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Dipesh Mistry’s journey from playing basketball in Markham as a kid, to becoming a G-League head coach is one that reminds us all that basketball is for everyone.
Dipesh Mistry, Sacramento Kings’ G-League head coach (Image: Screengrab from Youtube)
From playing basketball throughout his childhood for the sheer love of the game, to doing all the grunt work for his university team, to eventually standing shoulder-to-shoulder among the best coaches in the G-League, Dipesh Mistry’s journey is a powerful example of how success often follows an unpredictable path. In fact, it’s the kind of story we’re used to seeing on the big screen.
Now 32, the Canadian-Indian from Markham, Ontario, overcame what could have been the end of his basketball aspirations. Instead, he reinvented himself and steadily climbed his way to the professional ranks of the G-League.
After not making the cut for Ryerson University’s basketball team, Mistry spent two years doing the unglamorous, unpaid work—rebounding, doing laundry, wiping down floors—while learning everything he could.
During that time, he found inspiration in people he could truly relate to, to keep his eyes on the prize.
“Eric Spoelstra was probably one of the biggest inspirations for me, you know,” Mistry stated in an exclusive interaction with News18 Sports.
“But also like even in my level, like Roy Rana was one, as an Indian coach. To see what he was doing at Ryerson, and to have him take me under his wing when I was 20 or 21, to show me how global basketball is and how big it can become for me too. I was very young, and I just kind of helped him out. So that was someone like close to home that I could actually see and be like, ‘Oh, yeah, that makes sense. I could do it too.’”
Eventually, he caught his break. Mistry’s analytical skills first drew national attention when he joined Team Canada’s women’s basketball team as a performance analyst for the 2016 Rio Olympics. He later worked as a video coordinator with the men’s national team.
Then came the big league: the NBA.
His initial NBA opportunity came while working under coach Jay Triano, the interim head coach of the Phoenix Suns in 2017. He brought Mistry onto the staff: a moment that launched his NBA career. In 2018, he joined the Atlanta Hawks as head video coordinator, eventually becoming a coaching associate and special assistant to the head coach by 2021.
In 2023, he moved to the Sacramento Kings, where his relentless work ethic quickly stood out. Head coach Doug Christie saw his potential and supported his appointment as head coach of the Kings’ G-League affiliate.
“When I was sitting on the bench during my first Summer League game in charge, it felt normal. But then, when like the first couple baskets went through and I had to stand up, that’s when I really felt it. And I was like, ‘Wow, this is incredible’. I thought that was an incredible moment for myself, but also for my family and for all the people and coaches who supported me. It’s a moment I’ll probably never forget.”
When the moment came, Mistry rose to it.
He led a young, newly drafted roster to a standout showing in the 2025 Summer League, guiding them with a team-first approach that earned the Kings a place in the final against the Charlotte Hornets.
Although the Kings fell short in the championship game, the experience was a personal win for Mistry.
“It’s funny because Chris Gent, the (Charlotte Hornets’ G-League team) coach on the other side. I was in Atlanta with him and I learned under him for three years. So, it was kind of coaching against someone who mentored me for a long time. It was a surreal experience as well.”
His journey, though, is far from over.
“Yeah, I think my younger self would probably be pretty shocked and be like, ‘Wow, it actually happened’. Maybe he was onto something, you know? Maybe it was possible after all.”
As one of the few Indian-origin coaches operating at this level, Mistry understands both the weight and the honor of his role, while embracing the same to push himself further.
“It’s just about just going through the process and, and going through the journey. However I do, I think it’s an honor to be someone to look up to and be like, ‘Hey, if he could do it, I could do it too. And he looks like me.’”
Basketball is for everyone—and Mistry embodies exactly that.
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term…Read More
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term… Read More
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