AEW Signs Former NBA Player, Tony Khan On Commitment To Cultivating Homegrown Stars
AEW has signed former NBA player Satnam Singh.
AEW announced today that the first-ever NBA player to be drafted from India has signed with the company and will begin training at The Nightmare Factory in Atlanta, ran by Cody Rhodes and QT Marshall.
AEW touted how Singh will bring his natural athleticism, charisma and daunting stature to the company. AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head Of Creative Tony Khan touted the signing and said he's deeply committed to cultivating homegrown stars in AEW.
"While we've recently secured some of the hottest free agents on the planet, I'm also deeply committed to cultivating our own homegrown stars and the next generation of extraordinary professional wrestlers," Khan said. "In addition to Satnam's commanding 7'3" stature, I was impressed with his high level of athleticism and charisma. He's an exciting addition to our roster, and I'm looking forward to our fans getting to know Satnam's personality and watching his development."
The 7'3" Singh was drafted by the NBA's Dallas Mavericks back in 2015 as the 52nd overall pick, also becoming the first Sikh player to be drafted into the league. He first played ball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and was the first player since the 2005 Draft to enter the league without playing in college, professionally overseas, or in the NBA Developmental League. After being drafted by the Mavericks, he was sent to the 2015 NBA Summer League to play for the Texas Legends, the G-League affiliate of the Mavericks. He appeared in 9 games, with 2 starts, for the Legends during their 2015-16 season, averaging 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.9 minutes per game. Singh was re-acquired by the Legends for their 2016-17 season, and then returned to the Mavericks for the 2017 NBA Summer League. He signed with the UBA Pro Basketball league in India in late 2017, and participated in the UBA US Pro Performance Camp in January 2018. Singh later played for the St. John's Edge of the National Basketball League of Canada in September 2018. In July 2019 his NBA draft rights were traded alongside two second round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a sign & trade for Delon Wright. Singh has not played since 2019.
Singh was also featured in a one-hour documentary on Netflix in January 2017, titled "One In a Billion." The doc covered Singh's life and journey to the NBA.
Stay tuned for more on Singh in AEW. Below is AEW's full announcement issued to us today:
First-Ever NBA-Drafted Player from India Signs with AEW
– Former Dallas Mavericks Center Satnam Singh Begins Training at The Nightmare Factory —
September 23, 2021 – All Elite Wrestling (AEW) today announced the signing of Satnam Singh, an international phenom best known as the first-ever player from India to be drafted by the National Basketball Association. The 7'3" Singh was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, and now brings his natural athleticism, charisma and daunting stature to AEW.
Singh follows in the footsteps of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, who squared off alongside Jade Cargill in a mixed tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on "AEW: Dynamite" in March. Singh will begin training at the world-class, Atlanta-based Nightmare Factory, run by QT Marshall and Cody Rhodes.
"While we've recently secured some of the hottest free agents on the planet, I'm also deeply committed to cultivating our own homegrown stars and the next generation of extraordinary professional wrestlers," said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. "In addition to Satnam's commanding 7'3" stature, I was impressed with his high level of athleticism and charisma. He's an exciting addition to our roster, and I'm looking forward to our fans getting to know Satnam's personality and watching his development."
In early August, AEW began broadcasting weekly episodes of "AEW: Dynamite" and "AEW: Rampage" on Eurosport India, joining more than 120 countries watching AEW worldwide on broadcast partners and via AEWPlus. The signing of Singh also comes at a momentous time for AEW, fresh off the wildly successful ALL OUT pay-per-view, its red-hot debut in the NYC market, and the lauded signings of CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Ruby Soho.
With two nights of programming on TNT, and substantial digital content available weekly, AEW continues to solidify its position as the fastest growing and hottest professional wrestling promotion. This week, AEW features four hours of programming on TNT from the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY, starting with "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam" on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m. ET, and a special two-hour presentation of "AEW: Rampage" on Friday, Sept. 24, at 10 p.m. ET.