Ranveer Singh Flies to US For NBA All-Star Celebrity Game

Actor Ranveer Singh travelled to Cleveland last night to take part in the NBA All-Star celebrity game, which features some of the world's best artists and basketball players. In September of last year, the National Basketball Association of the United States named Ranveer Singh as the NBA Brand Ambassador from India.

The actor will appear with comedian Tiffany Haddish, rappers and recording artists such as Anuel, Machine Gun Kelly, Jack Harlow, and Quavo. Famous players from the past and present will also take part in the game, including Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby, and Cleveland Cavaliers icons Booby Gibson and Anderson Varejao. The game will be played at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland on Friday, February 18.

According to a report by News 18, speaking on how his participation in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game showcases the Indian acting fraternity's global reach, he says, “It is quite exciting for me! This is the stuff of dreams. It’s so far-fetched that it’s not even on my bucket list. I will be playing against and with some of the finest talents in the world of talent and sport and it’ll be a great experience to be in Cleveland in what is a weekend long celebration of basketball culture. I am really looking forward to it."

He adds, “I do wish to do my bit to propel Indian cinema to a place of global recognition. I think the Koreans have done it effectively, in spite of the language barrier, and it serves as an example of what could be in the future for Indian cinema at the global stage."

Singh also discussed how he began playing basketball when he moved to America to study at Indiana University. “I first became a fan of basketball when I started watching basketball on TV watching Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the 90s. Then I went to American for four years to study at Indiana University which had a great basketball culture and a great basketball legacy. A basketball college or a town as they called it," he says.

The 'Gully Boy' actor stated that he plays the game daily, which enables him to stay fit, “When I moved out of the campus our apartment had a basketball court right next door so we pretty much played every day and now I play in my building apartment complex which has a beautiful basketball court and it’s a great way to stay fit and to make friends. Even if I have nobody to play with I just do some shooting practice. I find it very therapeutic.”

The actor hasn't gotten much practise in before the All-Star celebrity game because he's been working for Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,' but he plans to hit the court as much as he can once he arrives in Cleveland, where he'll be coached by NBA veteran Bill Walton.

He says, “I have not been able to practice much because I have been busy shooting a song for Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani, but in the past 2-3 years I have been pretty regular with my basketball because I stay with Deepika in her apartment which has a wonderful court in the building premises."

Ranveer Singh's next slate of films includes YRF's 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar,' Shankar's version of his classic 'Anniyan,' Rohit Shetty's 'Cirkus,' and Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.'