No doubt, there’s plenty of pressure on any Division I athlete to succeed. Add to that the media attention you get when you represent the hoop dreams of the world’s most populous nation—India—and you might think things could get kind of overwhelming.
Ryan Agarwal, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard, just smiles. It’s such a gift, he says.
The 195-pound small forward, a redshirt sophomore known for his sharp shooting, hails from Coppell, Texas. His parents are immigrants from India. When Agarwal signed with Stanford two years ago, the New York Times noted that he “doesn’t shy away from a certain amount of pressure that comes with people judging an entire culture based on his play.” These days, he leans into it. “I do 100 percent think I’m representing my heritage,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity. The goal this year is just keep improving my game and help us to win games.”
His dream of one day playing in the NBA is motivated not only by a deep love of the game but also by the desire to break the stereotype that Indian people can’t be great at basketball, he says. Last year, there were only four Division I men’s basketball players of Indian heritage. Only two players of Indian descent have made it to the NBA—one of whom, 7-foot-2 Satnam Sing, played for Agarwal’s hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks, in its G-league. When Agarwal was in sixth grade, he got to watch him play. “It was inspiring for sure,” he says.
FAN FAMILY: Agarwal with his father, Ashok; sister, Nikita; mother, Ranjini; and brother, Rohit. (Photo: courtesy Ryan Agarwal)
“I’m one of the few Indian kids playing at this level. That means the world to me. Kids are looking up to me and are rooting for me. It’s bigger than myself.”
“My family is close. My older brother, who is in private equity, helps me a lot through all the basketball stuff, like the recruitment process, getting an agent. My dad is a financial adviser and has always pushed me to be the best I can be. My mom and I are close and like to bake. My sister’s more like emotional support. My dog’s name is Duke. I miss him.
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“When I was little, we flew to India almost every summer to see family. Seeing the people living on the streets, it makes you appreciate what you have here. The immigrant experience to me is this mindset that you don’t get anything handed to you. That you work hard. There’s a stereotype that Indians are lacking in genetic abilities to excel in sports. That we are all super smart and do well in school. People don’t realize we can use that dedication to work hard toward athletics as well.
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“My whole day revolves around classes and basketball. During season, there’s a three-hour practice a day plus lifting, up to 20 hours a week. I go in and shoot every night by myself for an hour. There’s 30 minutes of stretching a day, and I go in for treatment 45 minutes a day. You’ve gotta be able to move from one thing onto another nonstop, from practice to classrooms to tutoring. I’m an econ major, and those core classes are hard. It’s pretty crazy.
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“I’ve been called different racial slurs, both at the college level and the high school level. During the recruitment process, one school said, ‘Yeah, we really like Ryan, but when’s the last time you’ve seen an Indian succeed at the NBA level?’ And that was the reason they didn’t make me an offer.
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“I appreciate all the Indian fans who come out and hold signs for me, the kids who want my autograph after games. The recognition I’ve gotten, it’s beneficial not just for me but for showing that basketball can be done no matter what your color.”
Photo: Bob Drebin/ISI Photos
Tracie White is a senior writer at Stanford. Email her at traciew@stanford.edu.
