MEXICO CITY – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a new NBA Cares initiative in Latin America to refurbish basketball courts in Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Mexico through the remainder of league’s 75^th Anniversary Season in 2021-22.  The refurbishments in the region are part of the leaguewide NBA 75^th Live, Learn or Play initiative to create and dedicate more than 50 new NBA Cares Live, Learn or Play Centers during the 2021-22 season and will feature unique designs that showcase each city and country’s rich history in an effort to inspire the next generation of leaders and athletes.

“We remain focused on using the game of basketball to make a lasting difference in communities across Latin America,” said NBA Latin America Senior Vice President and Managing Director Arnon de Mello.  “Community engagement and youth basketball development is at the forefront of our efforts to grow the game, and this new initiative underscores our commitment to bringing people together by creating places for them to play the sport.”

The initiative will tip off in Mexico Sunday, March 13 in Torreón, Coahuila, where the NBA will dedicate the newly-refurbished NBA 75 Ejido de la Paz (“Communal Land of Peace”) basketball court.  The event will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a “Her Time To Play” youth basketball clinic featuring former NBA player Horacio Llamas as a guest instructor.  The NBA launched Her Time To Play in 2018 to inspire the next generation of girls to play basketball in a positive and healthy way and provide them with ways to engage with one another through the sport.

Mexican illustrator and musician Reez Ruiz worked with a group of local artists to design the court, which encapsulates the impact the NBA has had on generations of basketball players and fans from northern Mexico.  The patterns on the three-point line pay homage to indigenous Mexican groups such as Coahuila’s Kikapúes, while the stars that appear on the court’s mural serve as inspiration to young players to pursue their dreams.

Each renovated court will recognize the NBA’s landmark 75^th Anniversary Season while continuing the league’s legacy of supporting and uniting communities across Latin America through basketball.

Additional details regarding upcoming court refurbishments across the region will be shared on an ongoing basis in the coming months.

Fans in Brazil, Mexico and Latin America can follow the NBA on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NBABrasil, Facebook.com/NBAMexico and Facebook.com/NBALATAM), Instagram (@nbabrasil, @nbamex and @nbalatam), YouTube (NBA Brasil, NBA México and NBA Latam) and Twitter (@NBABrasil, @NBAMEX and @NBALATAM).