Growing up as a basketball fan in Surrey, I had the opportunity to watch Sukhjot Bains play at the club and high school level. Bains amazed me, as he would use his agile six-foot-six frame to dunk on opposing defenders and knock down three-pointers when his team needed it most. Many Lower Mainland residents have heard of him, as he currently plays professional basketball for the Fraser Valley Bandits during the off-season of the Sweden Superettan, which Bains plays in for Helsingborg BBK.
Bains sat down with The Cascade to speak about his mindset on the court, what he’s learned from traveling the world, and from the sport he loves. To have the opportunity to speak with one of the players who inspired me to play basketball was a dream come true.
What have you learned from playing all these different levels of basketball?
Each level I’ve been at had different levels of physicality. Every player is more competitive at every level. When I went to Sweden, it was kind of similar to how I played in the U Sports at UFV, so that wasn’t too much of a change. But even playing with the Bandits right now, the level of physicality is much higher; drills and everything are much more competitive.
What is your role on the team? What do you like to achieve or bring to the table?
In high school I played a little bit of everything. But I’d say I’m more guard-oriented. I’m more comfortable being on the perimeter as my role on the team. Defensively, that’s one of my best attributes of basketball. I could be a good defensive perimeter — and my ability to shoot. So I guess at the next level of my role could be a three-point shooter and defensive type of guy.
How did it feel growing up with Sukhman Sandhu, then playing with him at UFV, and now at the biggest stage in Canada?
I mean, we’ve been teammates since high school. We graduated together in 2014; he’s grown so much as a basketball player over the years. Like, it’s crazy how much better he’s gotten. I used to be better than him. But he’s pretty much caught up to me now playing at the same level on the same team.
How do you feel about the Punjabi representation in the sports world and how that’s becoming more relevant?
Yeah, definitely. I mean, there’s way more Punjabi players that are into sports now than they were back in the day. I guess in our community, sports aren’t really too much of a key factor. It’s more about going to school and getting an education. But nowadays, parents are also allowing kids to get involved in sports, [and then at the] university level as well. So it’s been growing over the years, and it’s been really good.
Why do you think it is important to give children an opportunity to play sports?
When you’re part of the team, it’s like pretty much being a part of a brotherhood; you make a lot of connections, you make a lot of bonds. Also, if you’re able to travel outside of where you live like I did, you build a lot of new connections [and] you grow as a person. So, it’s really important to get those experiences in life.
Who were some players you watched when you were younger, or still do now that you saw and got inspired from?
Kobe Bryant for his mentality and how confident and competitive he was; he’s definitely one of the players that I was looking at growing up. LeBron James in terms of how smart he is and [how] he can play multiple positions. I kind of want to be like that as well, being a taller guy. So, being able to play multiple positions and having a high basketball IQ.
Interview was edited for clarity and length
Esher is a second year law & communications student who is invested in sports. When he isn't filming and writing about basketball, he can often be found washing cars or cutting the grass. Esher hopes to one day enter the field of law enforcement and start his own media group.
