The NBA Academy is a basketball development initiative created by the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA) that develops top international high school-age prospects. The program includes academies across

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

(known as the Global Academy),

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

(known as the NBA Academy Latin America), and

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 � ...

(known as the NBA Academy Africa) for top prospects from their respective countries and continents. The program provides player development in addition to education, housing, and mentorship.

History

The NBA Academy was launched in 2016 to provide a comprehensive development pathway for young elite athletes in their home regions. NBA academies recruit talent through their Jr. NBA programs, which are located in over 75 countries. The NBA began by partnering with three government-operated camps in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

that same year to help develop young Chinese players for professional basketball. In 2017, the league launched academies in India, Australia, and Africa. In 2018, the NBA opened an academy in Mexico City. The NBA formerly had a location in

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

, China, but it was closed in June 2019 due to multiple controversies. As of May 2020, more than 25 NBA Academy graduates committed to NCAA Division I schools.

Josh Giddey Joshua Giddey (born 10 October, 2002) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Thunder with the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. Gi ...

became the first NBA Academy Graduate selected in the NBA draft in 2021. He was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Notable players

Global Academy (Australia)

Dyson Daniels Dyson James Daniels (born 17 March 2003) is an Australian professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted eighth overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Early life and career Daniel ...

* Hyunjung Lee *

Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (born 21 April 1999) is a Cameroonian college basketball player for the Baylor Bears of the Big 12 Conference. He previously played for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels. Early life and career Tchatchoua grew up playing associa ...

* Francisco Caffaro * Anyang Garang

India

* Prashant Singh Rawatहल्द्वानी के प्रशांत का सीनियर बास्केटबॉल टीम में चयन

Hindustan ''Hindūstān'' ( , from '' Hindū'' and ''-stān''), also sometimes spelt as Hindōstān ( ''Indo-land''), along with its shortened form ''Hind'' (), is the Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent that later became commonly used by ...

, 18 February 2020. Accessed 25 February 2021. *

Princepal Singh Princepal Singh Bajwa ( pa, ਪਿ੍ੰਸਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ; born 3 January 2001) is an Indian professional basketball player. Listed at and , he plays the power forward and center position. Early life and career Singh is a native of ...

Latin America

Bennedict Mathurin Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin (born June 19, 2002) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named a ...

Oumar Ballo Oumar Ballo may refer to: * Oumar Ballo (footballer) (born 1991), Malian footballer * Oumar Ballo (basketball) Oumar Ballo (born 13 July 2002) is a Malian college basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-12 Conference. He previously ...

Santiago Véscovi Santiago Véscovi Vannet (born 14 September 2001) is a Uruguayan college basketball player for the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Early life and career Born in Montevideo, Véscovi grew up playing basketball at the yo ...

* Olivier Maxence Prosper * Jermaine Miranda Perez * Malik Wade

Africa

* Gorgui Deng * Idou Dianko Badji * Abdoul Halil Barre * Timothy Ighoefe *

Nelly Junior Joseph Nelly Junior Joseph (born November 20, 2001) is a Nigerian college basketball player for the New Mexico Lobos of the Mountain West Conference. He previously played for the Iona Gaels of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). Early life J ...

Controversy

In July 2020, the NBA faced complaints from its employees over human rights concerns within the NBA Academy located in China. According to the findings of an

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

investigation, American coaches at three NBA training academies in China told league officials their Chinese partners were physically abusing young players and failing to provide schooling, even though NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had said that education would be central to the program. Following the opening of an NBA Academy in

, American coaches were frequently harassed and surveilled. One American coach was detained three times without cause; he and others were unable to obtain housing because of their status as foreigners, with one employee describing it as adjacent to "World War II Germany".

Notes

References

{{NBA National Basketball Association Sports academies Youth basketball Basketball organizations