MANILA, Philippines – Nerlens Noel of the Philadelphia 76ers and WNBA Legend Ruth Riley will travel to Manila to participate in the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2015 National Training Camp. Noel and Riley will help coach participants from all over the country vying to be named 2015 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars. The National Training Camp will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Forum from April 24-25 and at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on April 26.
Noel and Riley will join Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Head Coach Chris Sumner to coach the 2015 finalists at the National Training Camp and will also serve as coaches for the annual Jr. NBA Alumni All-Star game featuring past Jr. NBA standouts Kib Montalbo (2010 All-Star) and Ricci Rivero (2013 All-Star). They will also conduct an NBA Cares basketball clinic in conjunction with World Vision for 60 youth. Noel and Riley join BJ Armstrong, A.C. Green, Luc Longley, Muggsy Bogues, Gordon Hayward and Tina Thompson as members of the NBA family who have been part of the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines.
“I’m excited that my first trip with the NBA will be to the Philippines, a country that is so passionate about basketball,” said Noel. “The campers have worked extremely hard to get to this point, and I hope to give them some added motivation to make one final push.”
“It’s great to know how much enthusiasm there is for basketball among girls in the Philippines,” said Riley. “I look forward to the experience and to inspiring even more young girls to pick up the game I love so much.”
Noel, a 6’11” forward from the University of Kentucky, was selected 6th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2013 NBA Draft before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. After missing the 2013-14 season due to injury, Noel averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks in his rookie campaign and was selected to participate in the 2015 Rising Stars Challenge. Riley, a two-time WNBA Champion and former All-Star, was selected 5th overall in the 2001 WNBA Draft. Riley spent 13 seasons in the WNBA, playing for the Miami Sol, the Detroit Shock, San Antonio Silver Stars, Chicago Sky and Atlanta Dream before retiring in 2014.
The National Training Camp is the culmination of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2015 presented by Alaska program, providing the top 50 boys and top 24 girls the opportunity to train with and compete against their peers. The finalists were selected from Regional Selection Camp participants from Puerto Princesa, Binan, Iloilo, Baguio, Bacolod, Davao and Manila. At the end of the National Training Camp, 10 boys and five girls will be named Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA All-Stars and will have the opportunity to participate in a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia later in the year.
The search for the 2015 Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year will also conclude at the National Training Camp, and the winning coaches will take part in the NBA experience trip alongside the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA All-Stars.
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is the NBA’s global youth development program that promotes basketball participation and an active lifestyle among children. Participants are trained in the fundamentals of basketball and learn the importance of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA core values of sportsmanship, teamwork, a positive attitude, and respect (S.T.A.R.). The 2014 Philippines schedule included school clinics and coaching seminars in the lead up to Regional Selection Camps. The program, which remains free and open to players between 10 and 14 years old, concludes in Metro Manila with the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Training Camp.
Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is presented by Alaska. Gatorade, Globe Telecom and Phoenix Petroleum are Official Partners, while KFC and Spalding are Supporting Partners. Official NBA Broadcasters are Basketball TV, NBA Premium TV and ABS-CBN Sports + Action. Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is also supported by the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP).
The Jr. NBA program was first conducted in the Philippines in 2007. Each year a new city benefits from the grassroots basketball program that involves not just young players but also their parents and coaches. This year, with a first-time stop in Baguio, more than 100,000 students, parents, and coaches will benefit through Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA activities including camps and clinics, NBA Cares outreach activities, television programs and digital initiatives.
Visit the official Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA event website at www.jrnba.asia/philippines to learn more about the program and for full program terms and conditions. Fans can follow Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines.