Junior NBA event a hit with kids
Some of Canada’s best 13- and-14-year-old competing at Brock
While the basketball action rages at the Meridian Centre this weekend at the FIBA-Under-18 Americas Championship, the next generation of stars is hitting the court at Brock University.
Players from Canada’s top 13and-14-year old boys and girls teams from across the country are competing in the Canadian Regional Finals to represent Canada at the NBA Junior World Championship.
“The kids are so excited,” said Jonathan Chang, director of events and basketball operations for NBA Canada. “We had a meeting with all of the coaches last night at 10 p.m., and a lot of them said they didn’t know if their kids were going to be able to sleep.”
The winning teams from the three-day event, which takes place at Brock, where the players
are being billeted, finishes Sunday at the Meridian Centre.
The winning boys and girls teams will receive all-expensespaid trips to compete in the culminating event on Aug. 7-12 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.
The event models itself as the Little League World Series.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Chang said.
“They are used to being the best team in their regions and their provinces. Here they get to compete against the best teams in the country that are 14 and under.”
The Welland Warriors are competing in the girls’ event. Other teams in the girls’ tournament are Blizzard Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Quebec; Junior Valley Axewomen, Wolfville, Nova Scotia; Saskatoon Shock, Saskatchewan; VK Basketball, Vancouver, B.C.
The boys’ tournament includes the AthElite Basketball, Surrey, B.C.; Brampton Breakdown 416, Brampton, Ontario; Community YMCA, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Regina Sonic, Saskatchewan; and the Tornades, Longueuil, Quebec.
The championship games at Meridian Centre will take place on the same court the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship has been using. That tournament wraps up Saturday night.
“We are trying to put this up to NBA standards,” Chang said. “Friday we had Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets in. He took photos with every single team. He took individual selfies with every single player. He did a question-and-answer session.
“The kids have tickets for the FIBA Under-18 gold medal game Saturday. We want this to be aspirational.”