NBA Nigeria hosted its second Jr. NBA Elite Camp for 40 boys and girls ages 16 and under in Lagos, Nigeria, on Saturday, March. 8. The camp took place at the University of Lagos coinciding with International Women’s Day.
As part of the league’s commitment to helping grow the broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country, the camp will highlight NBA Nigeria’s initiatives in building the player pipeline of youth from grassroots to elite development.
The one-day camp saw the participation of 20 boys and 20 girls invited to the camp which featured a life skills session with NBA Africa Vice President and NBA Country Head Gbemisola Abudu and a series of skills development sessions and in-game simulations.
The second edition of the camp builds on the success of the first edition held last July which occurred concurrently with the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement’s first visit to Nigeria.
The then two-day camp featured a basketball clinic led by two-time WNBA All-Star and BAL Ambassador Chiney Ogwumike.
The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation programme for boys and girls, aimed to teach the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Last year, Jr. NBA programming directly reached more than 250,000 youth across Africa.
Through the Jr. NBA Elite Camp, young athletes are given the opportunity to receive top-tier coaching, participate in competitive games, and develop both their athletic abilities and personal growth.
The first edition saw two campers, Samson Mashebinu and Lewis Uvwo recruited to join the NBA Academy Africa, an elite training center that develops and nurtures top prospects from the continent in Saly, Senegal.
The student-athletes have a unique opportunity to be selected to play in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) through the BAL Elevate, a program which aims to provide an opportunity for the next generation of African prospects to participate in the new professional league, showcase their talent on a global stage.
The BAL tips off on April 5-13 for the Kalahari Conference featuring Season 4 Nigerian third-place Rivers Hoopers from Port Harcourt at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat, Morocco.
