Jr. NBA youth basketball league launching in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) -The NBA and WNBA will launch a network of new youth basketball leagues around the U.S., including in Las Vegas.

The leagues announced the launch of Jr. NBA Leagues Tuesday, a network of youth basketball leagues for kids ages 6-14. The program will launch in 11 cities in November 2022:

Sacramento, Calif.
Washington, D.C.
Boise, Idaho
Louisville, Ky.
New Orleans, La.
Kansas City, Mo.
Omaha, Neb.
Las Vegas, Nev.
Philadelphia, Pa.
San Antonio, Texas
Seattle, Wash

The goal is to eventually reach half a million children by 2027, the leagues said.

“The youth basketball ecosystem has experienced unique challenges over the past two-plus years, and we are committed to addressing those challenges with programs like Jr. NBA Leagues, which is the most expansive grassroots basketball initiative we’ve ever launched in the U.S.,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Youth Basketball Development David Krichavsky. “We look forward to using the resources and expertise of the NBA, WNBA and our teams to support recreational and community-based youth basketball programs at a time when they need it most, while also enhancing the playing experience for hundreds of thousands of boys and girls.”

Leagues that are offered in NBA or WNBA cities, such as Las Vegas, will get exclusive experiences with the hometown team and youth players to help promote basketball. The Jr. NBA Leagues will also focus on providing youth sports opportunities across socio-economic, racial and gender lines.

To learn more about the Jr. NBA, visit jr.nba.com. You can fill out a player interest form for a future league here.