On Monday, the NBA announced a series of youth basketball engagement programs that will be hosted in conjunction with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks as part of the 2022 NBA Abu Dhabi Games.
The week of activities, which will include the league’s first Jr. NBA Week in the Middle East, will run from Monday, October 3 through Sunday, October 9, and will reach nearly 2,000 UAE youth, coaches and basketball players. United. (UAE) and across the Middle East and Europe. Jr. NBA Week will include youth basketball clinics, camps, and showcases focused on teaching basketball, promoting health and wellness, and empowering the next generation of players and coaches. Events will include appearances by players and coaches from the Hawks and Bucks, NBA and WNBA legends, and the Head Coach/Director of USA Basketball Coach, Youth Development and sports, Don Showalter.
The 2022 NBA Abu Dhabi Games will feature the 2021 NBA champions Hawks and Bucks playing two pre-season games at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 6 and Saturday October 8 at 8 p.m. GST (12 p.m. EST), marking the league’s first matches in the United Arab Emirates and the Arabian Gulf. The games are part of a groundbreaking multi-year collaboration between the NBA and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) which earlier this year saw the launch of the inaugural Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, a youth basketball league for 450 boys and girls aged 11-14 from Abu Dhabi schools. The collaboration also includes a variety of interactive fan events featuring current and former NBA players, a series of NBA FIT clinics promoting health and wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event.
Below is an overview of the week’s activities:
Atlanta Hawks Youth Programming
On October 3, as part of Jr. NBA Week, Hawks players and coaches will lead three simultaneous youth development events across all three courts on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, including basketball clinics for boys and girls of the first Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League. and the Abu Dhabi Special Olympics program, as well as an NBA FIT clinic for local youth that will emphasize the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle with an emphasis on mindfulness , nutrition, rest and recovery. Participants of the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League will then attend the game on October 6.
NBA Coach Clinics
On October 3 and 4, Hawks assistant coaches Joe Prunty and Mike Longabardi and Bucks assistant coaches Mike Dunlap and Vince Legarza will each host coaching clinics for over 300 male and female basketball coaches from across the Emirates. United Arabs. The clinics will teach coaching techniques and best practices for team and player development at all levels.
Milwaukee Bucks Youth Programming
On October 4, as part of Jr. NBA Week, Bucks players and coaches will lead players from the NBA Basketball School in Dubai and the Jr. NBA Elite Training Camp through a series of basketball drills, of skill and challenge stations at NYU Abu Dhabi. Campus.
Jr. NBA School Clinics
On October 4 and 5, also as part of Jr. NBA Week, the NBA will hold eight Jr. NBA clinics for boys and girls at local schools in Abu Dhabi, two of which will be attended by NBA legend Dominique Wilkins and WNBA legend Ticha. Penicheiro (Portugal). The clinics will focus on developing basketball skills with an emphasis on teamwork, positive attitude and effort, and healthy habits.
NBA Hoops For Troops Meet & Greets
In conjunction with United Service Organizations (USO), the NBA will host members of the United States military to meet and greet NBA legends at both games.
NBA Basketball School Showcase
On October 4 and 5, young athletes from the NBA Basketball School Dubai, the only full-time basketball program in the United Arab Emirates for boys and girls aged 6 to 18, will travel to Abu Dhabi to participate in a multi-day basketball development. program, including a training session on October 4 led by Showalter and culminating with a showcase on the NYU Abu Dhabi campus on October 5. On October 6, the league’s first NBA Basketball School workshop will bring together NBA Basketball School partners and operators from across Europe and the Middle East to collaborate and share best practices.
NBA Elite Junior Training Camp
From October 4-9, as part of Jr. NBA Week, the NBA will host 25 of the best boys and girls from the Jr. NBA leagues across Europe and the Middle East, as well as the NBA Basketball School Dubai, during an elite training camp. in Abu Dhabi. The athletes, who hail from 11 countries and were selected following a Jr. NBA Elite Camp in Rome in May, will take part in practices, practices and competitions against NBA Basketball School Dubai and the national team United Arab Emirates Under-18 Men’s Championship. as life skills programs and cultural activities in the local community.
NBA District Youth Basketball Clinics
On October 5, 7, 8 and 9, the league will host nine youth basketball clinics at the NBA District, an immersive and interactive fan event to be held at Manarat Al Saadiyat in conjunction with the NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 Part of Jr. During NBA Week, the clinics will offer a range of basketball programs for local youth and NBA Junior League, NBA School of Basketball and Special Olympics players. .
Make-a-Wish Experience
In collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the NBA will host four local kids and their families for the Oct. 6 game. Children will receive gifts and participate in an encounter with an NBA legend.
Its time to play at the clinic
On October 8, as part of Jr. NBA Week, the NBA will hold a “Her Time To Play” clinic at NYU Abu Dhabi campus for 70 girls from the Jr. NBA Elite Training Camp and NBA Basketball School in Dubai . Participants will participate in a basketball clinic and conversations focused on female empowerment and opportunities for women in sport and leadership, highlighted by a Q&A session with Penicheiro. Her Time To Play is an initiative dedicated to championing girls and women through sport and providing a forum for them to actively connect, collaborate and engage with basketball and each other.