THE Junior NBA and Junior WNBA returns to the Philippines for the ninth consecutive year, with the league reaffirming its commitment to help develop young basketball stars here with nationwide skills clinic and training camps from January 23 to April 24.
And for its ninth staging, it plans to cover a wider reach with three more locations for its clinics.
The NBA’s global youth basketball participation program, which is free and open to boys and girls ages 10-14, not only teaches the fundamental skills but reinforces the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.
The Junior NBA and Junior WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska is comprised of four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip.
This year, it adds Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite to its list of locations for its nationwide skills clinics, which already includes Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa.
Select players from these clinics will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in tryouts during the Regional Selection Camps, which will be held in Baguio on February 20-21, Davao from February 27-28, Cebu on March 5-6, and Metro Manila from April 9-10.
The top 50 boys and 24 girls from the Regional Selection Camps will advance to the National Training Camp in Manila on April 22-24.
The National Training Camp will again have NBA and WNBA stars in attendance to help train and inspire the finalists, culminating with the selection of 10 Junior NBA and five Junior WNBA All-Stars who will join fellow All-Stars from Southeast Asia to an overseas NBA experience.
Last year, the camp’s All-Stars traveled to China to watch the NBA Global Games in Shenzhen featuring the Charlotte Hornets and the L.A. Clippers.
Another new addition this year is the search for the 2016 Junior NBA Coach of the Year will begin on January 22 in Manila. The panel will be led by Junior NBA Head Coaches Craig Brown and Chris Sumner along with Alaska Power Camp coach Jeff Cariaso.
Ten Junior NBA and four Junior WNBA coaches will be selected as finalists and trained at the National Training Camp.
“The Jr. NBA Philippines is the league’s longest-running youth basketball program outside the United States,” said NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson. “The program continues to positively impact the lives of children, parents, and coaches, and reinforces the positive values that go beyond the four corners of the court.”
“loudFone, Gatorade, and Globe Telecom serve as the program’s official partners, while Spalding is a supporting partner. ABS-CBN Sports + Action, Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV are its official broadcasters.