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Time of India
10-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BUDX NBA House 2025 - Star-studded inaugural session featuring NBA legend Gary Payton celebrates iconic collaboration between Budweiser and NBA
NBA logo. Photo byNBA House made its debut in India, collaborating with the beverage company Budweiser with a grand celebration of the sport infused with music, hype and culture. The inaugural event was hosted on the 7th and 8th of June, 2025, at the DOME, SVP Stadium in Worli. The press conference preceding the main event saw the NBA legend Gary Payton, NBA Asia head of strategy and NBA India country head Rajah Chaudhry, and Vineet Sharma, vice president, marketing and trade marketing, AB InBev India, come together to reflect on the aims and strategies of the collaboration. AB InBev India breaks down trends related to alcohol consumption in India, boasts of being the first one to collaborate with the famous NBA The strategic collaboration between Budweiser and the NBA House is the first of its kind in India. It is not just the sport that was being focused upon during the event, but also a fresh take on the music, right from the lineup meet-and-greets with five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton, photo opportunities with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Prior to the collaboration, BUDX had previously joined hands with pioneers in the world of music like the Lollapalooza, Boiling Room, Mixmag, Supersonic and Echoes of the Earth. During the press conference, the vice president of AB InBev India, Vineet Sharma, highlighted several facts and figures revolving around the brand while reflecting on the joint initiative between the brand and BUDX. While speaking to afaqs! Sharma stated, 'We are very happy to collaborate with the NBA, a very like-minded partner. Budweiser stands for a lot about seizing the opportunity and core values of freedom, ambition, and authenticity. Not to forget, both are American brands; both stand for the US, the freedom, and the ambition part of it.' While the collaboration was the highlight of the event, Sharma revealed certain statistics related to drinking in India. There has been a reduction in the percentage of people who consume alcoholic beverages at a young age. Moreover, beer has become a medium of socialising, replacing the age-old convention of meeting over coffee. The VP also highlighted an increase in female consumers in recent times. Budweiser in India is taking initiatives in unconventional ways, one of which is the collaboration with NBA, bringing the two entities of basketball and beer together. A major highlight of the event was the 3v3 Celebrity Game, which featured stars like Badshah , Disha Patani , Rannvijay Singha, and Varun Sood. The music lineup saw artists like Hanumankind & Friends (feat Parimal Shais and Kalmi), Bombay Mami, Stick No Bills, Baby J B2B Tye Turner, Benga, and Shioriy Bradshaw. Also read: NBA star Draymond Green makes bold claim about Oklahoma City Thunder's Alex Caruso over NBA Finals BUDX NBA House came as an opportunity for NBA fans in India to live the experience while the world of basketball is transfused with music, fashion, and community. NBA House, before making its debut in India, hosted its previous editions in Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico, the UK and the US.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
NBA: Gary Payton makes bold claim about Michael Jordan; believes season's Finals could go the distance
Fformer Seattle Supersonics and LA Lakers star Gary Payton speaks at an event in Mumbai. Mumbai: Gary Payton can talk about defense all day, understandably so. So good were his defensive skills back in the day, they called him 'The Glove'. So much importance he attached to the defensive side of basketball, he drilled it into his son Gary Payton II. He still does. And it's why the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, considered one of the best point guards of all time, believes the 2025 NBA Finals featuring Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers is set to be a 'great series'. 'I think this is going to be a great series. I like it because they both play defense. With both teams, you got five guys on the floor at all times who can go at each other,' Payton, a 2006 NBA champion with Miami Heat, told reporters here on Thursday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! On his maiden visit to India, the former Seattle Supersonics and LA Lakers star, who is in town for the BudX NBA House this weekend, stressed that there was more to the two finalists than just their star point guards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton. 'Well, it's not just these two, they lead it. But you have to understand with these two teams, they have other basketball players who are very dominant. And right now it's a different type of style of basketball than I played,' Payton said, adding: 'When I played, I could put my hands on them, I could control them and things, but you can't do that now. But what I would do with either one of the guards, I would try to trap them and make other people win the basketball game. 'With the two superstars, especially MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, you have to get the ball out of his hands. Make other people beat you. Even with Haliburton, when he has a great game, the Indiana Pacers go.' Along their path to the Finals, the Pacers were never taken to a seventh game by any of their rivals. That could be about to change as they battle the Thunder for the famed Larry O'Brien Trophy. 'I really do think it can go to seven games. The first one who loses on their home court is probably going to be the loser,' Payton said. 'They're the best two teams right now in the NBA. Oklahoma has been the best team all year winning as many games they did, 60-plus. Let's see what Indiana got for them.' Asked how he viewed the way NBA basketball has evolved and the direction it was heading in, the 56-year-old made his preference clear. 'I would rather see a lot more defense. Right now, it's a lot of offense. 'I don't want to go to a game and see somebody score 130 points. For what? And somebody has 50 points, another player has 55, that's not a watch for me. That's crazy. I think I want to see somebody stop somebody. I want to see somebody take accountability of taking a person out of the game who's very valuable to their team. That's what I want to see, and that's what I dictate to my son all the time. That's why he's got the old school basketball game to him right now, because he guards everybody from one to five and I love that. ' For his gritty display during the second half of the 1996 NBA Finals where he was tasked with guarding Michael Jordan, Payton would go on to be regarded as one of the best defensive opponents of the legendary Chicago Bulls guard. Is that how he would like to be described to basketball fans who tuned in after he was gone? 'I don't care about being the best defender of Michael Jordan. That doesn't mean anything, I was the best defender of everybody,' he shot back. 'I guarded everybody. (Michael) wasn't just a focal point for me. Everybody in the NBA was a focal point for me. I would want to be remembered as the first two-way basketball player to play on both ends of the floor. I started that. 'I really didn't care about scoring, I cared about stopping the opponent, their best player. Because if I stop them that means I stop their basketball team, because they can't function without him. My legacy started because of defense. People say that. That's great, I love it. But really, my legacy started off with me being just a complete basketball player. Both ends of the floor, complete.'
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
First-Ever BUDX NBA House In India To Take Place In June
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Budweiser today announced that the first-ever BUDX NBA House in India, an interactive fan event celebrating the convergence of basketball, music and culture, will take place on Saturday, June 7 and Sunday, June 8 at the DOME, SVP Stadium, in Mumbai. Held in conjunction with the 2025 NBA Finals, the two-day event will feature basketball-themed activities, live musical performances, meet-and-greets with five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton, photo opportunities with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, as well as performances by Sacramento Kings mascot Slamson, the Kings Dancers and the Kings' dunk team. "The first BUDX NBA House will be a must-visit destination for the passionate NBA fans in India to come together and celebrate their love of the game amid the excitement of the NBA Finals," said NBA Asia Head of Strategy and NBA India Country Head Rajah Chaudhry. "We look forward to bringing this signature showcase of the NBA, music and culture to India at a time when there is incredible momentum around basketball in the country." "Budweiser has always been at the forefront of cultural and entertainment experiences, and we are proud to associate with the NBA to bring the first-ever BUDX NBA House to India," said Vice President Marketing and Trade Marketing, AB InBev India, Vineet Sharma. "This collaboration reflects our commitment to creating unforgettable moments for fans that not only celebrate the game of basketball, but also push boundaries in offering immersive experiences in music, sports and culture. We have been pioneers in shaping music culture in India, and this experience will further our mission of bringing alive never-before seen trendsetting experiences for Indian youth." BUDX NBA House will be produced and ticketed by District by Zomato. In addition to Budweiser, BUDX NBA House will be supported by a roster of partners, including Brand USA, Emirates and Visit California. Listen to the latest songs, only on
