The Jr. NBA is the official youth basketball participation programme of the NBA. Basketball Ireland began hosting a Jr. NBA programme in 2018, bringing basketball to pupils from 150 schools across Ireland during that time.

Each year Basketball Ireland select 10 clubs from across the country who are subsequently paired with a three schools in their locality for the duration of the Jr. NBA League, which aims to encourage and support youth basketball participation and improve the overall experience of young people with the sport.

The programme finishes with the Jr.NBA festival of fun at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin, bringing together all the participants for a day of games, drills and learning skills on and off the court. Basketball Ireland linked up with DeCare Dental to become a partner for the event, allowing the participants to learn about the importance of oral hygenie as part of the experience. 

Representatives from DeCare Dental speaking to participants at the Jr. NBA festival of fun at the National Basketball Arena.  

Basketball Ireland also conduct the Jr.NBA Draft at the National Basketball Arena, where schools learn which NBA team they will be paired up with for the duration of the programme. 

Watch the 2024 Jr. NBA Draft:

The Jr. NBA aims to develop a lifelong passion for the game of basketball in boys and girls by teaching them the fundamentals of the sport while instilling core values including teamwork, respect and sportsmanship.

Ciaran O’Sullivan, Basketball Ireland’s Head of Development said: “I’m thrilled with the trajectory of the Jr. NBA partnership since we brought it on board in 2018. It’s incredibly popular with participants and has been a huge success in bringing basketball to new areas, giving children across Ireland the chance to engage with our sport, while being linked to one of the most highly visible and recognisable brands in the world.”