Following his best month as a member of the Reno Bighorn, Sim Bhullar talked with Indian media about everything from his parents to who he believes will be the MVP of the NBA.
Read some of his best answers as recapped by NBA.com/india below.
How has the league’s reception been to you given your background of Indian origin?
"The reception has been great especially from the fans. A lot of the guys are asking me about it, just being there with me and sharing my experiences especially going on that trip to China and seeing how everyone really embraced me and a lot of people were calling me the ‘Indian Yao’. That was a pretty crazy moment for me."
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Your performances in the D- League have improved consistently. Are you happy or surprised by your progress in the D-League? How do you plan to keep improving?
"Personally, I thought it would take a while to get adjusted to the professional game since it’s so much more different than college, but I’m happy with my progress. My conditioning is up and I feel like I’m ready for the next level."
Your father was a kabaddi player in Punjab. Now considering these are contact sports, does he also have insights on your sport and how you play the game?
"My dad was into basketball a little as well, especially when we were growing up. He would play with us in the backyard whenever he would get off work. He kind of grew up on the game just like we did. He pretty much watches every game on YouTube because the D-League games are available on YouTube, so my mom and my dad try to catch the games back home whenever they come on."
The MVP race in the NBA is heating up. Russell Westbrook has been amazing. Stephen Curry has had a fantastic season. Any predictions on the MVP race?
"It’s a tough one. Currently, I like James Harden. Westbrook has been coming on and averaging a triple double in his last couple of games. I think him, Stephen Curry and James Harden will have a tight race, but James Harden will pull it off."
[RELATED: Closer Look: Sim’s Triple-Double]
You lead the D-League in field-goal percentage which is about 72 percent and also lead the league in blocks per game. What are some of the other areas of your game that you think need improvement?
"I think every player in the game can definitely improve on something. For me, it’s more about getting my body right, learning new post moves and how I can be in effective in the post. I think those are a couple of things that I could really work on."