India, June 7 -- Like millions of American kids, 11-year-old Arsh Singh of Uttar Pradesh, India, fell in love with basketball from his first dribble.

"My elder brother is a fan," he said. "I used to play the game at home, and after playing it I just loved the game and I decided to get into an academy."

Basketball is gradually taking root among young people in India, a country known more for cricket runs than free throws. And the NBA in the United States is taking advantage of this budding interest to grow the game internationally.

In May 2017, the NBA launched The NBA Academy India, an elite basketball training center at Jaypee Greens Integrated Sports Complex in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). The first NBA Basketball School was ...