RIO DE JANEIRO – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that the first Jr. NBA Day in Brazil will take place Saturday, Aug. 20 – Sunday, Aug. 21 at the Anderson Varejão Institute in Espírito Santo, Vitória.  The event will bring together more than 500 youth athletes, coaches and physical education teachers from throughout Espírito Santo for a series of basketball development and interactive fan activities, including on-court sessions, gaming and guest performances.

Throughout Jr. NBA Day, the boys and girls will participate in a variety of drills and exercises focusing on fundamental basketball skills and conditioning.  The event will feature an NBA Draft Combine-inspired circuit where participants can measure their height, wingspan, vertical leap, speed, agility and shooting accuracy.  The NBA will provide the participating youth coaches and physical education teachers with tools and resources to enhance their practice plans and basketball development curriculum.   The two days will each conclude with celebratory exhibition games featuring participating players and coaches.

Former WNBA player, Brazilian Olympic bronze medalist (Sydney 2000) and 1994 World Champion Helen Luz, and former Brazilian professional basketball player and Olympian (London 2012 and Rio 2016) Guilherme Giovannoni, will serve as guest coaches.

“Jr. NBA Day will be the ultimate celebration of youth basketball in Brazil and an important part of our year-round efforts to inspire the next generation of boys and girls to practice a healthy lifestyle and be the best version of themselves,” said Head of NBA Brazil Rodrigo Vicentini.  “We look forward to welcoming the players and coaches for a weekend of fun and educational activities that will support their continued development as players and leaders.”

Jr. NBA Day will also feature a Fan Zone with a variety of activities and entertainment, including NBA 2K gaming stations, photo opportunities, food trucks, prize giveaways and a performance by Brazilian digital content creators and dunk team, Dunk Lab (@dunklab.br).

The Jr. NBA is the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls that teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.  During the 2021-22 season, the Jr. NBA impacted more than 7.9 million youth in six countries and territories in Latin America.

For more information about the NBA, fans in Brazil can follow @NBABrasil on Facebook (Facebook.com/NBABrasil), Instagram (@NBABrasil and @JrNBABrasil), Twitter (@NBABrasil), TikTok (@NBA_Brasil) and YouTube (NBA Brasil and Jr. NBA Brasil).

About the NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.  Built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.