MUMBAI – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that NBA Champion Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings will visit India to promote the continued growth of basketball in the country and the upcoming NBA India Games 2019.

Barnes, a 6-8 forward who won an NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2015, will first stop in Delhi NCR on April 28 to attend the Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA National Finals at The NBA Academy India.  Barnes will then travel to Mumbai for live television appearances on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3’s NBA wraparound shows on April 30, before returning to Delhi on May 3 to attend the National Finals of the fourth ACG-NBA Jump, India’s national basketball talent search program.

“This trip to India will be a great opportunity for me to get a sneak peek of the local culture before the upcoming preseason games in Mumbai this October,” said Barnes.  “I look forward to being a part of that historic event, and I’m excited to help support the NBA’s various basketball development initiatives in India.”

Now in its sixth year, the 2018-19 Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program has engaged more than 6.3 million youth in 34 cities nationwide.  The program – the largest in its six-year history – focuses on inspiring youth to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle by integrating basketball into the physical education curriculum of the 7,900 participating schools.

ACG, the official partner of The NBA Academy India, will provide 50 players from around the country with the opportunity to be selected into the NBA’s elite basketball training center.  At the end of the camp, the top prospects from the ACG-NBA Jump National Finals will be identified to receive scholarships and training at The NBA Academy India.

The NBA India Games 2019 will mark the first games the NBA has played in India and the first games staged in the country by a North American sports league.  The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings will play on Friday, Oct. 4 and Saturday, Oct. 5 at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai.  Tickets to the games will go on sale at a later date.  Fans can visit nbaevents.com/indiagames to register interest for information and tickets.

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