Festival of basketball to celebrate new league

THERE was great excitement in Tallaght last week as the first ever Irish Junior NBA League draft in Ireland took place at the National Basketball Arena.

The draft marked the beginning of the inaugural Junior NBA Basketball Ireland League, which will run from October to December. It will culminate in a festival of basketball at the arena on December 12, where an NBA Ambassador will be in attendance.

The occasion also saw the announcement of DeCare Dental as official sponsors of the league.

“DeCare is absolutely thrilled to partner with Basketball Ireland and the Jr NBA,” said Managing Director of DeCare Dental, Maureen Walsh. “We look forward to supporting these young athletes throughout their sporting journey as they build teams and develop lifelong values and charac-ter. The NBA has nurtured some of the world’s top athletes and role models, and this alliance will undoubtedly excite and inspire the children.”

The Jr NBA Basketball Ireland League features 13 Irish clubs that have partnered with local primary schools in their area to create the 30 teams. 

The draft saw the 30 teams from around the country matched with an NBA team as well as receiving corresponding NBA team-branded uniforms for their games.

Head of Development at Basketball Ireland, Jason Killeen, stated: "We're very excited that the first Jr NBA Basketball Ireland League is about to start. We have lots of excited schools and clubs around the country, and we are ready to have three great months of basketball leading up to the festival of basketball in the Arena in December."

The Jr NBA, the league’s global youth basketball programme for both boys and girls, teaches 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.  Leveraging the excitement of the NBA, the league will also promote the Jr NBA values of teamwork, respect, determination, and community through the upcoming Jr NBA draft, competitive league play, finals events and Jr NBA youth clinics.

The list of clubs and schools that will be involved in the upcoming Jr NBA Basketball Ireland League along with the NBA team they will represent include Templeogue BC (Dublin), St Colmcille’s Knocklyon, Dublin – Boston Celtics, and St Dominic’s NS, Tallaght, Dublin – Sacramento Kings.