2019 Jr. NBA Global Championship youth basketball tournament coming to ESPN WWOS

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Walt Disney World are prepping for the second annual Jr. NBA Global Championship, a youth basketball tournament for the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls teams from around the world. It will be held Aug. 6-11 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Last year was the first year of the Jr. NBA World Championship at ESPN Wide World of Sports and it helped christen the new Arena space. This year, Thirty-two teams will participate in a week of on-court competition and off-court programming centered on the Jr. NBA’s core values of teamwork, respect, determination and community.

Supported by long-time league partners FIBA and USA Basketball, the event will bring together the top 32 boys and girls teams (16 U.S. and 16 international) that advanced from regional competitions earlier this year that collectively reached more than 15,000 youth from 75 countries. The 16 international teams (eight boys and eight girls teams) represent Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe & Middle East, India, Latin America and Mexico.

The following 16 U.S. teams won Jr. NBA Global Championship regional tournaments to advance to Orlando:

U.S. Boys Division: 

• Central (Drive5 Power Elite; Overland Park, Kan.)*
• Mid-Atlantic (Quality Warriors; Upper Marlboro, Md.)
• Midwest (The Family; Detroit, Mich.)*
• Northeast (K/S Elite All Stars; New York, N.Y.)
• Northwest (Dynasty Red; Portland, Ore.)
• South (Drive Nation; Dallas, Texas)
• Southeast (TSF Mack; Atlanta, Ga.)*
• West (City Ballers; Los Angeles, Calif.)

U.S Girls Division: 

• Central (Missouri Phenom; Kansas City, Mo.)
• Mid-Atlantic (Maryland Belles; Odenton, Md.)
• Midwest (All Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Northeast (Empire State Basketball Club; Westchester, N.Y.)*
• Northwest (Evolution Greyhounds; Seattle, Wash.)
• South (Cy Fair Elite; Austin, Texas)
• Southeast (FBC United The Family; Metro Atlanta, Ga.) 
• West (San Diego Waves; San Diego, Calif.)
• *Team that participated in the inaugural Jr. NBA Global Championship in 2018 

Three-time NBA Champion and Jr. NBA Global Championship Ambassador Dwyane Wade, Utah Jazz guard and 2019 NBA Sportsmanship and Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award recipient Mike Conley, 2018 WNBA MVP and WNBA Champion Breanna Stewart, New Orleans Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development and former WNBA All-Star Swin Cash and Dallas Mavericks Head Coach Rick Carlisle will attend the event to watch the competition, interact with the youth teams and participate in leadership development programs.

FOX Sports will air 16 games throughout the week, totaling 24 hours of programming across FOX, FS1 and FS2, including the girls and boys Global Championship games on Aug. 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, respectively. All games will be telecast live and simulcast on FOXSports.com as well as the FOX Sports app.

Eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, YES Network’s lead Brooklyn Nets game analyst Sarah Kustok and college basketball analyst Donny Marshall will provide commentary for FOX for the second consecutive year. Play-by-play announcer Mark Followill returns courtside along with the addition of versatile broadcaster Brian Custer, while Noah Eagle will serve as a reporter and Charissa Thompson will once again anchor a pregame show live from Orlando, Fla.

Current and former NBA and WNBA players who are alumni of the U.S. teams include Ariel Atkins (South; Girls), Brooke McCarty (South; Girls), Candice Wiggins (West; Girls), Chiney Ogwumike (South; Girls), Draymond Green (Midwest; Boys), Kelsey Mitchell (Midwest; Girls), Kelsey Plum (West; Girls), Nneka Ogwumike (South; Girls) and Miles Bridges (Midwest; Boys). There are also several players who have ties to the U.S. programs, including Bol Bol (Central; Boys), Danny Green (Northeast; Boys), Jerami Grant (Mid-Atlantic; Boys), Jerian Grant (Mid-Atlantic; Boys), Jermaine O’Neal (South; Boys), Josh Hart (Mid-Atlantic; Boys), Kevin Durant (Mid-Atlantic; Boys), Kyrie Irving (Northeast; Boys), Rod Strickland (Northeast; Boys), Shelvin Mack (Southeast; Boys) and Victor Oladipo (Mid-Atlantic; Boys).

The Jr. NBA Global Championship will feature boys and girls divisions, separated into U.S. and international brackets that begin with round-robin play and continue with single-elimination competition. The competition, which aligns with the NBA and USA Basketball Youth Guidelines promoting player health and wellness, will culminate with the winners of the U.S. and international brackets playing in the Global Championship games on Aug. 11. On Aug. 8, the teams will take a break from gameplay to participate in an NBA Cares community service project during the day and a skills competition in the evening that will feature a three-point shooting competition and a dunk exhibition.

During the week long event, all 32 teams will participate in activities designed to reinforce the Jr. NBA’s core values and provide the players with development opportunities and memorable experiences. In the inaugural Jr. NBA Global Championship, the Central girls (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated the Europe girls team 68-38, while the Central boys (Overland Park, Kan.) defeated the Africa & Middle East boys team 60-50 in the Global Championship games. Sixteen players who participated in the inaugural event will be returning to play in the second Jr. NBA Global Championship.