NBA Launch Youth Leadership Council
April 16, 2021
Aligned with this week's sixth annual Jr. NBA Week celebrations, the NBA has announced a new personal development initiative. Jr. NBA Court of Leaders will teach young people skills in leadership, mental health and civic engagement, and help better prepare them for careers in the sports industry. It was launched as part of the league's youth basketball program.
This new youth leadership council is comprised of eight boys and ten girls from diverse backgrounds -- 15 and 16-year-old basketball players across the US who demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at the 2018 and 2019 Jr. NBA Global Championships and have continued to distinguish themselves on- and off-the-court. The council will empower the promising young women and men by providing resources to further develop them as leaders and a platform to amplify their voices within their communities and across the youth basketball landscape.
“The Jr. NBA Court of Leaders was born out of that commitment to holistic development,” said Adam Harper, NBA Associate Vice President of Youth Basketball Development. “For all of us in the youth sports and development space, the challenges and events of the past year have only magnified the importance and power of sport in the lives of young people.
Members will participate in personal development programming and convene monthly for webinars and workshops featuring guest speakers to broaden their understanding of issues related to social justice, gender equality and career opportunities in the sports industry. The group will also collaborate on an annual social responsibility project to positively impact their communities.
The participants will be assigned mentors from the NBA, WNBA, G League and NBA 2K League offices who will expose the young players to career opportunities in sports, including digital media, marketing, community engagement, law, youth basketball development and business operations.
“We wanted to establish a platform that recognizes the force of young athletes to drive change and empowers them to find and develop their voice and for us to be able to amplify their voice,” Harper also stated.
Jr. NBA Court of Leaders will be co-chaired by the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier and Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. who have previously worked with youth athletes and supported the league’s basketball development programming as Jr. NBA ambassadors.
“I remember being in the same position as these young girls and boys not long ago, trying to realize my potential as a player and find my voice to inspire those around me,” said Collier. “I’m excited to get to know all of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders members and help advance their personal development and community impact.”
Success will be measured not by how the players perform on the court, but by the difference they make in their communities. The participants want to make it to the collegiate level and potentially beyond, but their dreams are not solely aimed at professional basketball. S'Mya Nichols wants to be a plastic surgeon, coach sports or work in advertising, while Amani Hansberry could see himself as an entrepreneur or a basketball coach.
Sources: The NBA and The Undefeated