Two-time NBA Champion and two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee David Robinson has announced the draft for the upcoming Basketball England Jr. NBA Leagues.
This year will see the Jr. NBA expand to 13 leagues nationwide, which will take place in London, Birmingham, Manchester, East of England, East Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West.
The 13 leagues will be expanded to 16 by 2021 with three girls-only leagues added to the current leagues. The league expansion is targeted to reach more than 22,000 boys and girls ages 11-13 in seven cities and regions across England this year. Every school in each region is assigned a specific NBA team to represent throughout the season.
This year’s Jr. NBA BE Leagues will also be open to 13-year-olds as part of our Year 8 League expansion, which will give more children the opportunity to qualify for the Jr. NBA World Championship which was held in Orlando last year. The first-of-its kind global youth basketball tournament took place from Aug. 7-12 and featured 32 of the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girl’s teams from around the world.
Laura Doherty, Basketball England’s Relationship & Coordination Manager (Central & South) said “All of the schools are so excited to find out which NBA team they have been drafted as for the 2018-19 season, I can’t wait to see all of their reactions. We’re reaching players and teachers in new areas as well as giving girls and boys already involved in the Basketball England Jr. NBA League the opportunity continue to play beyond year 7 which is so valuable. It’s really pleasing to see how the expansion is already having an impact.”
Details of the draft can be found in the video below.
