Satnam Singh Discusses NBA Career, Joining AEW, The Great Khali, More in B/R AMA

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Satnam Singh is one of the biggest basketball stars to ever come out of India, and now he is looking to make a name for himself in professional wrestling as well.

Singh became the first India-born player to ever be selected in the NBA draft when the Dallas Mavericks took him in the second round in 2015. Although he never appeared in an NBA regular-season game for the Mavs, he established himself as a potential trailblazer for other Indian players.

After making the transition to wrestling, Singh signed with AEW in 2021 and made his on-screen debut in April.

In a Bleacher Report AMA conducted Friday, Singh discussed his basketball career, his time in AEW, his desire to wrestle WWE Hall of Famer The Great Khali and much more.

The following is most of the transcript from the AMA session.

@C21 If you could do it all over, would you still like to have been drafted to Dallas or perhaps another team?

I didn’t mind which team picked me up. I just wanted to be an NBA player, the first Indian. The Mavs liked me and took me at 52. All that mattered was I made the league.

@AdamPFeiff Who was your favorite Mav ? (and why was it Dirk?)

Dirk was my favorite player because he taught guys a lot of stuff, especially being a fellow big man. I learned so many things from him. There were a couple of other players that really helped me, but he was always mostly my favorite player over there.

@Buzzer_Beaters Why did you decide to stop pursuing basketball?

I just played basketball for so long and I wanted to do something different for my country. I already made history with basketball and so I wanted to make history in another sport in India.

@Klasto What are your thoughts on the rising basketball representation in India?

Basketball is still growing in India. It’s not as big as I would have liked it to be right now. It’s still far away from another Indian getting a contract or a deal, but I hope getting drafted opens up the door to more a few years down the line.

@WuTangWarrior636 Who are 2 NBA players you would like to see take to the ring?

Dwight Howard and Steven Adams.

@Colbywright2 How did you first get into wrestling?

In 2017, when I was playing in the D League still, WWE reached out and made me come to the performance center. I tried it out and trained with them, but I wasn’t ready to make that move yet, because I was still into basketball. 2017 was when I initially was exposed to it.

@Bruhmrkt Did you ever consider a wrestling career before a basketball career or was it always basketball first?

Mostly, I was always thinking about basketball. After basketball, was when I started to really consider wrestling. After talking to my cousin was when I really decided to switch and try something different.

@JayyGo Who are some of your favorite wrestlers of all time?

The Rock and Big Show. They are mostly my favorites. Mark Henry as well. I mostly like all of the big guys.

@Bowl845 What was the biggest draw to wrestling over something like boxing or MMA?

Being a giant just felt like an easier transition. You don’t really see 7’3″ guys in boxing or MMA. Maybe in the future, I can do an exhibition and challenge someone like Jake Paul in another sport, but I’m more built for basketball or wrestling.

@SVN_ Is there anything that shocked you or was challenging while transitioning from basketball to wrestling?

It was shocking for my family. When I told them I’m going to be moved from basketball to wrestling, they were surprised I was changing careers. They were worried I might get hurt doing wrestling, but most of the challenge and shock came from my family and not me.

@Trevot20 What has been the hardest thing to learn in professional wrestling?

I don’t think anything is really hard. I’m just learning by seeing things and I don’t really have trouble with specific moves.

@Coleman6 Who do you eventually want to wrestle in AEW?

I’m ok with anyone right now. I’m really open with all wrestlers. Maybe Big Show? That would be a great opportunity for me to go face to face with him.

@Just_in_Time What should wrestling fans know about you that they don’t already?

If they want to know about me, just follow my journey so they know everyone about me. I look like a gentle giant, but when I’m in the ring, don’t mess with me!

@Messiah_Leddy If you could face any giant in wrestling history, who are you picking?

The Great Khali. We could do a big fight: the battle of two mega Indian big men.

@NecoSinner Do you have your eyes on a specific title belt?

Not yet, but this will be my dream to have a title in my hand. I don’t know just yet, but I pray a title gets to me soon.