Sixteen of the best junior basketball players in Vietnam have been selected from last week’s Jr. NBA National Training Camp in Ho Chi Minh City to become a 2017 Jr. NBA Vietnam All-Star, and will embark on an NBA experience in Shanghai with fellow campers from Southeast Asia later this year.
The Jr. NBA National Training Camp from June 23 to 25 was part of the U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA)’s three-month Jr. NBA development program in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.
The free program is sponsored by Dutch Lady and supported by local basketball federations, the Consulate General of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City and the Embassy of the United States in Hanoi.
It provides participants with training in the fundamentals of basketball and lessons about the importance of proper nutrition as well as the Jr. NBA’s core values.
During the Jr. NBA National Training Camp, the program’s top 64 boys and girls were selected and coached by NBA star Willie Cauley-Stein of the Sacramento Kings.
“I understand that the Jr. NBA kids have put in a lot of hard work to get to this point, and I look forward to helping them further develop their game,” stated Cauley-Stein ahead of the camp.
NBA star Willie Cauley-Stein shares his experience with Vietnamese campers at the Jr. NBA National Training Camp in Ho Chi Minh City from June 23 to 25, 2017. Photo by courtesy of the organizers
After three days of practice and competition, the final game on June 25 named 16 members of the 2017 Jr. NBA Vietnam All-Star team including eight male and eight female members.
Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Anh – who missed out on the Top 16 last year – and Nguyen Hoang Phuc were honored as the best performers at this year’s NBA National Training Camp.
Vietnamese Jr. NBA campers compete in the final game on June 25, 2017 to become members of the 2017 Jr. NBA Vietnam All-Stars team. Photo by courtesy of the organizers
“I’m very happy to announce that this group of standouts will travel to Shanghai in October to watch the newly crowned NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors play the Minnesota Timberwolves, as part of NBA Global Games 2017,” said Scott Levy, the managing director of NBA Asia.
According to Levy, over the past four years, the annual Jr. NBA development program has continued to expand and reach more than 300,000 kids, parents and coaches across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang.
NBA star Willie Cauley-Stein (back) poses for a photo with the 2017 Jr. NBA Vietnam All-Stars team’s female members on June 25, 2017 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by courtesy of the organizers
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