NBA AND SKECHERS COLLABORATE TO LAUNCH SEASON TWO OF HOOP NATION DOCUSERIES IN INDIA
– Four-Part Lyrical Docuseries on the NBA India YouTube Channel Features Inspiring Basketball Stories from Across the Country Through New-Age Indian Hip-Hop – MUMBAI, India, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) in collaboration with Skechers, a global performance and lifestyle footwear and apparel brand, today announced the launch of the second season of 'Hoop Nation,' a four-part lyrical docuseries showcasing inspiring basketball stories from across India. Skechers is serving as Presenting Partner of the docuseries, which is available now on the NBA India YouTube channel (@NBAIndiaOfficial) along with accompanying music videos.
Building on the success of its first season, Hoop Nation season two tells the stories of Ishrat Akhter, an international wheelchair basketball player from Baramulla, Kashmir; Deepak P. Babu, a passionate fan, mentor and content creator from Alappuzha, Kerala; the Lao family, a father-daughter duo from Kolkata's Indo-Chinese community; and Farooque Shaikh, a dedicated mentor from Mumbai's Nagpada neighborhood. Each player wears innovative Skechers Basketball shoes designed for 'Comfort that Performs®'.
The second season of Hoop Nation features new-age Indian hip-hop artists driving the storytelling: Straight Outta Srinagar (SOS), the talented duo at the forefront of Kashmir's underground music scene; ThirumaLi, a powerhouse in the Malayalam hip-hop community; EPR Iyer, a seasoned voice from Kolkata and a pioneer in the Indian hip-hop movement; and QK, a rising star from Mumbai known for her unique fusion of rapping and singing. Through their powerful, original lyrics and beats, these artists showcase the challenges and triumphs of players, fans and coaches from Alappuzha, Kashmir, Kolkata and Mumbai who have used basketball to shape their communities and inspire the next generation of athletes.
"Hoop Nation season two embodies the spirit of basketball in India – a game that unites, inspires, and drives change," said NBA Asia Head of Strategy and NBA India Country Head, Rajah Chaudhry. "Skechers shares the NBA's goal of growing basketball in India and providing fans and players across the country with more opportunities to engage with the league and the game. With Hoop Nation season two, we are bringing authentic stories of resilience and passion to the forefront and engaging the growing Indian basketball community in a new and creative way." "At Skechers, we believe in the transformative power of sport to inspire communities and drive long-term impact," said Rahul Vira, CEO of Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd. "Our continued association with the NBA through initiatives like Hoop Nation and the ACG Jr. NBA program highlights our commitment to fostering the growth of basketball in India at every level. Our roster of elite NBA pros like Joel Embiid and Julius Randle have brought the 'Comfort That Performs' of Skechers Basketball to their game. At the same time, we're empowering the next generation of Indian players by providing them with innovative, high-performance footwear and apparel that will help them dominate on the court. This collaboration supports our mission to amplify local talent, elevate authentic stories, and take the development of basketball to the next level across the country." Skechers also served as the official kit partner of the ACG Jr. NBA program, a nationwide 3v3 tournament for the top U-14 players across India and the largest school-based basketball program in the country, which reached more than 4,000 youth from more than 500 schools across India last year. This collaboration across original content and grassroot development continues an ongoing first-of-its-kind association for Skechers in the region.
NBA fans in India can follow the NBA on Facebook (Facebook.com/NBAIndia), Instagram (@NBAIndia and @NBAStyle_in for everything style related), X (@NBAIndia) and download the NBA App for the latest news, updates, scores, stats, schedules, videos and more.
Skechers Basketball footwear is available at skechersbasketball.com and select Skechers retail stores. Basketball fans can also get behind-the-scenes access to Skechers Basketball product launches and more by following @skechersbasketball on Instagram.
(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.).
This is an auto-published feed from PTI with no editorial input from The Wire.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
32 minutes ago
- Mint
'It was the name of my company': Poonam Dhillon recalls introducing Vanity vans to Bollywood
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 30 (ANI): Actor Poonam Dhillon, famed for films like 'Trishul', 'Kaala Pathar' and 'Dard' among others, is credited with introducing a game-changing concept to the Indian movie industry- the Vanity Vans. The makeup van or artiste trailer is now considered a stape of film shoots with most Bollywood celebrities flaunting the lavish vehicles that provide a space for actors to relax, change their costumes and do so much more within its confines. However, once these luxury rooms were a rarity, compelling actors to sometimes travel back to their hotel rooms from their sets just for a costume change! In an interview with ANI, the Poonam Dhillon opened up on she launched her own company, which provided spacious mobile dressing rooms for actors and how such vehicles that were outfitted with facilties like air conditioning, makeup room, and toilet, came to be named as 'Vanities'! "Vanity was the name of my company," said the 'Teri Meherbaniyan' actor, adding, "You have to name your company something. So one of my friends who was a journalist... it was a were makeup vans. So it was a pun on the word van and vanity because you're the dressing thing.." Dhillon detailed how her friend suggested the name. "Meri ek bahut achi dost is no more, unfortunately. She was the editor of Stardust at that time. So when I was planning my whole thing, I said, I need to name my company, suggest some Prochi (Badshah)suggested vanity, besides all the other names which we were working on, and I thought that was a very good name. And today it's become a generic name for what a make-up van is aayi ki idhar laga dena..I said that was my company name. You could say make-up van idhar laga dena. But today they are called vanities." "I would say that on the set is also where you're getting to know each other or chit-chatting or comradeship happens. And if you become comfortable, then you share lunches even in makeup vans.." On the work front, Dhillon is best known for her 1979 film 'Noorie'. She also worked in 'Red Rose', 'Dard' 'Romance' , 'Sohni Mahiwal', 'Teri Meherbaniyan', 'Samundar', 'Karma', 'Naam' and 'Maalamaal'. Poonam made a special appearance in 'Judaai'. She also made a mark on TV and was seen as a contestant on Season 3 of 'Bigg Boss' aired in 2009. The veteran actor played the lead role in the serial 'Ekk Nayi Pehchaan'. (ANI)
India.com
41 minutes ago
- India.com
Tendulkar caused BCCI to become Yuvraj Singh's enemy, Dhoni was made captain due to...
Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) In these collection of pictures, we find out how Sachin Tendulkar cost Yuvraj Singh a possible shot at becoming the Indian cricket captain. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Yuvraj Singh revealed in an interview that he wanted to become India captain back in 2007. But the BCCI never gave him a change to become Indian skipper. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Yuvraj Singh revealed that Sachin Tendulkar cost him chance to become Indian captain. Yuvraj Singh had supported Sachin Tendulkar while going against former head coach Greg Chappell. BCCI officials didn't like this. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) Yuvraj Singh was vice-captain of ODI team under Rahul Dravid in 2007 tour of England. Yuvraj expected himself to be named skipper by BCCI when Dravid quit captaincy. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) BCCI appointed MS Dhoni the captain for 2007 T20 World Cup. Yuvraj Singh was removed from position of vice-captain also. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) MS Dhoni led India to 2007 T20 World Cup title and remained the Indian captain in ODIs till 2017. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) BCCI never gave Yuvraj Singh chance to become captain. Virat Kohli took over as India captain from MS Dhoni. Image credit: X (Formerly Twitter) MS Dhoni led Team India to 2011 ODI World Cup title. Yuvraj Singh was the 'Player of the Tournament' in that ODI World Cup.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
World's first fully autonomous AI robot football match held in China: What you need to know
AI Football Match: A fully autonomous AI robot football match made history in Beijing, showcasing China's first-ever 3v3 humanoid robot soccer game powered entirely by artificial intelligence . With teams from Tsinghua University, China Agricultural University, and others competing without human control, the tournament highlighted breakthroughs in visual sensors, autonomous decision-making, and fall-recovery systems. In a final illuminated by cheers, Tsinghua's robots triumphed 5–3—an early glimpse of what's to come at the World Humanoid Robot Games. As the event draws attention beyond the field, this match marks a powerful convergence of sports and robotics, potentially redefining how we view competition and collaboration between machines and humans. Stay tuned to discover why this landmark game could signal a new era in robotic sports. About the AI football match China recently hosted the first-ever football game between AI-powered humanoid robots. According to a report, the match consisted of two 10-minute halves with humanoid robots fighting in a 3 vs. 3 match while sporting purple and black jerseys. Pre-installed algorithms controlled the robots' moves during this match. The event was designed to demonstrate balance, agility, and AI-based decision-making rather than testing fast-paced action. The article claims that after scoring, the robots even lifted their hands. According to reports, Chinese technology universities took part in these games, showcasing machine autonomy advancements. This battle is reportedly the first in China and could serve as a prelude to the World Humanoid Robot Games, which will also occur in Beijing. Teams from Beijing Information Science and Technology University and Tsinghua University took part, according to a China News Network story (viewed by Bloomberg). According to the report, Vulcan, a Tsinghua team, took home the title. What organisers said about the AI football match held in China? The AI robot match organizers told the news agency AP that one of the main features of the competition was that each robot used AI-driven tactics to work completely on its own without any assistance or oversight from humans. The robots, which were equipped with sophisticated vision sensors, could locate the ball and travel about the field quickly. Although some still required workers to carry them off the field on stretchers throughout the game, they were designed to get back up on their own after falling, which gave the event a more genuine feel, according to the organizers. According to the report, Booster Robotics provided these robots. According to Cheng Hao, the CEO of the business, sporting events offer a realistic setting for testing humanoid robots, fostering advancements in algorithms and hardware-software integration.
