MEXICO CITY – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multiyear agreement with La Loma Centro Deportivo (La Loma), a world-class athletic facility in San Luis Potosí renowned for developing top athletes from around the world, to host the first NBA Basketball School in Mexico.  The NBA Basketball School program will launch with a week-long camp from July 26-30 for male and female players ages 6-18 and will feature events at La Loma on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Former NBA player Horacio Llamas, the first Mexican-born player in NBA history, will participate as a guest coach in the first camp, which will include a series of sessions focused on on-court development, strength and conditioning and basketball education.  Former Mexican professional basketball player Enrique Zuñiga and other local coaches will also participate.

“We are thrilled to launch the first NBA Basketball School in Mexico as part of our commitment to making basketball more accessible to youth in Mexico,” said NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director, Raúl Zárraga.  “By providing a comprehensive curriculum and experienced coaches, our goal is to strengthen the basketball foundation across the country and continue teaching boys and girls the fundamentals of the game in a fun, safe and healthy way.  We look forward to hosting NBA Basketball School programming at La Loma for years to come.”

“La Loma is committed to supporting the NBA’s mission of engaging young athletes in Mexico and delivering more opportunities for them to play the game of basketball,” said Rafael Lebrija Hirschfeld, President and CEO of La Loma. “The launch of the NBA Basketball School will allow us to continue driving participation in the sport and build on the league’s wide array of basketball development initiatives in the country.”

NBA Basketball School is a network of tuition-based basketball development programs open to male and female players from outside the U.S. ages 6-18.  NBA Basketball Schools have been launched in Brazil, China, Greece, India and the UAE.  More information on the NBA Basketball School program can be found here.

Last January, the NBA and La Loma announced a multiyear partnership that makes La Loma the official home of NBA Academy Latin America, an elite basketball training program for top prospects from throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Canada.  NBA Basketball School and NBA Academy Latin America build on the NBA’s existing basketball and youth development initiatives in Latin America, including the Jr. NBA and Basketball Without Borders, all of which aim to broaden the basketball ecosystem across the region.  Since 2017, 14 NBA Academy Latin America participants have committed to NCAA Division-1 schools in the U.S.

“I fell in love with basketball at a young age and know firsthand the positive impact that programs such as the NBA Basketball School can have,” said Llamas.  “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my parents and coaches who invested in my development.  I’m excited to work with youth players in Mexico to teach them the sport that has given me so much in life.”

For more information on how to register for the NBA Basketball School camp, contact La Loma via email at deportes@lalomacd.com.mx or phone at 444-825-5555.

Fans in Mexico can find more information about the NBA at NBA.com/Mexico, and on Facebook (@NBAMexico), Twitter (@NBAMEX) and Instagram (@nbamex).

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) also jointly operate the Basketball Africa League (BAL).  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 215 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2020-21 season featured 107 international players from 41 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 1.9 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.

About La Loma
With more than 30 years of sporting experience, La Loma is a world leader in preparing athletes for global competitions, world championships and Olympic games.  The complex has hosted more than 15,000 world-class athletes who have combined to win 130 Olympic medals over the last three Olympic games (Beijing, London and Rio), while contributing to personal character development, and promoting the integration of families through sport, health coexistence, physical activity and time management.  La Loma, home of NBA Academy Latin America, receives around one million visits per year and offers 48 sporting activities.  Find out more about La Loma at laloma.center, on Facebook at La Loma Centro Deportivo, on Twitter @LaLomaCD and on Instagram (lalomacd).