Bobby Sharma Quits NBA for IMG Basketball Role

December 16, 2010

Bobby Sharma has been appointed as the senior vice-president of global business development for basketball by leading international sports company IMG. Sharma has quit his role as vice-president and general counsel at the National Basketball Association (NBA)

Sharma will initially relocate to Mumbai in India, where he will work as part of IMG Reliance, a joint venture between IMG and Reliance Industries. IMG Reliance snapped up all commercial rights to basketball in India for a 30-year period earlier in the year, and the development of a professional basketball league in the country will be one of Sharma’s immediate priorities.

Andrew Wildblood, executive vice-president of IMG and executive director of IMG Reliance said: “Bobby’s appointment is a major step forward in IMG’s commitment to developing the sport of basketball. With his experience in developing the sport of basketball for almost a decade at the NBA, Bobby is the right person at the right time to help us achieve IMG’s goals for the game around the world, both from a player and league development perspective.”

Sharma added: “There is tremendous interest in the game in India and its dynamic market in particular, where more than half of the nation’s population is under 25 years old, and just about every economic metric is headed in a positive direction.”