'It takes a village to build a champion', says Scott Fleming on India's growth in basketball

Scott Fleming is currently the technical director of the NBA Academy.

The 73rd Senior National Basketball Championship was concluded last week, with Tamil Nadu securing victory in the men’s and Indian Railways claiming the top spot in the women’s categories respectively. Host Punjab (men’s) were the favourites to clinch the title having recently won the National Games and were the reigning champions coming into the competition.

During the tournament, Khel Now had the opportunity to interact with Scott Fleming, the technical director of the NBA Academy. Scott’s influence on the development of Indian basketball spans several years. He has coached some of the best talents in the country, such as Vishesh Bhriguvanshi, Amjyot Singh, Amritpal Singh, and Satnam Singh Bhamara.

India’s ace sniper, Joginder Singh, said that Scott was his game-changer. “No coach has shown so much confidence as he did in my career. He gave me the free hand in allowing me to hit as many three-point attempts as I wanted,” he said.

Notably, Fleming etched his name in history by orchestrating a victory against a higher-ranked Chinese national team on their home turf.

Boasting more than 25 years of coaching experience, Scott Fleming’s primary focus is player development. He played a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing future stars for the country. The likes of Lokendra Singh, Jaideep Rathore, Harsh Dagar, and Kushal Singh were instrumental in India’s historic fifth-place finish at the 2022 U-16 Asian Championship and the 2023 U-18 FIBA 3×3 World Cup.

Fleming humbly remarked, “It takes a village to build a champion like that or build a great team. On the relationship with national coach Matic, Scott iterated, “We always talk basketball, we talk players. It’s a collaboration – he’s a good friend, a good coach.”

Turning his attention to women’s basketball during the semi-finals, Fleming spoke about the success compared to the men’s game. Despite fewer events, he expressed optimism, highlighting the presence of talented female players in India and the United States of America.

Reflecting on his association with Satnam Singh Bhamara, Scott affectionately described him as “the One Big nice guy.” Recalling Satnam’s journey, Fleming emphasized the contributions of various individuals, including Donnie Nelson, who played a pivotal role in Satnam’s selection by the Dallas Mavericks.

As basketball experiences a surge in development with private academies like Dribble Academy emerging, Scott commended Pradyut Voleti as one of the best coaches in India, particularly in player development. He also extended appreciation to independent media for their significant contribution to the country’s basketball growth.

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