By Kei Emmanuel Duku
Second season of Junior National Basketball Association (NBA) League, kicked off last Saturday at Nimra Talata Basketball Stadium in Juba.
The league, designed for boys and girls aged 16 and under, features 28 teams.
During the tournament, the young athletes will compete in regular season games through September, culminating in the second edition of playoffs and finals scheduled for October 2025.
Prior to the season’s commencement, a league draw was held on Thursday at St. Mark’s Orthodox School in Munuki.
During this draw, participating school teams eagerly selected jerseys of NBA teams, which they will proudly represent throughout the season.
The following day, Friday, 40 coaches and educators gained skills in enhancing grassroots development through a dedicated basketball clinic program.
The inaugural season’s finals, held last August at the same Nimra Talata Basketball Stadium, saw the attendance of notable basketball figures, including two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng and 1995 NBA All-Star Cedric Ceballos. Juba One 76ers emerged as the champions of the first historic season.
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is the National Basketball Association’s global youth basketball program, dedicated to teaching the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination, and community – at the grassroots level.
This initiative, a collaborative partnership of NBA Africa, Luol Deng Foundation and others, aims at growing and improving the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents worldwide.
Last year alone, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program was launched in 19 African countries, reaching over 350,000 young people across the continent.