The Department of Culture and Tourism \u2013 Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced the launch of the expanded second season of the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, featuring boys and girls leagues each comprised of 450 players, aged 11-14 from schools across the UAE capital city. The leagues will begin January 21 and culminate with the second annual Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League Finals on Sunday, March 12.
\nThe program tipped off with a draft event hosted by DCT Abu Dhabi and the NBA on Saturday, January 14 at the NYU Abu Dhabi campus\u2019s three-court facility. The 60 participating youth teams (30 boys teams and 30 girls teams) were assigned an NBA team for the season, received corresponding NBA team-branded jerseys and participated in basketball development clinics, skills challenges and contests. DCT Abu Dhabi Chairman,\u00a0HE\u00a0Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director Ralph Rivera, seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady and 10-year NBA veteran Luis Scola attended the event and interacted with the youth players.
\nThe Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League expanded from 30 teams in its inaugural season in March 2022 to 60 teams for the upcoming season. The program is part of a groundbreaking multiyear partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that saw Abu Dhabi host the first-ever preseason NBA games in the Arabian Gulf in October 2022.
\nHE\u00a0Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi said: \u201cAbu Dhabi is contributing to the growth of global youth basketball as we inspire our youth to get active and enrich their lives with respect, teamwork and values of the game.\u00a0 It is a joy to witness the grassroots passion and excitement among our youth players that can only fuel more interest in sports and pave the way for a new generation of home-grown sporting talent, inspired by the Jr. NBA and the many sports initiatives across Abu Dhabi.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are thrilled to expand the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League in partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi to provide more Emirati youth with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals and core values of the game,\u201d said Rivera.\u00a0 \u201cInterest from local schools has been phenomenal, so we are encouraged that the program has already doubled in size and will only continue to grow and provide youth players and coaches with greater access to the sport.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was so much fun to engage with the youth teams taking part in the second Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League and witness their excitement for the upcoming season,\u201d said McGrady.\u00a0 \u201cBasketball is a global sport that transcends countries and cultures, and I\u2019m thankful to have played a role in helping grow the game here in Abu Dhabi.\u201d
\nMcGrady, a 15-year NBA veteran who retired from the league in 2013, is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA scoring champion, winner of the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2001 and was inducted into the\u00a0Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
\nScola, a native of Argentina, currently serves as the CEO of Italian\u00a0Lega Basket Serie A\u00a0team\u00a0Pallacanestro Varese.\u00a0 He signed with the\u00a0Houston Rockets\u00a0in 2007 and was voted to the\u00a0NBA All-Rookie First Team, before going on to play for the\u00a0Phoenix Suns,\u00a0Indiana Pacers,\u00a0Toronto Raptors\u00a0and\u00a0Brooklyn Nets\u00a0over his decade-long NBA career.
\nThe Jr. NBA is the league\u2019s global youth basketball programme for boys and girls, teaching the fundamental skills and core values of the game \u2013 teamwork, respect, determination and community \u2013 at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.\u00a0 The Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League aims to promote the values of the game and encourage youth to lead an active and healthy lifestyle through participation in sport.\u00a0\u00a0During the 2022-23\u00a0season, the Jr. NBA will run 111 leagues in Europe and the Middle East that will collectively reach nearly 50,000 youth in 28 countries.
\nThe partnership also sees DCT Abu Dhabi, under \u201cExperience Abu Dhabi,\u201d the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE\u2019s capital, serve as the Official Tourism Destination Partner of the NBA in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and China.
\nFor more information on the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, which will continue to be operated by Gulf Sports Media FZ LLC (trading as Sport360), visit\u00a0OWQLO\u00a0and follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook\u00a0(Facebook.com\/jrnba), Instagram (@jrnba\u00a0and\u00a0@nbaarabic) and Twitter (@jrnba\u00a0and\u00a0@nbaarabic).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Department of Culture and Tourism \u2013 Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced the launch of the expanded second season of the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, featuring boys and girls leagues each comprised of 450 players, aged 11-14 from schools across the UAE capital city. The leagues will begin January 21 and culminate with the second annual Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League Finals on Sunday, March 12.
\nThe program tipped off with a draft event hosted by DCT Abu Dhabi and the NBA on Saturday, January 14 at the NYU Abu Dhabi campus\u2019s three-court facility. The 60 participating youth teams (30 boys teams and 30 girls teams) were assigned an NBA team for the season, received corresponding NBA team-branded jerseys and participated in basketball development clinics, skills challenges and contests. DCT Abu Dhabi Chairman,\u00a0HE\u00a0Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director Ralph Rivera, seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady and 10-year NBA veteran Luis Scola attended the event and interacted with the youth players.
\nThe Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League expanded from 30 teams in its inaugural season in March 2022 to 60 teams for the upcoming season. The program is part of a groundbreaking multiyear partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that saw Abu Dhabi host the first-ever preseason NBA games in the Arabian Gulf in October 2022.
\nHE\u00a0Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi said: \u201cAbu Dhabi is contributing to the growth of global youth basketball as we inspire our youth to get active and enrich their lives with respect, teamwork and values of the game.\u00a0 It is a joy to witness the grassroots passion and excitement among our youth players that can only fuel more interest in sports and pave the way for a new generation of home-grown sporting talent, inspired by the Jr. NBA and the many sports initiatives across Abu Dhabi.\u201d
\n\u201cWe are thrilled to expand the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League in partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi to provide more Emirati youth with the opportunity to learn the fundamentals and core values of the game,\u201d said Rivera.\u00a0 \u201cInterest from local schools has been phenomenal, so we are encouraged that the program has already doubled in size and will only continue to grow and provide youth players and coaches with greater access to the sport.\u201d
\n\u201cIt was so much fun to engage with the youth teams taking part in the second Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League and witness their excitement for the upcoming season,\u201d said McGrady.\u00a0 \u201cBasketball is a global sport that transcends countries and cultures, and I\u2019m thankful to have played a role in helping grow the game here in Abu Dhabi.\u201d
\nMcGrady, a 15-year NBA veteran who retired from the league in 2013, is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, two-time NBA scoring champion, winner of the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2001 and was inducted into the\u00a0Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
\nScola, a native of Argentina, currently serves as the CEO of Italian\u00a0Lega Basket Serie A\u00a0team\u00a0Pallacanestro Varese.\u00a0 He signed with the\u00a0Houston Rockets\u00a0in 2007 and was voted to the\u00a0NBA All-Rookie First Team, before going on to play for the\u00a0Phoenix Suns,\u00a0Indiana Pacers,\u00a0Toronto Raptors\u00a0and\u00a0Brooklyn Nets\u00a0over his decade-long NBA career.
\nThe Jr. NBA is the league\u2019s global youth basketball programme for boys and girls, teaching the fundamental skills and core values of the game \u2013 teamwork, respect, determination and community \u2013 at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.\u00a0 The Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League aims to promote the values of the game and encourage youth to lead an active and healthy lifestyle through participation in sport.\u00a0\u00a0During the 2022-23\u00a0season, the Jr. NBA will run 111 leagues in Europe and the Middle East that will collectively reach nearly 50,000 youth in 28 countries.
\nThe partnership also sees DCT Abu Dhabi, under \u201cExperience Abu Dhabi,\u201d the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE\u2019s capital, serve as the Official Tourism Destination Partner of the NBA in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and China.
\nFor more information on the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, which will continue to be operated by Gulf Sports Media FZ LLC (trading as Sport360), visit\u00a0OWQLO\u00a0and follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook\u00a0(Facebook.com\/jrnba), Instagram (@jrnba\u00a0and\u00a0@nbaarabic) and Twitter (@jrnba\u00a0and\u00a0@nbaarabic).<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264057"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=264057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264058,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264057\/revisions\/264058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=264057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=264057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=264057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}