I’ve seriously never met anyone THIS tall in my life. (Like how I’m standing on my tippy-toes as if THAT’s gonna help?) Meet Pau Gasol. He’s the Spanish 7′ center and power forward for the current NBA champs, the LA Lakers and is in India as part of the NBA’s mission to grow its brand and make basketball the #2 sport here! Pau conducted clinics in Mumbai and Delhi this week – imparting his bball knowledge to aspiring Indian players. Akash Jain from the NBA (what a cool job btw) invited some of Mumbai’s elite to mingle with him over wine and Sushi earlier this week and Pau definitely got a birds eye view of Mumbai nightlife. Funnily enough Pau’s significant other wasn’t wearing heels. (I guess after your boy crosses 6’10” inches you figure what’s the point?!) Oh and my buddy Rish Oberoi (the genius behind Paani Puri tees) came too. He even brought Pau a tee (in presumably XXL.) Oooh and Neetu Chandra was the nights token Bollywood belle. Apparently SHE plays basketball (who knew?!) and that’s how B-ball met Bollywood in B-Town. Boom.
Psst! You’ll see Rish’s super cute brother and major basketball junkie Akshay Oberoi in “Isi Life Mein” soon. I also met Akshay’s high-school sweetheart Jyothi Vynatheya (total doll btw) and we agreed that long distance relationships aren’t for the faint-hearted. Anyhow, Lakers fans, eat your heart out 😛