NBA strengthens India connect,teams get top coaches,trainer

Kenny Natt would see a light-year's disparity between the basketball he knows back home and that where he's headed in the coming weeks.

Kenny Natt would see a light-year8217;s disparity between the basketball he knows back home and that where he8217;s headed in the coming weeks. But for his Indian hosts,the 58-year-old former National Basketball Association NBA player and coach comes with a one-degree of separation from the American league8217;s reigning super-star LeBron James.

Appointed India8217;s men8217;s team coach,Natt,was the assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers,when they reached the 2007 NBA Finals their success top-lined by LeBron James,and the seasoned coach can also boast of helping his boss Jerry Sloan guide the Utah Jazz to two NBA Finals appearances in his nine seasons as assistant at Salt Lake City.

As the NBA deepens its thrust into India,extending all possible aid to lift basketball here from its oblivion,Natt himself a player for 3 seasons with Indiana Pacers and the Jazz and head coach with Sacramento Kings will be joined by women8217;s coaching veteran Pete Gaudet as the Head Coach of the Indian Women8217;s Senior Team and Zak Penwell,a highly regarded strength amp; conditioning coach. Penwell8217;s appointment is the biggest upgrade the country8217;s hoopsters will be treated to,since a pair of Americans accompanied the Indian twin-teams to their last major assignment the Asian Games as coaches.

However,the team which failed to record any significant win,will for the first time benefit from the regimented discipline of a professional with previous experience in working with some of Scotland8217;s elite athletes and also the basketball programmes at University of Connecticut.

8220;Our teams have the skill,but we8217;ve lagged behind in conditioning and strength,8221; said Basketball Federation of India BFI CEO Harish Sharma,adding,8221;it8217;s critical that coaches can focus on tactical training and not have to worry about players8217; fitness. It8217;ll be a more professional team in charge.8221; Recent history is replete with Indian teams losing steam in the last two periods despite showing spunk and skills in the first half.

Penwell is expected to address the specialized nutritional,strength training,and conditioning programs for all Indian national men8217;s and women8217;s teams,while all three coaches are assumed to start a trickle-down effect as they interact with local coaches after landing here.

The trio should be in India by beginning June as soon as the visa formalities are sorted,and Sharma said it took plenty of reassurances from the last coaches Bill Harris and WNBA player Tamika Raymond,as also India8217;s NBA pointman Troy Justice and Bobby Sharma,formerly with NBA and now with IMG Reliance,to convince them to take up the seemingly unglamorous Indian assignment. Renumeration yet to be discussed Sharma adds,will be generous and in keeping with the reputations as the men8217;s team targets the mid-September FIBA Asian championship in China.

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Pete Gaudet the most experienced of the trio might have the biggest impact as Indians prepare for the Asian meet at Japan in August 8211; with the women standing a stronger chance at making rapid progress in the continental rankings.