The NBA announced the launch of NBA Academies, its int'l elite development initiative that will consist of a network of training centers around the world to develop top male and female prospects. The project, which includes educational development for the prospects, marks the league’s most significant investment in player development. The first centers will launch in China this month as part of multi-year partnerships with the Shandong Provincial Basketball Management Center in Jinan, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Basketball Management Center in Urumqi, and the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Vocational Technical Institute in Hangzhou. The announcement was made on Wednesday in Beijing by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. NBA Academies will support existing int'l basketball academies by exposing elite prospects to NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition and by providing a global framework for elite-level prospects to maximize their success. Each training center will be staffed with NBA-trained coaches to foster the development of prospects on and off the court.
LEAGUE PASS HEADS TO CHINA: NBA China and Tencent launched the first-ever NBA League Pass in China. The live game subscription package, featuring all live NBA games, marks the first time fans in China will have access to the full slate of live NBA games through personal computers and mobile devices. Available on Tencent Sports, NBA League Pass will offer two subscription options including the access to all preseason and regular-season NBA games, NBA All-Star, the NBA Playoffs, The Finals and NBA Summer League, and the single-game purchase for fans to watch an NBA game on-demand. NBA League Pass expands Tencent’s live game offering beyond the current 600 games, original NBA programming and game highlights available. For the '16-17 season, access to every NBA live game is priced at 1,080 yuan ($161) and fans can purchase single games for 15 yuan ($2.23). Tencent will also offer Team Pass for 360 yuan ($54), which includes all the games for one team (NBA).
