In his two seasons at New Mexico State, Bhullar averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.9 blocks and 25.3 minutes over 65 games. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Sacramento Kings signed center Sim Bhullar to a contract on Friday.
The team did not release terms of the deal.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Bhullar is the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA team. The 7-foot-5, 360-pounder was a member of the Kings squad that won 2014 NBA Summer League championship in Las Vegas.
“I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation,” team owner Vivek Ranadive said in a statement. “While Sim is the first player of Indian descent to sign with an NBA franchise, he represents one of many that will emerge from that region as the game continues to garner more attention and generate ever-increasing passion among a new generation of Indian fans.”
In his two seasons at New Mexico State, Bhullar averaged 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.9 blocks and 25.3 minutes over 65 games. He was a two-time Western Athletic Conference Tournament MVP, helping the school reach the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and ’14. He set a single-season school record for most blocked shots with 85 and his 62.1 field goal percentage ranks fourth on the school’s single-season list and was first in the WAC in the 2012-13 season.
