2024
NBA International Youth Development programs celebrated milestones across the globe in 2024, with participation from youth, coaches, and referees across 186 countries. These initiatives not only foster on-court skill development but teach values and engage cultures and communities around the world. By aiming to empower the next generation of youth basketball, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA international programs inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.
This year, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League programs gave youth a chance to participate in high-quality competitions. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA International League programs feature a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League Draft, where schools or clubs are matched with an NBA team, engaging directly with the NBA brand. In 2024, there were 184 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Leagues in 40 countries across four regions.
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy E-learning Module continued this year in Latin America, including Brazil and Mexico, providing PE teachers with tools to incorporate basketball into their classes. Meanwhile, in Canada, the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Youth Basketball Program engages youth and coaches through 182 clubs.
Furthermore, Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Referees Clinics provided education to more than 2K referees and table officials. For the second straight year, international referees from were identified and selected to travel to the NBA Summer League for NBA Referee Operation’s International Officiating Instruction program.
AFRICA
NBA Africa celebrated 14 years of partnership with the Royal Bafokeng Nation by hosting the Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA League Finals. The Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA League has become the largest league in Africa and a model for other leagues across the continent with over 1.5K youth participating. The Finals featured six games across U14, U16, and U18 boys' and girls' divisions, drawing over 5,000 spectators and featuring performances from a dunk team and dance crews
Furthermore, to celebrate South Africa’s National Women’s Day, 250 girls participated in the Her Time To Play Careers in Sports Workshop that included panel discussions from women in leadership sharing their journey.
The Africa Basketball Operations team is, committed to growing the game across the continent and reached over 1,000 coaches through Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinics in Nigeria, Angola, Rwanda, and South Africa, and trained 240 PE teachers through Coaches Academies in Morocco and Egypt. The participants are introduced to the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA values and trained to integrate them into their coaching methods to empower students. P.E. teachers and coaches also acquired new leadership skills, technical skills, and best basketball practices to develop basketball talent and produce leaders in their communities.
NBA Africa and Exxon Mobil announced the launch of the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League in Mozambique that will be operated by the Clarisse Machanguana Foundation (CMF). CMF was founded by former WNBA player and Mozambique legend Clarisse Machanguana. To commemorate the launch, over 400 youth participated in a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Clinic also featuring former NBA player, Trevor Ariza.
The NBA Africa Basketball Operations team ran several Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programs during each Basketball Africa League (BAL) window, including Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Clinics, Her Time To Play Clinics, and a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Referees Clinic.
ASIA PACIFIC
In 2024, youth competed in the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA 3v3 and 5v5 Tournaments across the Asia Pacific region.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA program in Indonesia, the team delivered the first-ever Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Indonesia Week that entailed a Her Time To Play Clinic for 100 girls. In addition, over 4K youth participated in three Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA 3v3 Tournaments in Indonesia. NBA players Grant Williams and Marques Bolden of the Charlotte Hornets visited to engage with fans and aspiring players throughout the week
In collaboration with the B. League in Japan, the Asia Pacific Basketball Operations team executed eight Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA B League Clinics and four Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA B League Coaches Clinics for hundreds of youth and coaches. Following each clinic, the team also hosted sessions with parents to discuss the role of parents in youth development. One coaches clinic featured former NBA player and coach Derek Fisher, focusing on basketball coaching concepts.
Furthermore, NBA Asia partnered with Energen to host a series of Jr. NBA In-School Clinics. These clinics provide local basketball coaches and Physical Education teachers with the Jr. NBA Coaches Academy curriculum to teach the fundamentals of basketball within their classes.
In the Philippines, the Asia Pacific Basketball Operations team organized a Jr. NBA Alumni game held at Kuningan Stadium in the Plaza Festival shopping mall. Furthermore, 30 youth participated in a Jr. NBA Clinic, enriching their basketball experience, around the alumni game.
CANADA
As part of the new partnership with the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Youth Basketball Program and Subway, 35 youth participated in a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Clinic hosted by NBA Canada and Canada Basketball. The clinic featured NBA player Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) whose presence brought inspiration and made a lasting impact on the boys and girls.
This year, Canada’s Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Youth Basketball program engaged youth and coaches through 182 clubs.
In March, NBA Canada launched the first-ever Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League in Winnipeg, marking a significant milestone in the region.
As part of the second WNBA Canada Game presented by Tangerine, NBA Canada partnered with Air Canada, Bell, DoorDash, Sun Life Financial, Subway, and Tangerine to deliver seven WNBA Partner Clinics led by NBA International Basketball Operations staff, in Edmonton.
The clinics featured WNBA legend Tammy Sutton-Brown and WNBA player Kia Nurse. As role models and trailblazers in women’s basketball, Tammy and Kia shared their journeys and wisdom to the next generation of basketball player, reinforcing topics such as hard work, self-esteem, and confidence as a female in sport.
CHINA
In China, Jr. NBA Leagues were held in nine provinces, featuring over 187 teams and engaging more than 3,000 coaches and players from top schools across the region.
For the second consecutive year, 20 of the top boys and girls from the league programs were selected after a Jr. NBA Selection camp to attend a Jr. NBA International Experience during the NBA Summer League. The players competed in a local youth basketball tournament, learned from NBA coaches, toured Las Vegas, and attended NBA Summer League games.
Additionally, NBA and WNBA Legends Robert Horry, Mengke Bateer and Zheng Haixa were featured during the Her Time To Play Coaches Academy and Her Time To Play Clinic with NBA Cares in Inner Mongolia.
EUROPE
Similar to the NBA, an international Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League has several elements to their season: Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League Draft, Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League, Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League Playoffs, Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League Finals. In 2024, there were a record 139 Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Leagues across Europe with many countries hosting multiple leagues. Many countries launched a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League with a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League Draft. During the draft, teams are organized into the 15 Eastern and 15 Western conference teams.
The NBA Europe Basketball Operations team collaborated with Valencia Basket to host the second Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA European Finals Tournament. The top six U-15 boys and top U-16 girls teams in Europe competed in a dynamic tournament. Twenty-four games were played in four days. A total of 180 players and coaches participated in the tournament, representing six countries in Europe. As part of the activation (or event), youth participated in two Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA European Clinics.
As part of the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Week in Paris, a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinic was led by NBA Coaches Will Waiver (Brooklyn Nets) and Dan Geriot (Cleveland Cavaliers), Cathy Melain (FFBB), and Christophe Denis (Paris Basketball) with nearly 250 local coaches in attendance, in collaboration with FFBB. NBA Referee Operations Monty McCutchen and Mark Wunderlich delivered two Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Referees Clinics.
There were two Her Time To Play Clinics that featured French Women’s National Team player Diandra Tchatchouang and 2x WNBA All-Star, Sabrina Ionescu. Players received a pair of Sabrina’s new Nike signature shoe, the Sabrina 1s. In addition to the successful Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Week in Paris, the Europe Middle East Team also delivered a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Skills Challenge and collaborated with the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers to deliver Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Social Responsibility Clinics.
MIDDLE EAST
The NBA Europe and Middle East Basketball Operations team led the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Abu Dhabi Week during the NBA Abu Dhabi Games. As a result, over 7K youth, coaches, and referees participated in the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA programs. The programs featured notable appearances by former NBA players and NBA Legends Muggsy Bogues and Marcus Camby and WNBA Legend Sylvia Fowles.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver delivered opening remarks in a Her Time To Play Clinic, for local girls, that included a leadership panel discussion. The panelists were WNBA Legend, Sylvia Fowles, Boston Celtics VP of Team Operations and Organizational Growth, Allison Feaster, and Content Creator, Jamaad Fiin.
The Boston Celtics coaching staff, led by Head Coach Joe Mazzulla facilitated a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinics. Denver Nuggets Assistant Coaches John Beckett and Charles Klask delivered the second Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinic covering player development into team development. Additionally, the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets players participated in Social Responsibility NBA Cares Clinics.
In Doha, Qatar, over 400 youth girls, coaches, and referees participated in four Her Time To Play Days, featuring WNBA Legend, Sylvia Fowles. Fowles and Qatar Basketball Federation, Amal Al-Keldi shared their basketball journeys and experiences on a panel discussion. As part of the Her Time To Play Days, the Belonging in Basketball curriculum was integrated Programs, a Her Time To Play Clinic was delivered, and the first-ever Her Time To Play Coaches Clinic and Her Time To Play Referees Clinic was introduced.
India
The ACG Jr. NBA program in India launched in late September and includes Jr. NBA Tournaments in six cities nationwide. The top eight boys’ and girls’ teams from each city tournament will advance to a league phase, where the top three teams from each category will qualify for the Jr. NBA Finals Tournament in January.
LATIN AMERICA
In El Salvador, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA League consisted of 720 boys and girls. In addition, the Latin America Basketball Operations team executed a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Selection Camp for the top 100 players and a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy for teachers and coaches.
The Latin America Basketball Operations team delivered a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA League Draft in Uruguay. The league comprises 30 boys' teams and 30 girls' teams. In March, the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Montevideo League Finals took center stage. The appearance of NBA legend Carl Herrera elevated the excitement of the finals and served as a source of inspiration to the young athletes.
In collaboration with the Bahamas Basketball Federation, the team led a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Clinic for 50 boys and girls with NBA player Deandre Ayton. Bahamian National Team Head Coach Chris Demarco and Senior Women's Head Coach - Yolett McPhee-McCuin supported in the delivery of the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinic.
Brazil
The Brazil Basketball Operations team impacted over 1K youth during three consecutive Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Days in Sao Paulo. The youth participated in three Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Clinics and a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Combine, played games, and enjoyed several interactive opportunities. The Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Days also included NBA Legend/former WNBA player Helen Luz. The team also delivered a Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Coaches Clinic, focusing on coaching concepts for competitive play and player development, for 50 P.E. teachers.
Over the year, the team has trained teachers and coaches across Brazil through the Jr. NBA Coaches Academy E-learning Module. More than 30K PE teachers and coaches registered on the platform, reaching public schools around Brazil.
Additionally, NBA Latin America partnered with six local youth basketball influencers to increase engagement with the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA program, through compelling content. The Brazil Basketball Operations team transformed local basketball influencers into youth basketball characters on Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Brazil social media, to produce on and off the basketball court content. As a result, youth fan engagement has accumulated 350k youth followers and 40M in content viewership.
mexico
In Mexico, the Latin America Basketball Operations team reached a high of 138K youth participants in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA In-School programs and clinics. The team also executed Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy Clinics in eight cities across the country.
As part of the NBA Mexico City Game, 150 referees attended the second Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Referees Clinic in Mexico delivered by retired G League referee, Greg Dandridge. The team led additional activations that included a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy Elite Camp, a Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy Clinic, and a Her Time To Play Clinic.
Over 1K girls participated in six Her Time To Play Clinics across five cities in Mexico.
Additionally, over 52K P.E. teachers are registered on the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches Academy E-learning Module. This online platform is designed to equip PE teachers with the tools to integrate the game of basketball into their classes.