The National Basketball Association (NBA) and investment company Dart announced a multiyear expansion of their existing youth development collaboration in the Cayman Islands, which will tip off with the Camana Bay and Jr. NBA Basketball Camp from 22–26 July, at the Arts and Recreation Centre featuring San Antonio Spurs guard Blake Wesley.
Additionally, as part of the expanded collaboration, Dart will host Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA week in Grand Cayman in November 2024 focused on enhancing fundamental skills and core values of the game, including teamwork, unity, respect, commitment and confidence both on and off the court.
The week will include a variety of Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA clinics and programming for players, fans and families, with 3-on-3 tournaments, skills challenges, clinics for aspiring female players and a Special Olympics clinics. More details about the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Week will be announced at a later date.
Dart’s community partnership with the Jr. NBA is made possible by the Kenneth B. Dart Foundation.
“Dart’s long-standing commitment to creating extraordinary places, experiences and opportunities in the Cayman Islands includes decades of support for youth sports through facilities, programmes and sponsorships,” said Dart Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Mark VanDevelde. “We look forward to enhancing this impact through the expansion of our partnership with the NBA, a global leader in innovation, community building and harnessing the transformative power of sport.”
“Dart has been instrumental in helping us grow basketball in the Cayman Islands over the past few years,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We look forward to working together to expand our grassroots basketball development efforts in the years to come and to providing more opportunities for Caymanian youth, fans and families to learn the values of the game and the importance of a health, active lifestyle.”
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.
During the 2023-24 season, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA reached more than 19 million youth in six countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Wesley was selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft by the Spurs. During the 2023-24 season, he played in 61 games and averaged 4.4 points and 2.7 assists per game.
Related Videos
