Review: BUDX NBA House Mumbai

BUDX NBA House made a strong first impression in Mumbai this weekend, bringing together a high-octane mix of hoops, hip-hop, and hype fashion at the Dome, SVP Stadium. Timed with the 2025 NBA Finals, the two-day event had all the right ingredients to be a blockbuster: global NBA champions like Hall of Famer Gary Payton and Derek Fisher, a celebrity-stacked 3v3 game with the likes of Badshah, Disha Patani, Rannvijay Singha, and Varun Sood playing, and a genre-spanning live music lineup. And while it largely delivered on the overall expectation and energy, there were moments where the experience felt more overcurated than lived-in.

Headliners Payton and Fisher brought serious star power, both on and off the court, anchoring the weekend with fan interactions, an exclusive dinner at the Penthouse at St. Regis, and insightful panels. The 3v3 Celebrity Game was easily the crowd favorite, where sharp drives and competitive blocks played out with laughter and fist bumps among some of the city’s most recognizable faces. Team Payton’s win may have been secondary to the sheer joy of seeing Bollywood and basketball collide, but it gave fans the kind of watercooler moment the event needed.

While the on-court action warmed up the crowd, it was the music performances that truly stole the show. Kicking off the Day 1 acts, Bombay Mami opened with a special courtside rendition of her track “Fire in Delhi,” alongside the Sacramento Kings’ dancers. She later took to the stage to pair her eclectic funk and pop undertones with Sitar flourishes and kaleidoscopic visuals. Stick No Bills cranked up the energy with high-BPM bangers that jolted the crowd to their feet. But it was rapper Hanumankind, pulling up with producers Kalmi and Parimal Shais in tow, who really brought the heat with his unfiltered charisma and cadence, even delivering an encore performance of his breakout hit “Big Dawgs” as he swerved through the crowd. Things were no different on Day 2, which felt less like a basketball showcase and more like a full-blown rave. While dubstep pioneer Benga kept the energy high, Baby J and Tye Turner lit up the night with a B2B set that whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

The live performances matched the high-octane court action in energy, but didn’t always feel in sync with it. While the music curation did feel fresh and forward-thinking, with acts including Bombay Mami, Stick No Bills, Baby J and Tye Turner making their Mumbai debut, the experience occasionally came across as two parallel events: one for hoops, one for music.

What stood out was the attention to street culture. The streetwear showcase, curated by Kashish Gemini and team, alongside Shantanu Hazarika’s Art All-Stars, gave the event a visual identity rooted in Indian creativity. The spatial design, put together by Aaquib Wani and FourbyFour experiences, felt true to the NBA and BUDX codes, with a looping circular tunnel and an electrifying giant X that sliced through the air. Dunk contests, dances and mascot-led madness further added to the carnival-like atmosphere, especially with local talent like Billa Nathan Abraham owning the spotlight.

But for all its flash, BUDX NBA House didn’t always feel as immersive as advertised. While fans got moments to engage through challenges and courtside hype, the sheer scale and production sometimes left less room for real-time community connection. The basketball-specific programming, though present, felt sparse and occasionally forced, though the arcade-inspired hoop shooting game was a nice touch. At times, it felt more like a stage built for spectacle and Instagram content than a shared experience.

Still, for its India debut, BUDX NBA House managed to bridge sport and style with a touch of swagger. It’s a promising start to what could be an annual celebration of hoops culture in the country—if future editions manage to keep the vibe a little less scripted and a bit more grounded in fan-driven spontaneity.