Five time NBA Champion Ron Harper to train Singaporean Youth

Five time NBA Champion Ron Harper to train Singaporean Youth

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that five-time NBA Champion Ron Harper will travel to Singapore to participate in the first Jr. NBA Singapore 2016 National Training Camp, which will be held at the OCBC Arena at the Singapore Sports Hub from 9-11 September. Harper will coach boys and girls from across the country striving to be named the inaugural Jr. NBA Singapore All-Stars.

The National Training Camp is the culmination of the Jr. NBA Singapore 2016, providing the top 200 boys and girls ages 10 to 14 the opportunity to train with and compete against one another. At the end of the National Training Camp, 10 boys and five girls will be named Jr. NBA Singapore All-Stars and will participate in a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia later in the year.

“I’m so excited to work with the Jr. NBA Singapore participants,” said Harper. “These young athletes have worked very hard to get to this point, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with them so they can take their game to the next level.”

“The opportunity to have access to personalities like former NBA Champion Ron Harper who will certainly encourage and inspire the community to be more active through the sport of basketball is one of the reasons why we partnered with the NBA,” said Lai Chin Kwang, Chief, ActiveSG. “We are excited to continue exploring new ways of coaching that will enable the ActiveSG Basketball Academy to bring new value to the basketball community in Singapore.”

The 6’6” Harper won five NBA championships (1996-98 with the Chicago Bulls; 2000-01 with the Los Angeles Lakers). In addition to participating in the National Training Camp, Harper will make appearances and interact with fans at clinics and community events.

The Jr. NBA is currently being conducted across Southeast Asia in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Participants are trained in the fundamentals of basketball and learn the importance of the Jr. NBA’s core values, including sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude, and respect. To date, the program has reached more than 1.5 million children, parents and coaches across Southeast Asia through camps, clinics, and NBA Cares community outreach activities, and aims to reach five million children by 2020.

The Jr. NBA complements the programme offerings provided by the recently launched ActiveSG Basketball Academy to encourage participation, raise the quality of coaching and programmes, and nurture a calendar of leagues and competitions for all skill levels to make the sport more accessible to the community. The ActiveSG Basketball Academy encompasses a deliberately carved pathway for children to develop their talent and nurture their passion for the sport and is led by former national team head coach Neo Beng Siang, offering opportunities for the community to learn and play at a recreational level.

As part of last year’s overseas NBA experience, the 2015 Jr. NBA All-Stars traveled to China to attend NBA Global Games 2015 in Shenzhen featuring the Hornets and L.A. Clippers. While in Shenzhen they met with NBA Global Ambassador and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, played in exhibition basketball games and toured the city. Details of the 2016 NBA experience will be announced at a later date.

Fans can follow the program on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbasingapore. For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com.inclusive for all skill levels and age groups.