NBA Launches Jr. World Championship Tournament

On Monday the NBA announces its own international youth tournament labeled the Jr NBA World Championship. Slated to launch in 2018, boys and girls of ages 14 and under from around the world will be eligible to participate.

Official announcement from the NBA below:

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its kind global youth basketball tournament for the top boys and girls teams ages 14 and under from around the world.

 

The Jr. NBA World Championship will feature boys and girls divisions, each comprised of 16 regional champions (eight U.S. and eight international teams) that will receive all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the inaugural event Aug. 7-12, 2018 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.  Located at Walt Disney World Resort, the world-class venue regularly hosts elite and recreational youth sports competitions.

 

Youth at the Jr. NBA World Championship will not only compete on the court but will also receive off-court life skills education and participate in NBA Cares community service projects.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers guard and three-time NBA Champion Dwyane Wade and Los Angeles Sparks forward and WNBA Champion Candace Parker will serve as lead global ambassadors for the Jr. NBA World Championship.

 

The Jr. NBA World Championship will tip off in spring 2018 with U.S. and international competitions across various regional sites.  The winning boys and girls teams from eight newly-created U.S. regional tournaments (Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West), plus teams representing eight international regions (Africa & Middle East, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe, India, Mexico and South America), will compete in the culminating event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

 

The international competition will leverage the Jr. NBA’s extensive global reach.  During the 2017-18 season, the NBA will reach more than 26 million youth in 71 countries through a variety of camps, clinics, skills challenges, league play and outreach events.

 

The Jr. NBA World Championship will be separated into U.S. and international brackets that include round-robin competition followed by single-elimination boys and girls tournaments.  Winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play in the championship games on Aug. 12.