Last week the National Basketball Association hosted their first online Jr. NBA Global Championship – Online Asia Pacific and India Camp, a one-day virtual basketball event on 31 July for 39 boys and 39 girls from across Asia Pacific and India.
Basketball NSW was proud to share that two NSW juniors were invited to attend the event, Alana Reddy (Manly Warringah Basketball Association) and Brad Ballinger (Illawarra Basketball Association).
The 78 boys and girls from eight countries across the region participated in basketball instruction and life skills sessions led by current and former NBA and WNBA players and Jr. NBA coaches. Athletes included Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr., Golden State Warriors’ James Wiseman, Las Vegas Aces’ Angel McCoughtry and WNBA Legend Ticha Penicheiro.
U16 NSW Metro Women State Team member, Alana Reddy said that the event was particularly insightful and provided her some insight into the world of professional basketball.
“Having the opportunity to ask questions to NBA & WNBA players was an incredible opportunity that was definitely my highlight. They were all so inspiring and motivating,” said Reddy.
In addition, participants were taught the importance of hydration and recovery on and off the court.
Basketball NSW General Manager Coaching and Development Brett Coxsedge expressed his appreciation of the program to support the youth basketball community by continuing to provide on-court curriculum and educational resources virtually.
“The Jr. NBA Global Championship program has been a wonderful event on our basketball calendar for a number of years, and with the result of Covid-19 impacting the world, we were excited that the event could still be facilitated online for our athletes,” said Coxsedge.
“Our athletes that have been selected this year and in previous, always relished the opportunity to further develop their basketball skills and learn from some of the best coaches and basketball icons in the world.”
This year, the Jr. NBA Global Championship – an annual youth basketball tournament for the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls teams from around the world – will be hosting online events for boys and girls in select countries and territories. In 2018 and 2019, the Jr. NBA Global Championship was held in Orlando, Florida, while in 2020 the event was conducted virtually in response to the pandemic.