Celtics Work Out 7-Foot-2 Satnam Singh Of India
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics are working out a number of potential draft prospects, and while he doesn't have the biggest name, one of their Thursday tryouts certainly brings the biggest frame.
He is 19-year-old Satnam Singh of India, who stands at 7-foot-2. The Celtics are the first of his scheduled workouts as he tries to become the first Indian-born player to make it to the NBA.
Singh towered over everyone at Thursday's workout session in Waltham, and impressed the Celtics brass in attendance.
"He's a little raw, but he shoots the ball really well, which is surprising," Celtics director of player personnel Austin Ainge said of the prospect. "He's not just tall, he's also thick. He's a big, strong kid."
With most of the focus in India on cricket, Singh knows how big making it to the NBA would be for his home country.
"I know if I go to the NBA, it will be a lot better in India for basketball," he said.
It was just a few months ago that Sim Bhullar, a 7-5 center, became the first player of Indian descent to appear in an NBA game. Now Singh hopes to follow in those very large footsteps.
"My heart, my mind says I'm ready for this," said Singh.
Singh, who averaged 9.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last season on a post graduate team at IMG Academy in Florida, comes from a rather big family in Ballo Ke, Punjab (a village of only 800). His father, a wheat farmer, stands at 7-3, while Singh's grandmother towers at 6-9.
But he knows it will take a lot more than his size to make it on an NBA team, something he tries to explain to the ever-growing population of NBA fans in India.
"A lot of people text me every day, 'When are you going to be in the NBA?' I tell them it's not easy," he said. "You have to work hard and then you go play for the NBA. It's not easy for anyone."
Singh received some interest from a few schools, including Purdue, Pittsburgh and UMass, but declared for the NBA Draft last month after not receiving any scholarship offers.
Could he become a "Jolly Green Giant" for the Celtics? They know he's a raw prospect and needs a lot of work, but wanted to get a look at him -- either for this year's draft or a draft further down the line.
"We hadn't seen him, and whether it's this year or down the road, you never know when you're going to have to evaluate him," said Ainge. "He's humongous. He's really, really big. He's a very nice kid and has an interesting story."
There's a chance Singh could withdraw from the draft if enough interest isn't shown during his workouts over the next month, but the Indian big-man is taking the steps necessary to make some history. Some very, very big steps.