Wikipedia

Sim Bhullar

Gursimran Singh "Sim" Bhullar (born December 2, 1992) is a Canadian professional basketball player who last played for the Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League. He played college basketball for New Mexico State University[1][2] and is the first player of Indian descent to play in the NBA.[3] At 7'5", he also became the sixth-tallest player in NBA history, being tied with Chuck Nevitt and Pavel Podkolzin for that record.[4]

Sim Bhullar
Sim Bhullar with the Hsinchu JKO Lioneers in 2022
Free agent
PositionCenter
Personal information
Born (1992-12-02) December 2, 1992 (age 32)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Listed height7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Listed weight360 lb (163 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNew Mexico State (2012–2014)
NBA draft2014: undrafted
Playing career2014–present
Career history
2014–2015Reno Bighorns
2015Sacramento Kings
2015–2016Raptors 905
2016–2017Dacin Tigers
2017Guangxi Rhinos
2017–2018Dacin Tigers
2019Taipei Fubon Braves
2020Yulon Luxgen Dinos
2021–2022Hsinchu JKO Lioneers
2022–2024Tainan TSG GhostHawks
Career highlights and awards
  • SBL champion (2017)
  • SBL Best Foreign Player of the year (2017)
  • NBA D-League All-Rookie Third Team (2015)
  • NBA D-League All-Defensive Second Team (2015)
  • Third-team All-WAC (2013)
  • WAC All-Newcomer Team (2013)
  • WAC All-Defensive Team (2014)
  • WAC Freshman of the Year (2013)
  • WAC tournament MOP (2014)
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2015 Toronto National team
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2010 San Antonio National team

High school career

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Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bhullar grew up in Brampton[5] and attended Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School in Etobicoke, Toronto before moving to Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, to attend The Kiski School for the 2009–10 school year.[6] That year, Bhullar averaged a near triple-double for the Kiski basketball team with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and eight blocks per game. At the FIBA Americas Under-18 tournament in the summer of 2010, Bhullar impressed with his size and performance. In a loss to the United States, Bhullar came off the bench to record 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks.[7]

At the end of November 2010, in the middle of Kiski's basketball season, Bhullar withdrew from Kiski[6] and transferred to Huntington Prep School in West Virginia.[8] At Huntington, Bhullar improved on his conditioning, dropping from 367 pounds (166 kg) to 330 pounds (150 kg).[9]

College career

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Bhullar originally committed to playing for Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, but decommitted in August 2011 to play for the New Mexico State Aggies. He turned down Xavier because he learned he was not qualified to immediately play and would have to pay the full $42,000-a-year tuition, which his family refused to do.[10] Bhullar, however, was not able to play until the 2012–13 season because the NCAA denied him an eligibility waiver and rejected the school's appeal.[11] His brother, Tanveer, joined the team for the 2013–14 season, although he redshirted his freshman year.

During his freshman season, Bhullar played 24.4 minutes per game, averaging 10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. In his sophomore season, he improved to 26.3 minutes per game, with 10.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.[12] He is a two-time WAC tournament MVP, winning the award in 2013 and 2014, where he also helped New Mexico State reach the NCAA tournament.[13]

In April 2014, Bhullar declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility.[14]

Professional career

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Sacramento Kings / Reno Bighorns (2014–2015)

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After going undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft, Bhullar joined the Sacramento Kings for the 2014 NBA Summer League.[15] On August 14, 2014, he signed with the Kings, becoming the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA team.[16] However, he was waived by the Kings on October 19 after appearing in two preseason games.[17] On November 2, 2014, he was acquired by the Reno Bighorns of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of the Kings.[18] Bhullar made his D-League debut on December 6 and recorded four points, eight rebounds and six blocks in Reno's 141–140 loss to the Los Angeles D-Fenders.[19][20] On February 22, 2015, he recorded his first career triple-double with 26 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots against the D-Fenders.[21]

On April 2, 2015, Bhullar signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings.[22] Five days later, he made history when he checked in the fourth quarter for the final 16.1 seconds of the Kings' 116–111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player of Indian descent to play in an NBA game.[23] He scored his first two points on April 8 in a 103–91 loss to the Utah Jazz.[24] Bhullar was not retained by the Kings following the expiration of his 10-day contract.

In July 2015, Bhullar re-joined the Kings for the 2015 NBA Summer League.[25] After appearing in just one game for the Kings, Bhullar left the team in order to join the Canadian national team for the Pan Am Games.[26]

Raptors 905 (2015–2016)

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On October 31, 2015, Bhullar was acquired by Raptors 905 of the NBA Development League.[27] In 39 games for Raptors 905 in 2015–16, he averaged 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game.[28]

Dacin Tigers (2016–2017)

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On August 26, 2016, Bhullar signed with the Dacin Tigers of the Taiwanese Super Basketball League.[29]

Guangxi Rhinos (2017)

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On April 27, 2017, Bhullar signed with Guangxi Rhinos of the National Basketball League, the second-tier league of China.[30]

Hsinchu JKO Lioneers (2021–2022)

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On October 22, 2021, Bhullar joined Hsinchu JKO Lioneers of the Taiwanese P. League+.[31]

Tainan TSG GhostHawks (2022–2024)

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On December 16, 2022, Bhullar signed with Tainan TSG GhostHawks of the T1 League.[32] On August 7, 2023, Bhullar re-signed with the Tainan TSG GhostHawks.[33] On March 9, 2024, the news reported that Tainan TSG GhostHawks cancelled the registration of Bhullar's playership.[34]

Career statistics

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NBA

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Season Team G GS MP FG% 3P% FT% TRB AST STL BLK PTS
2014–15 Sacramento 3 0 1.0 .500 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.7
Career 3 0 1.0 .500 0.3 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.7

National team career

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Bhullar played for Canada in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship where he averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds in five games.[35] Canada won the bronze medal after finishing with a 3–2 record.[36] Bhullar then played for Canada in the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. In six games, he averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.[37] Canada finished in 11th place with a 3–5 record.[38]

Personal life

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Bhullar's parents migrated to Canada from the state of Punjab in India. His father, Avtar, is 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) and his mother, Varinder, is 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm). Neither parent had exposure to basketball until enrolling their sons into local youth basketball programs. Avtar himself grew up only playing kabaddi, a traditional Indian contact sport.[7] Bhullar has an older sister, Avneet, and a younger brother, Tanveer, who stands at 7 feet 2 inches (218 cm) and played college basketball for both New Mexico State and, later, Missouri State.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "#2 Sim Bhullar". nmstatesports.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  2. ^ Sharda Ugra (July 22, 2014). "India, the Next Great Basketball Superpower". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "Sim Bhullar becomes NBA's first player of Indian descent". BBC Sport. BBC News. April 8, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  4. ^ Des Bieler (April 8, 2015). "Gigantic Sim Bhullar becomes the first player of Indian descent to appear in an NBA game". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  5. ^ Brady, Rachel (March 19, 2014). "Towering Canadian brothers on track to make basketball history". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Mike White (December 2, 2010). "Lineup suddenly shrinks for Kiski School". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  7. ^ a b Luke Winn (July 1, 2010). "Behemoth Sim Bhullar a 7–4 showstopper at FIBA tourney". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  8. ^ Grant Taylor. "Huntington Prep brings in 7–4 player". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  9. ^ Pete Thamel (July 16, 2011). "So Much Potential, So Far to Go for Young Basketball Prospect". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  10. ^ Diamond Leung (August 24, 2011). "7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar to enroll at NMSU". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  11. ^ "Aggies working through growing pains". Fox Sports Arizona. archive.is. December 15, 2011. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  12. ^ "Sim Bhullar Stats, News, Videos, Highlights, Pictures, Bio – New Mexico State Aggies". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  13. ^ Raphielle Johnson (April 16, 2014). "Report: New Mexico State's Sim Bhullar to enter 2014 NBA Draft | CollegeBasketballTalk". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  14. ^ Raphielle Johnson (April 16, 2014). "Report: New Mexico State's Sim Bhullar to enter 2014 NBA Draft | CollegeBasketballTalk". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  15. ^ "NMSU Basketball: Sim Bhullar invited to play for Sacramento Kings Summer League team". Las Cruces Sun-News. Lcsun-news.com. June 27, 2014. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  16. ^ "Kings Sign Center Sim Bhullar". NBA.com. August 14, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  17. ^ Kings Waive Bhullar, Burton, Wear
  18. ^ BIGHORNS FINALIZE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER AFTER D-LEAGUE DRAFT Archived 2014-11-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  19. ^ Heslip, Bighorns Fall In L.A. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  20. ^ "Sim Bhullar blocks six shots in his Reno Bighorns debut!". YouTube. December 6, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  21. ^ Bhullar Shines, But Bighorns Fall To D-Fenders Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  22. ^ "Kings Sign Sim Bhullar to a 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  23. ^ "Kings hold off Timberwolves behind Casspi". NBA.com. April 7, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  24. ^ "Jazz rally for 103–91 win over Kings, Favors scores 18". NBA.com. April 8, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  25. ^ Get To Know: Kings Summer League Team
  26. ^ Bighorns' Bhullar to Play for Team Canada Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  27. ^ "Raptors 905 Announce NBA D-League Drafts Results, Training Camp Roster". Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  28. ^ Sim Bhullar D-League Stats Basketball Reference Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  29. ^ "Sim Bhullar is a newcomer at Dacin Tigers". Asia-Basket.com. August 26, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  30. ^ "Sim Bhullar inks with Guangxi in Chinese NBL". Sportando. April 27, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  31. ^ 黃及人 (October 22, 2021). "真正獅子王跳槽 布拉改名「辛巴」加盟攻城獅". 中國時報. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  32. ^ "才宣布離隊10分鐘 布拉加盟獵鷹今晚將出戰「魔獸」霍華德". Liberty Times Net. December 16, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  33. ^ "「台灣女婿」布拉回歸 台鋼獵鷹洋將三塔還缺一". Liberty Times Net. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  34. ^ "獵鷹選擇註銷布拉 錢韋成：傷病問題一直存在". TSNA. March 9, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  35. ^ Sim Bhullar's profile | 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  36. ^ 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  37. ^ Sim Bhullar's profile | 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  38. ^ 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship In Latvia Archived 2015-04-12 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  39. ^ New Mexico State Sim also had a Job At Dunkin Donuts as a Teen.Athletics
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