NBA, WNBA launching youth basketball league in Louisville, 10 other cities

Professional basketball is coming to the city of Louisville — well, kind of.

On Thursday morning, the NBA and WNBA announced that the two associations will launch a “national network of youth basketball leagues for boys and girls ages 6-14” called the Jr. NBA Leagues. 11 cities across the United States will play host to one the leagues, one of which will be Louisville, KY. The program plans to tip off this November with the goal of bringing in nearly half-a-million participants per year by 2027.

Joining Louisville as the 11 selected cities are Sacramento, Calif.; Washington, D.C.; Boise, Idaho; New Orleans, La.; Kansas City, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Philadelphia, Pa.; San Antonio, Texas; and Seattle, Wash.

The NBA and WNBA today announced the launch of Jr. NBA Leagues, a national network of youth basketball leagues for boys and girls ages 6-14. The program will tip off in 11 markets in November before expanding nationwide.

More ➡️ https://t.co/hWRBAEqRaehttps://t.co/nrlzfNd6x2

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) July 14, 2022

Below is a description of what the Jr. NBA Leagues intend to accomplish with this initiative, per the program’s press release.

Jr. NBA Leagues will focus on providing youth across socio-economic, racial and gender lines with access to best-in-class recreational basketball, which is more important than ever following the disruption to youth sports access and the decrease in community-based sports providers caused by the pandemic.

NBA Communications

No details were released on where the Jr. Leagues will play and practice at in Louisville or how it will operate, but the press release does add that “All Jr. NBA Leagues members – which will include a combination of community-based organizations, schools, and independent operators – will receive a robust suite of resources including training opportunities and basketball curricula designed to enhance league effectiveness, gameplay, and on-court and off-court player and coach development.”

Additionally, there will be a Jr. NBA Referee Development Program available in these markets for high school students. For more information you can visit Jr.nba.com.