Jr. NBA Leagues Hype Video
NBA AND WNBA TO LAUNCH NATIONAL NETWORK OF YOUTH BASKETBALL LEAGUES TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND RECREATIONAL BASKETBALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY
– ‘Jr. NBA Leagues’ to Tip Off in 11 Markets in November 2022 Before Expanding Nationwide Program Aims to Reach Nearly a Half Million Boys and Girls Annually by 2027 –
–Las Vegas Aces, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Seattle Storm, Washington Mystics and Washington Wizards Among NBA and WNBA Teams Participating in the Program’s Launch–
NEW YORK, July 14, 2022 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) today announced the launch of Jr. NBA Leagues, a national network of youth basketball leagues for boys and girls ages 6-14. The program will tip off with leagues across the following 11 markets in the U.S. in November 2022 before expanding nationwide with the goal of reaching nearly a half million participants annually by 2027: Sacramento, Calif. Washington, D.C. Boise, Idaho Louisville, Ky. New Orleans, La. Kansas City, Mo. Omaha, Neb. Las Vegas, Nev. Philadelphia, Pa. San Antonio, Texas Seattle, Wash.
Jr. NBA Leagues will focus on providing youth across socio-economic, racial and gender lines with access to best-in-class recreational basketball, which is more important than ever following the disruption to youth sports access and the decrease in community-based sports providers caused by the pandemic.
RCX Sports, a Jr. NBA partner since 2018 and market leader in youth sports experiences, will serve as the program’s official operating partner. All Jr. NBA Leagues members – which will include a combination of community-based organizations, schools, and independent operators – will receive a robust suite of resources including training opportunities and basketball curricula designed to enhance league effectiveness, gameplay, and on-court and off-court player and coach development.
Jr. NBA Leagues participants will represent NBA and WNBA teams in their home markets and across the leagues by competing in official team-branded uniforms. Jr. NBA Leagues in NBA or WNBA markets, including Las Vegas (Aces), New Orleans (Pelicans), Philadelphia (76ers) Sacramento (Kings), San Antonio (Spurs), Seattle (Storm), and Washington (Wizards and Mystics), will offer unique benefits and include exclusive experiences for youth players and parents to promote the game of basketball and generate excitement around the hometown teams.
Building on the Jr. NBA’s commitment to providing broad-based access to the sport and eliminating barriers to participation, the Jr. NBA will partner with SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators), a professional association that serves more than 200,000 health and physical education professionals across the country, to provide 40 Title I schools across the country with Jr. NBA programming, resources and basketball development curricula to host afterschool Jr. NBA Leagues and improve how the game is taught and played in physical education classes. Additionally, high school students will receive the opportunity to enroll in a Jr. NBA Referee Development Program to learn the necessary skills to become a referee and gain an understanding of the career opportunities in officiating.
“The youth basketball ecosystem has experienced unique challenges over the past two-plus years, and we are committed to addressing those challenges with programs like Jr. NBA Leagues, which is the most expansive grassroots basketball initiative we’ve ever launched in the U.S.,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Youth Basketball Development David Krichavsky. “We look forward to using the resources and expertise of the NBA, WNBA and our teams to support recreational and community-based youth basketball programs at a time when they need it most, while also enhancing the playing experience for hundreds of thousands of boys and girls.”
“RCX Sports is committed to creating best-in-class experiences for all youth athletes, regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic background,” said RCX Sports CEO Izell Reese. “We are proud to work with the NBA on another youth program that will provide access and resources to young basketball players across the country.”
More information about Jr. NBA Leagues is available on JrNBALeagues.com. To learn more about the Jr. NBA, visit jr.nba.com or follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook (Jr. NBA), Instagram (@jrnba), YouTube (Jr. NBA) and Twitter (@jrnba).
