Suyash Mehta is set to become the first-ever Indian-origin referee to officiate in the National Basketball Association (NBA) league.
Mehta has been a part of the G League and Summer League Games’ officiating teams. He has worked with the NBA for the past five years. He was named in the officiating staff for the upcoming 2020-21 season of the NBA.
Previously, he has refereed in 13 games but worked under the title of ‘non-staff workers’. He was one of the six members to be a part of the staff for this season.
At the moment, other well-known Indian-American faces in the NBA circuit are Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, and Sonia Raman, assistant coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.
After putting several health and safety guidelines for COVID-19 in place, the NBA will finally set the ball rolling on December 22 with two much-anticipated and highly spoken about clashes – Golden State Warriors vs Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers. Stephen Curry, who will return to the court after months, will face Kevin Durant as an opponent.
The LA Lakers, who are the reigning champions, will start their campaigns against a team that saw a heartbreaking exit from the league, in the playoffs last season. However, the Clippers are determined to prove themselves this season, while LeBron James and the Lakers will aim for a two-peat.
Amid the numerous curbs and restrictions, the NBA’s scheduling has also been hit. The authorities have announced the fixtures of only the first half, as yet which begins from December 22, 2020 and will continue till March 4, 2021.
The NBA preseason will resume on December 11 post short All-Star games, where all teams will play a minimum of two and a maximum of four games. The league is also focusing on Christmas games this year, scheduling five games for the day.
