The NBA (https://www.NBA.com) right this moment introduced its celebrations of the first-ever World Basketball Day. Established by the United Nations on August 23 in the course of the FIBA World Cup, World Basketball Day will probably be noticed yearly on Dec. 21 – the day Dr. James Naismith first launched the sport of basketball on the Springfield YMCA in 1891.
Almost 600 million individuals throughout the globe play basketball yearly and basketball is the second hottest sport on the earth, whereas the primary group sport to play in the US. Alongside the Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation (NBPA), the Nationwide Collegiate Athletic Affiliation (NCAA), USA Basketball and the Worldwide Basketball Federation (FIBA), the NBA household will honor the sport and have a good time World Basketball Day by way of numerous programming comparable to youth clinics and respective social media campaigns – all demonstrating basketball’s societal contributions.
“The NBA household is thrilled to hitch the worldwide basketball group in celebrating the primary World Basketball Day,” mentioned NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Greater than 130 years after Dr. James Naismith invented the sport on the Springfield YMCA, World Basketball Day is a reminder of basketball’s capacity to transcend borders, cultures and languages and unite individuals around the globe.”
This yr the NBA household will host the next international celebrations in observance of World Basketball Day:
Africa
NBA Egypt Hoops: On Dec. 21 on the Al Sadat Faculty Gharbia in Egypt, NBA Egypt is getting down to present public faculties with the essential infrastructure which might enable college students to apply and expertise basketball. This contains putting in two basketball hoops, offering three basketballs and doing primary refurbishments in among the courts the place nationwide faculty competitions happen.
Worldwide
United Nations’ World Basketball Day Panel: As a part of World Basketball Day, the Philippines will host a panel dialogue to share the importance of the day and spotlight the influence the sport brings to everybody around the globe on the United Nations on Dec 21. Panelists embody Professor David Hollander, founding father of World Basketball Day; a consultant from the Philippine Embassy; John Doleva, Naismith Basketball Corridor of Fame President; and Julius Erving, Naismith Basketball Corridor of Famer.
United Nations’ World Basketball Day Diplomats Decide-Up Video games: On Dec. 21, pleasant video games between 30 diplomats from 20 totally different international locations on the Vanderbilt YMCA in New York Metropolis.
Jr. NBA Clinic: In celebration of World Basketball Day, the Jr. NBA will host a clinic on the Harlem PAL Heart, uniting 80 youth individuals, ages 6-14, to study the basics of the sport on the Harlem Police Athletic League in New York Metropolis.
NBA Cares Packing Venture: On Dec. 15, as a part of the first-ever Republika ng NBA Month, the NBA hosted an NBA Cares packing mission on the NBA Neighborhood Courtroom introduced by TITAN in Mandaluyong Metropolis. NBA employees and companions assembled care packages for highschool college students from choose public faculties across the NBA Neighborhood Courtroom forward of World Basketball Day. Every bundle included a “Republika ng NBA” t-shirt, a pair of socks and slippers, Gatorade bottle, and vivo-branded backpack and water bottle.
NBA Basketball Faculty Digital Dialog: On Dec. 15, NBA Basketball Faculty, a community of basketball growth applications around the globe for youth ages 6-18, held a digital dialog with former WNBA participant Mery Andrade and former NBA participant Zaza Pachulia, who spoke about how basketball has positively impacted their lives, why they’re excited concerning the inaugural World Basketball Day, and answered questions from the attendees.
Followers and members of the basketball group can be part of within the celebration of World Basketball Day by sharing your basketball story on social media utilizing #WorldBasketballDay and tagging the @jrnba&@nbacares social media accounts.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA).
In regards to the NBA:
The Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (NBA) is a world sports activities and media group with the mission to encourage and join individuals in every single place by way of the ability of basketball. Constructed round 5 skilled sports activities leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a significant worldwide presence with video games and programming obtainable in 214 international locations and territories in additional than 50 languages, and merchandise on the market in additional than 200 international locations and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters in the beginning of the 2023-24 season featured a document 125 worldwide gamers from 40 international locations and territories. NBA Digital’s property embody NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Go. The NBA has created one of many largest social media communities on the earth, with greater than 2.3 billion likes and followers globally throughout all leagues, group and participant platforms. NBA Cares, the NBA’s international social duty platform, companions with famend community-based organizations around the globe to handle essential social points within the areas of schooling, inclusion, youth and household growth, and well being and wellness.
