NEW YORK – NBA Cares and the Jr. NBA will reach thousands of kids, families and those in need across the greater Los Angeles area during NBA All-Star 2018.  More than 30 outreach programs and events will include NBA All-Star FIT Celebration presented by Kaiser Permanente, the 11^th annual NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service, Jr. NBA Day presented by Under Armour and the NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified^® Basketball Game.

In addition to these efforts, the NBA will bring together Los Angeles youth, community leaders, law enforcement and NBA and WNBA players and executives for special programming through NBA Voices, the league’s platform to address social injustice and bridge divides in communities.

At the conclusion of  NBA All-Star 2018, more than 15,500 members of the NBA family will have volunteered during NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service since the inaugural event in 2008 in New Orleans.  Their collective efforts will have resulted in building over 90 places where kids and families can live, learn or play, and packing more than 625,000 pounds of food for families in need.

NBA Cares All-Star Community Events Schedule:

Beginning on Thursday, Feb. 15, NBA Cares will host a series of service projects, basketball clinics and games, and fitness and nutritional activities where NBA and WNBA players will help bring people together to strengthen local communities, encourage health and wellness, and create special experiences for local youth and families.

• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Visit (Thursday, Feb. 15):
  • Members of the NBA family will visit CHLA and enjoy games and crafts with young patients and their families.
• NBA All-Star FIT Celebration presented by Kaiser Permanente (Thursday, Feb. 15):
  • The NBA, Kaiser Permanente, and After-School All-Stars will unveil a newly refurbished fitness center at Alliance Gertz-Ressler/Richard Merkin 6-12 Complex.  NBA and WNBA players and legends will join students in fitness and nutritional activities focused on the total health of mind, body and spirit.
• Community Conversation with Brotherhood Crusade (Thursday, Feb. 15):
  • In partnership with Brotherhood Crusade and the Los Angeles Police Department, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will bring together local youth, law enforcement and community leaders for a candid discussion addressing the challenges facing their community and ways to build trust.
• NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service (Friday, Feb. 16):
  • Current and former NBA and WNBA players, coaches, partners, and celebrities will lead three service projects with support from Nike, SAP and State Farm^®.  In partnership with KaBOOM!, members of the NBA family will construct a student-designed playground at Jefferson Elementary School.  Other volunteers will join Baby2Baby to package donations for children living in poverty.  At the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, packed donations will go to local seniors in need.
• NBA Cares Special Olympics Unified Basketball Game (Saturday, Feb. 17):
  • NBA and WNBA players and legends will join 12 Special Olympics athletes from Los Angeles and around the world for a clinic and demonstration game at the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC). 
• Building Bridges Through Basketball (Saturday, Feb. 17):
  • The NBA, Under Armour, Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro LA will celebrate the Los Angeles Building Bridges Through Basketball program by bringing together local youth and Los Angeles Police Department officers. The weekly program features a combination of on-court basketball training and hands-on leadership activities developed by RISE that are designed to inspire candid dialogue and build trust as part of the NBA Voices initiative.
• Hoops For Troops (Thursday, Feb. 15 – Sunday, Feb. 18):
  • Throughout the week, the NBA will partner with the United Service Organizations (USO) and Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS) to host special experiences for military service members, their families and the families of fallen service members at NBA All-Star’s marquee events, including a visit to the Bob Hope USO Center.
• Make-A-Wish^® (Thursday, Feb. 15 – Sunday, Feb. 18):
  • The NBA will grant the wishes of eight Make-A-Wish kids with critical illnesses in Los Angeles. The kids and their families will enjoy several days of fun events and life-changing experiences, including meet-and-greets with NBA All-Stars, State Farm^® All-Star Saturday Night participants and NBA and WNBA legends.

Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour Schedule of Events:

Led by NBA and WNBA players and legends, Jr. NBA events for local youth and coaches will include clinics, tournaments and educational sessions that teach the values and fundamentals of the game, and promote a fun and healthy youth basketball experience.  All events and clinics will take place at LACC on courts provided by SnapSports, the official court provider of Jr. NBA Day.

• Jr. NBA Day (Friday, Feb. 16):
  • In partnership with Under Armour, more than 1,500 local youth will participate in a series of basketball clinics alongside NBA All-Stars and Mtn Dew Kickstart Rising Stars players.
• Gatorade Jr. NBA All-Star Invitational (Saturday, Feb. 17 – Sunday, Feb. 18):
  • Sixteen top boys and girls middle school basketball teams, which advanced from preliminary tournaments in January, will play the Gatorade Jr. NBA All-Star Invitational single-elimination quarterfinal and semifinal rounds on Saturday and the championship games on Sunday.
• Jr. NBA Skills Challenge (Saturday, Feb. 17 – Sunday, Feb. 18):
  • More than 500 participants will compete for a chance to advance to the national finals of the Jr. NBA Skills Challenge, which will be held in New York in June.  The Jr. NBA Skills Challenge is a national competition that provides boys and girls, ages 9-13, the opportunity to showcase fundamental skills through a dribbling, shooting and rebounding competitions.
• Jr. NBA Coaches Forum (Sunday, Feb 18):
  • In partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance, A Call to Men, Athlete Ally and the Human Rights Campaign, the Jr. NBA will host a Coaches Forum designed to educate and support nearly 100 local coaches in developing young athletes of character.  NBA and WNBA legends will discuss a variety of topics, including teamwork, diversity and inclusion.
• Jr. NBA Clinic for LAPD and LAFD First Responders (Sunday, Feb. 18):
  • In partnership with the LAPD and LAFD, the Jr. NBA will host a Jr. NBA basketball clinic for first responders and their families at LACC.  NBA legends will join participants for oncourt skills and drills.

About NBA Cares

NBA Cares is the league’s global social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s mission of addressing important social issues.  NBA Cares programs and participants have provided more than 4.3 million hours of hands-on service and created more than 1,125 places where kids and families can live, learn or play in communities around the world.  The NBA also engages more than 18 million youth annually, inspiring play and teaching the values of the game.  NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Special Olympics, YMCA of the USA, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Share Our Strength and GLSEN.

About the Jr. NBA

The Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour is the league’s youth basketball participation program that provides a fun environment for kids to learn the fundamentals and values of the game.  The Jr. NBA is focused on helping grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents, and offers a free curriculum covering all levels of the game that includes 48 practice plans and more than 250 instructional videos featuring NBA and WNBA players.  The Jr. NBA World Championship, a first-of-its kind global youth basketball tournament for the top 14U boys and girls teams from around the world, will take place in August 2018.

In partnership with USA Basketball, the NBA developed the first set of youth basketball guidelines in October 2016, with an emphasis on player health and wellness.  Through a network of affiliated youth basketball organizations and programs such as the Jr. NBA Skills Challenge presented by Verizon and 3v3 Leagues presented by Shock Doctor, the Jr. NBA program has reached more than five million youth ages 6-14 in the U.S. and Canada since launching its expanded efforts in October 2015.  The Jr. NBA partnership network is comprised of youth basketball programs of all NBA, WNBA and NBA G League teams as well as elementary and middle schools, military bases and longstanding community partners.  For more information and to register for the Jr. NBA, visit www.JrNBA.com or download the Jr. NBA app.