The Nigeria Basketball Association (NBA) hosted about 100 young basketball talents in the maiden edition of its Jr. NBA clinic at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court, Kano.
In addition to under-10 and under-17 boys and girls, the clinic also welcomed 50 local coaches for a physical refresher exercise designed to enhance their basic techniques in basketball.
The exciting moment for the freshers and home-based coaches was part of the NBA league’s commitment to supporting the growth of the broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and increasing access to the game across the country.
Addressing the participants, Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, said the clinic was one of several innovative strategies aimed at developing diverse talents in basketball in Nigeria.
Abudu acknowledged Nigeria’s wealth of untapped basketball talents and hinted at NBA plans to create a platform for junior players to explore opportunities at the international level.
She also noted that the NBA is reviewing its curriculum to incorporate critical thinking, strategic communication, emotional intelligence, and other skills to better prepare young talents for the future.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game. Nigeria has a rich basketball history and an abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game.
“We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders, and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people across the country,” Abudu explained.
Head Coach of the Kano Pillars Basketball Team, Scout Nnaji, applauded the NBA’s “catch-them-young” initiative, emphasising its significance in reviving the spirit of young talents.
“This is one of the most significant interventions we need in basketball, especially because of Kano’s rich basketball history and culture. Unfortunately, the spirit is gradually declining, and rebuilding it requires grassroots initiatives like this, which is exactly what the NBA is doing here.
“By working with local coaches, discovering young talents, and grooming them, if we have more of this regularly, these young ones will realize that Kano is just the beginning and a stepping stone in their careers.
“They will understand they are on the path to the NBA, where every basketball player dreams of being. Seeing the NBA team in Kano is also a morale booster for the younger generation, signalling that their future is within reach,” Nnaji noted.
The basketball clinic builds on NBA Nigeria’s other initiatives this year, including the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA Elite Camp for 150 boys and girls aged 16 and under, held at the American International School in Lagos in July. In the same month, the NBA announced plans to build 1,000 courts across Africa, including Nigeria, over the next decade.
Other notable initiatives include Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata being named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair, Art X Lagos, held in November.
