Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League Finals Featured Seven-Time NBA Champion Robert Horry

30 May, 2022

Launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) earlier this year, the first Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League culminated in a finals event on Saturday the 28th of May featuring a special appearance by seven-time NBA Champion Robert Horry.

Horry was on hand to interact with the young players and presented awards during the closing ceremony, which saw the first Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League champions crowned, the ACS - St Antonio Spurs and the ACS - Portland Trail Blazers. A 16-year NBA veteran, Horry is one of only four players to have won NBA championships with three teams. He won two with the Houston Rockets, three with the Los Angeles Lakers and two with the San Antonio Spurs, with no defeats in NBA Finals.
Paul Pierce, a 10-time NBA All-Star who was in Abu Dhabi as part of the partnership, also stopped by to congratulate the participants.

The Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, which tipped off on 5 March, saw 450 boys and girls ages 11-14 participate from local schools across Abu Dhabi. The youth basketball league is part of the NBA’s global Jr. NBA programme, and features boys’ and girls’ divisions comprised of 20 teams and 10 teams respectively. It will expand to include additional schools and leagues in the coming years. The Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League aims to promote the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi’s shared values of leadership, opportunity and inspiration through league games, events and clinics, working towards the goal of encouraging youth to lead healthy lifestyles through active participation in sport.

The league is part of a groundbreaking multiyear partnership between the NBA and DCT Abu Dhabi that will see the emirate host the first-ever preseason NBA games in the Arabian Gulf, featuring the Atlanta Hawks and the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks at Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, Yas Island on Thursday, 6 October and Saturday, 8 October 2022. Tickets for The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022 will go on sale at a later date. Fans can register to receive information about The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2022, including exclusive presale access and additional benefits, by visiting NBA.com/AbuDhabi.

The partnership also includes a variety of interactive fan events featuring appearances by current and former NBA players, a series of NBA FIT Clinics promoting health and wellness, and an NBA 2K League exhibition event.

For more information on the Jr. NBA Abu Dhabi League, operated by Gulf Sports Media FZ LLC (trading as Sport360), visit OWQLO and follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook (Facebook.com/jrnba), Instagram (@jrnba and @jrnbauae) and Twitter (@jrnba).