Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball program that promotes a healthy and active lifestyle, returned to the Philippines on May 7-8 to stage its first in-person basketball camp since 2019. Twenty-two boys and eight girls from across Bacolod, Baguio and Metro Manila competed in the Jr. NBA Philippines Camp at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.
On May 7, the Jr. NBA Philippines Camp hosted a morning session focused on teaching players basketball fundamentals through various drills and techniques, including shooting layups, passing, rebounding, defense and player movement led by Jr. NBA Asia head coach Natália André and local Jr. NBA coaches. The afternoon session featured a talk by Gatorade Sports Scientist and Coach Kale Alvarez who discussed the importance of hydration as a form of sports recovery, together with competitive 5-on-5 exhibition games and a shooting contest between boys and girls teams.
“We’re excited to get back on the court with our players and coaches as we stage the first in-person camp of Jr. NBA Philippines since 2019,” said Jr. NBA Asia head coach Natália André. “Having the ability to train players directly is crucial for the development of young athletes as it allows coaches to connect and develop meaningful interactions with participants throughout the entire learning experience.”
In culmination of the event, Travis Pascual, 13, of Mary Immaculate Parish Special School and Kaisha Ezail Varona, 14, of Trinitas School of Sta. Maria Bulacan were named the MVPs of the boys and girls division, respectively, demonstrating an outstanding performance and embodying the core values of sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude, and respect (S.T.A.R.) throughout the camp. Additionally, the Jr. NBA event conducted a training session on May 8, which provided advanced basketball instruction to local coaches.
Jr. NBA Philippines is supported by official partners AXA, Energen Champion and Gatorade. For more information on the Jr. NBA Philippines program, visit www.jrnbaasia.com and follow Jr. NBA Philippines on Facebook.
Fans can also follow the NBA through NBA.com, Facebook and Twitter for the latest news, scores, stats, schedules and more. NBA games are available on national free-to-air channels TV5 and ONE Sports and premium television channel NBA TV Philippines, which is also livestreamed on Smart’s over-the-top service NBA.Smart. NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service, is available through leading digital services and telecommunications providers, including Globe, Smart and PLDT. Fans can purchase the latest NBA merchandise from NBAStore.com.ph, the official online NBA Store in the Philippines.
