your life, getting ready for your likely NBA debut. Were you nervous when you woke up in the morning?
I was really nervous. I mean I just wanted to shoot around. I was like, this is going to be my first NBA game. I will just drive into the arena and I will just think about the task at hand. You start thinking about your first game and stuff, just how far you have made it throughout the year and all the hard work that you put in, that it's finally paying off. So, it was a great feeling for me to get dressed and putting the uniform on for the first time in my life. (Sim Bhullar made history by becoming the first player of Indian descent to sign an NBA contract but he will have to wait longer to make his league debut. The 7-foot-5-inch centre did not get to play in what turned out to be Sacramento Kings' loss against Pelicans.)

How tough have the last few days been? What were your initial thoughts on being called up?
When I first heard the word, I was really excited and I was happy for the opportunity. The last couple days has been amazing. I have just been coming down here (Sacramento Kings) and playing with all the team. Everybody's happy to have me here and all the guys are happy I'm here. I have got hugs and cheers when I walk to the door and I am excited to be here.

Even though it's just a game of basketball, at any time do you feel the burden of expectations of the 1.2 billion Indians?
I don't really think that there is any pressure on me. I just know that a lot of people are watching, I am ready to produce, I am ready to show people what I can do. It's just a game of basketball to me. I don't even look at it as life or death. I just go out there and play my best, and if you do that, I don't think there is any way you can go wrong. I just give my all. When I go for the games, I will give everything on the court. I think that's what I'm going to do. I am just going out there and trying to open the door for younger generations to come into the game.

Which areas of your game did you have to work on?
Every part of my game I think I needed to work on. The big thing for me were just getting my body right and getting my weight down. Basically looking more like an NBA player and more like an athlete. If I could accomplish those things, of course my game would better. I will become a lot quicker, be able to run up and down a lot more and just jump higher and stuff. I think just working on my body was the biggest thing for me. And with that I think, the rest of my game has really improved.

Do you think a ten-day contract is too less? Or do you think you have a lot of time to prove your work?
Having a ten-day contract is a blessing itself and I take it day by day and get better. I am just excited for the chance to be here and I am just grateful for that.

Given your physical strength, it is a bit challenging to be fast, but how did you tackle it and use it to your advantage?
Being a big guy in NBA can be a good thing and bad thing. I can be a big player and rock shots every ball but at the same time I got to work on my quickness and just get to the speed of the others. I am able to make up for the ground which is my style and still got so, I mean, it's blessing.

Born and brought up in Canada, how do you feel about your Indian connect?
I am Indian at heart and my whole family is Indian. My parents moved over from India about 30 years ago. I will go to Gurudwara a couple of times every week and my Indian roots are pretty strong.

Did you, at any point of the season, ever feel that you would actually get a call for the NBA?
That wasn't really on my mind. I just thought that there's a focus on what I needed to do to get there. I just thought that I needed to focus on my game and body. Getting into shape was a top priority. I just focused on being the best as far as I can be as.

How different or difficult has this transition from college basketball to D league and then the NBA level been?
There is a big difference between those, especially from college to any professional. Guys in college are just there for educational stuff and I think the guys in the pro league are to play. It was hard for me at first because the guys are quicker or stronger and can jump really hard. But I think that's the learning curve and I got faster. I evolved around that and I think I am playing pretty well. Even the NBA is a different world for me. I am going to need to adjust for that and hopefully in time, I will be able to catch up with that.

Being tall definitely is an advantage on the court, but off-court, are are there any disadvantages?
The first difficulty is finding clothes and shoes to wear. I learned to live with it. I am just used to being tall and I guess people would think that it's hard for me to walk around like that, but I am used to it. It's just normal for me.