NEW DELHI // Less than two months after taking on the India coaching job, Kenny Natt's intuition tells him that there must be a budding Yao Ming or LeBron James just waiting to be unearthed somewhere in the country.
The former NBA coach believes that basketball, a minor sport in the world's second most populous country, needed its first Indian superstar to inspire youngsters to take to the court instead of heading for the nearest cricket academy.
"Can you imagine 1.2 billion? There has to be someone in some remote area. We will find them," the former Sacramento Kings interim coach said.
"Basketball cannot be developed overnight. It was not done even in the US ... we had Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar. You need the Yao Mings," he said, referring to China's most recognisable athlete and an NBA All-Star.
Natt has been an assistant coach at Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers, where he worked with James, but he was not ready to downplay the significance of the India job.
"Who says this is unglamorous? This is a very glamorous job. It's a great opportunity to reach out and share all the knowledge with young, energetic group of players," said Natt, who signed a two-year contract in May.
"I did not know what to expect prior to coming over. I had some clue that some of the guys are talented. To my surprise, they are a lot better than I thought.
"It's just a matter of instilling in them some of basic things ... defensive and offensive techniques. They have the desire to learn and listen."
The former guard does not buy into the idea that it is too late to teach new methods to players already at a national level.
"We mould older players in NBA," he said. "They are responding well. They know what I'm teaching them. I worked with LeBron James. It's the same drill, they are learning the same thing. I must say they have been very receptive, working hard trying to please me."
That same work ethic could also help his new charges defy a distinct lack of height when compared to other international sides, the 52 year old said.
"You don't need height as much as you need heart and determination. You need to play smart. I don't think too much about height."
Natt's first task will be to lead India at the Fiba Asia Basketball Championship in Wuhan, China in September.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
COMPANY PROFILE
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Based: Tunisia
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Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Afghanistan squad
Gulbadin Naib (captain), Mohammad Shahzad (wicketkeeper), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
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Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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