This system tipped off with a draft occasion hosted by DCT Abu Dhabi and the NBA on Saturday, January 14 on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus’s three-court facility. The 60 collaborating youth groups (30 boys groups and 30 women groups) had been assigned an NBA workforce for the season, obtained corresponding NBA team-branded jerseys and took part in basketball growth clinics, abilities challenges and contests. DCT Abu Dhabi Chairman, HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, NBA Europe and Center East Managing Director Ralph Rivera, seven-time NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady and 10-year NBA veteran Luis Scola attended the occasion and interacted with the youth gamers.

HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi mentioned: “Abu Dhabi is contributing to the expansion of worldwide youth basketball as we encourage our youth to get lively and enrich their lives with respect, teamwork and values of the sport.  It’s a pleasure to witness the grassroots ardour and pleasure amongst our youth gamers that may solely gas extra curiosity in sports activities and pave the way in which for a brand new era of home-grown sporting expertise, impressed by the Jr. NBA and the various sports activities initiatives throughout Abu Dhabi.”

“We’re thrilled to increase the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League in partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi to offer extra Emirati youth with the chance to study the basics and core values of the sport,” mentioned Rivera.  “Curiosity from native faculties has been phenomenal, so we’re inspired that this system has already doubled in measurement and can solely proceed to develop and supply youth gamers and coaches with higher entry to the game.”

“It was a lot enjoyable to interact with the youth groups participating within the second Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League and witness their pleasure for the upcoming season,” mentioned McGrady.  “Basketball is a worldwide sport that transcends international locations and cultures, and I’m grateful to have performed a task in serving to develop the sport right here in Abu Dhabi.”

McGrady, a 15-year NBA veteran who retired from the league in 2013, is a seven-time NBA All-Star, seven-time All-NBA choice, two-time NBA scoring champion, winner of the NBA Most Improved Participant award in 2001 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2017.

Scola, a local of Argentina, at the moment serves because the CEO of Italian Lega Basket Serie A workforce Pallacanestro Varese.  He signed with the Houston Rockets in 2007 and was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Crew, earlier than occurring to play for the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets over his decade-long NBA profession.

The Jr. NBA is the league’s international youth basketball programme for girls and boys, educating the basic abilities and core values of the sport – teamwork, respect, dedication and neighborhood – on the grassroots stage in an effort to assist develop and enhance the youth basketball expertise for gamers, coaches and fogeys.  The Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League goals to advertise the values of the sport and encourage youth to steer an lively and wholesome way of life via participation in sport.  Through the 2022-23 season, the Jr. NBA will run 111 leagues in Europe and the Center East that can collectively attain practically 50,000 youth in 28 international locations.

The partnership additionally sees DCT Abu Dhabi, underneath “Expertise Abu Dhabi,” the tourism promotion initiative of the UAE’s capital, function the Official Tourism Vacation spot Accomplice of the NBA within the Center East, North Africa, Europe and China.

For extra info on the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, which can proceed to be operated by Gulf Sports activities Media FZ LLC (buying and selling as Sport360), go to OWQLO and comply with the Jr. NBA on Fb (Fb.com/jrnba), Instagram (@jrnba and @nbaarabic) and Twitter (@jrnba and @nbaarabic).