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FIBA and the National Basketball Association will enhance and expand grassroots basketball development globally through a new collaboration around the Jr. NBA, the NBA’s global youth basketball program.

It is the latest example of the continuing internationalization of the league. The MVP (Greek F Giannis Antetokounmpo), Rookie of the Year (Slovenian G Luka Doncic), Defensive Player of the Year (French C Rudy Gobert) and Most Improved Player (Cameroonian F Pascal Siakam) this past season all grew up outside the U.S.

NBA Senior VP, Head of Youth Basketball Development David Krichavsky said, "Our game has never been more global. ... It's not just about the number of players, it's the quality of those players. We're really starting to see the fruits of all the work that we've done globally at the grassroots level, including programs like Basketball Without Borders, which is in partnership with FIBA."

He added that the new deal with FIBA "helps us to expand the reach of the [Jr. NBA] program."

FIBA will support the NBA's grassroots program by enhancing the Jr. NBA coaches training program and hosting referee education courses in connection with Jr. NBA programs worldwide. Both organizations will also carry out court and facility refurbishment projects in select markets. This season, the NBA and its teams will be reaching more than 51 million youth in 75 countries. 

FIBA National Federations & Sport Dir Zoran Radovic said of the expanded partnership, "The Jr. NBA is already embraced by many national federations, complementing the existing youth programs already in place, so it was a natural synergy to consolidate and extend those activities. ... We want to have more basketball played among young people."

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