Who is Sim Bhullar?
Gursimran Singh Bhullar, “Sim Bhullar” (Nickname: SimCity) born on 2nd Dec 1992 in Toronto, aged 28 years is a famous Canadian basketball player. Sim’s parents migrated to the Great White North from the state of Punjab situated in India.
When he was in 3rd grade, his height caught the attention of coaches and they suggested that he should try basketball.
Then he first discovered and got acquainted with a basketball game between the age of 10 and 11 years.
He went on to play at the age of 16 years in high school basketball in the United States. Eventually, his heart was set on this sport.
Undoubtedly, there was no looking back then.
As he made India proud by becoming the first player of Indian descent to appear in an NBA game. When he got on the court for the last 16 seconds of a win over Minnesota. He managed the game well, hence, his appearance as a whole was ceremonial, however, it was a monumental feat for basketball in India.
Having exhibited his capabilities, he got an opportunity from a professional coach with the Ontario Basketball Association.
In the year 2015, he became the first rostered Indian player in the history of the NBA, after signing a contract with the Sacramento Kings. In the year 2016, he joined the Dacin Tigers of the Taiwanese SBL.
It’s been 7 years now that Sim Bhullar and the Sacramento Kings made history.
Sim Bhullar is an Indian by heart, NRI by residence and a professional basketball player. He had brought laurels to India by creating a history of becoming the first person to play in the NBA of Indian origin. His professional career took off in the year 2014 for Stockton Kings in the NBA G-league, where he played in different leagues through the years while making history continuing.
Sim Bhullar’s Height
Sim Bhullar is also popular for his massively ‘tall’ height.
Sim Bhullar stands at an incredible height of 7 feet 5 inches (2.26 meters) tall with 163kgs of weight that compliments his height and shoe size 22.
| Sim Bhullar’s Height | 7′.5″ (2.26 meters) |
| Father’s Height | 6′.4″ (193 Cms) |
| Mother’s Height | 5′.10″ (178 Cms) |
Interestingly, he clearly seems to be blessed with such height due to his parent’s genes.
His father, Mr. Avtar Bhullar stands 6 feet 4 inches i.e. 193 cm tall and his mother, Mrs. Varinder Bhullar stands 5 feet 10 inches i.e. 178 cm tall.
Despite his parents having such good heights, they were never exposed to basketball. In contrast, his father Avtar Bhullar chanced upon and played the traditional Indian sport known as “Kabaddi.”
Sim’s height definitely makes him notably tall even in the basketball standard. Just for your reference, you’ll be amazed to know that he is the 7th tallest player in the history of the NBA.
Sim Bhullar: Family
| Mother: | Varinder Kaur Bhullar |
| Father: | Avtar Singh Bhullar |
| Siblings: | Avneet Kaur Bhullar (Sister)
Tanveer Singh Bhullar (Brother) |
Sim Bhullar was raised along with his two other siblings, a younger brother Tanveer and an older sister Avneet.
Though his sister is not much talked about yet his younger brother is said to be playing basketball during his college at New Mexico State University.
Like Sim, his brother Tanveer is also blessed with an unbelievable height of 7 feet 2 inches.
Sim Bhullar: Education
Education-wise, Sim did his schooling at Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School in Etobicoke, Toronto. And later joined The Kiski School after moving to Saltsburg, Pennsylvania.
He was quite known in his school for both his skills and size. Again he joined another school, which was Huntington Prep School in West Virginia.
He was in the first instance supposed to join Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. However, after he came to know that he will have to pay the tuition fee for a year (as he wasn’t eligible to play immediately), he reconsidered and alternatively, moved to the New Mexico State Aggies. His decision served him right and he became an exceptional player.
Sim Bhullar: NBA Career
In the year 2014, he entered the NBA Draft however he went undrafted. So, in the same year, he signed to play in the NBA Summer League for the Sacramento Kings. This made him the first player of Indian descent to join the team.
He was the first one from India to have signed a 10-day contract with the team to play in the NBA.
From the year 2015 to 2016, he played in the NBA Development League for Raptors 905.
After this, he played for a year for the Taiwanese Super Basketball League with Dacin Tigers. He then later proceeded to sign for the 2nd tier league of China for Guangxi Rhino, etc.
With regard to his international career, Sim Bhullar had played at different levels for Canada. In addition, he represented the country at the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship.
Where he added a feather to the cap by making the country win the bronze medal as well as the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship.
Some words from the star: “Growing up, I couldn’t tell race, culture, religion or anything. When you step on the court, that’s all you see, the game of five by five.”
Sim Bhular played for these teams: [Year-wise career history]
| From the year 2014 to 2015: | Reno Bighorns |
| The year 2015: | Sacramento Kings |
| From the year 2015 to 2016: | Raptors 905 |
| From the year 2016 to 2017: | Dacin Tigers |
| The year 2017: | Guangxi Rhino |
| From the year 2017 to 2018: | Dacin Tigers |
| The year 2019: | Taipei Fubon Braves |
| The Year 2020: | Yulon Luxgen Dinos |
Sim Bhullar’s Net worth
Sim Bhulla is believed to have a fortune of over $1.5 Million, and he stands to be one of the richest Basketball players. This is an approximate figure based on the analysis from Forbes & Business Insider.
However, there is no confirmed and definite figure.
Sim Bhullar’s NBA Contracts
14th August 2014: Signed a 1 year $507k contract with Sacramento (SAC)
19th Oct year 2014: Waived by Sacramento (SAC)
2nd April year 2015: He signed a 10-day contract with Sacramento (SAC)
Interesting Facts about Sim Bhullar
- Sim takes pride in possessing Indian roots and from an early age embraced both the culture and religion. Keeping the culture and religion intact, he visited Gurdwara every weekend and spent time there.
- Irrespective of being born and brought up in Canada, it was difficult for him to learn English as a second language. As Punjabi was his mother tongue and that was what he learned at home.
- His sports idol is Vince Carter and he divulged that all that he wishes as a basketball player is to become like the former NBA legend.
- Sim’s parents had moved to Canada in the 1980s and got married in that city, thereafter they started their family. Where his mother worked 2 factory jobs while their dad drove a taxi when the kids were young. Later they bought a gas station of their own.
- He ranks on the list of the most popular Basketball player. Additionally, has his name ranked in the elite list of celebrities born in Canada.
- In the year 2013, he was named All-WAC Freshman of the Year with the New Mexico State Aggies.
Sim Bhullar: Awards & Achievements
The year 2013: Third-team All-WAC & WAC All-Newcomer Team & WAC Freshman of the Year.
The year 2014: WAC All-Defensive Team & WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
The year 2015: NBA D-League All-Rookie Third Team & NBA D-League All-Defensive Second Team.
The year 2017: SBL champion.
Sim Bhullar’s Endeavour:
Sim Bhullar, being moved by this sport’s passion, has worked really hard to popularize the basketball game in India by opening courts and helping children/people to play.
He mentioned in one of the news pieces that “I would go to the courts in the morning and there would be a bunch of kids playing. I was in awe. I saw some kids with broken shoes and they were running around and playing basketball.”
With this endeavour, he believes that basketball can eventually take 2nd or 3rd place after cricket, being one of the most popular sports in India.
In his own words, Sim Bhullar says “I can’t see myself doing anything else, because I never thought about anything else in my whole life. And I know there are a lot of people looking up to me but that makes me want to play harder, run faster and be a better player.”
|Read Also: Virat Kohli Brand Endorsements List
Sim Bhular NBA Start: Conclusion
We hope that you liked Sim Bhullar’s motivational life story. Keep hustling hard in your life, and eventually, you will find your destination. Moving forward even a little makes a big difference in the long run. Just don’t stop at any point, keep moving forward.
We will keep trying our best to bring you such incredible Indian life stories from all around the world. Keep sharing and spreading motivation.
