NBA announces elite basketball development initiative for top international prospects

NBA Academies Includes Educational Development for Prospects and Marks League’s Most Significant Investment in Elite Player Development

First Elite Training Centers to Launch in Hangzhou, Jinan and Urumqi, China

The National Basketball Association on Wednesday announced the launch of NBA Academies, the league's international elite development initiative that will consist of a network of training centers around the world to develop top international male and female prospects.

The initiative, which includes educational development for the prospects, marks the NBA's most significant investment in elite player development.

The training centers will launch in China this month as part of multiyear 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 in Beijing by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was joined by Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) vice-president Li Jinsheng, Shandong Provincial Basketball Management Center director Yang Gang, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Basketball Management Center director Nie Chun, and Zhejiang Provincial Sports Vocational Technical Institute principal Zhang Yadong.

The announcement was made hours before the New Orleans Pelicans tipped off against the Houston Rockets at LeSports Center as part of NBA Global Games China 2016.

"NBA Academies are the logical next step in the league's global grassroots basketball activities, but are much more narrowly focused on helping elite-level junior players reach their full potential," said Silver.

"The best international prospects will benefit from a complete approach to player development that combines NBA-quality coaching, training and competition with academics and personal development."

NBA Academies will support existing international basketball academies by exposing the prospects to NBA-level coaching, facilities and competition and by providing a global framework for them to maximize their success.

The initiative will employ a holistic, 360-degree approach to player development with focuses on education, leadership, character development and life skills.

The program builds on the NBA's existing grassroots initiatives, including Jr NBA and NBA 3X, which engaged more than 12 million youth during the 2015-16 season.

Each elite training center will be staffed with NBA-trained coaches to foster the development of prospects on and off the court, both during and after their basketball careers.

Each center will house under-16 and under-18 teams that will compete against top competition. Top students will be eligible to be selected for travel teams that will play in international tournaments and exhibition games.

NBA Academies will also foster the development of local basketball support staff.