NBA league for the first time in Serbia! Basketball Federation of Serbia signed an agreement on cooperation with NBA Europe and is going to organize Junior NBA league , where 30 primary schools in Belgrade , will take part.
For this purpose , today, in the culture institution “ Braca Stamenkovic” draft has been carried on , and this ceremony has been attended by NBA Europe representatives, Jesus Bueno, Vice-President NBA Europe , Africa and Middle East , Vanja Cernivec , coordinator of the basketball operation NBA Europe, Catharine Mamford , communication and PR specialist at NBA Europe, Dejan Tomasevic, KSS Secretary General, former national and NBA players from Serbia Vladimir Radmanovic and Zarko Cabarkapa, former National player Dusan Kecamn , as well as several hundreds of children and representatives of the primary schools participants.
Our young basketball players and national team members Marko Guduric,, Red star Telekom, Rade Zagorac Mega Leks and Petar Aranitovic from Partizan NIS drew the balls and announced which school is representing each NBA club.
Anyway , the competition, based on the NBA league system, is organized for pupils ( boys and girls) from first to fifth grade of primary school. Primary schools are divided into two conferences, that is six divisions of five teams each, that will play league part, and after that play –off. The Competitions start on April 6th, and with final game on May 29th.
The present were first addressed by Jesus Bueno , Vice-President of the Basketball Operations NBA Europe, Africa and Middle East.
– I would like to thank to our host, Basketball Federation of Serbia. NBA League is very impassioned in terms of the basketball development at the global level and that is how this Junior NBA league project was created. Currently ,about 6.5 million of boys and girls in 34 countries compete in the junior NBA leagues. And Serbia now is part of this story, and we are very pleased because of that, and wish you to enjoy in basketball.
Mr. Buenos has also shown gold champion ring, the copy of the ring that is delivered to the NBA league winners and each member of the champion team in the Junior NBA league will get one.
-We wish that some of you one day win the real NBA ring! – said Mr. Bueno.
Junior NBA league in Europe is organized in Spain, Italy, Russia , England , Sweden, Lithuania and Turkey.
On behalf of KSS Mr. Dejan Tomasevic , Secretary General, spoke .
– People form NBA league have great experience that they wanted to share with us, so from today we have NBA league here in Belgrade. Serbia has by now produced the largest number of NBA players ,not including America, even 25, and from today we have another 450 NBA players! I think that this is fantastic.. We all wish you to enjoy in every second on the basketball court , to make new friendships and let the best win! Good luck!
After the draw , that was held in front of very excited primary school pupils, our basketball players signed their autographs and were photographed with our boys and girls who will participate in the first Junior NBA League in Serbia.
West Confederation
North-West Division: Primary school “ Lazar Savatic” – Oklahoma City Thunder , Primary school “ Sonja Marinkovic” – Minnesota Timberwolves, Primary school “ Majka Jugovica” –Denver Nuggets , Primary school “ Mihajlo Pupin” – Utah Jazz, Primary school “ Dragan Lukic” – Portland trail Blazers.
Pacific Division : Primary school “ 20. Oktobar” – Los Angeles Lakers, Primary school” Laza Kostic” Golden Gate Worriors, Primary school “ Milan Rakic” –Sacramento Kings , Primary school “ Borislav Pekic “ – Los Angeles Clippers, Primary school “ Radoje Domanovic” – Phoenix Suns.
Southwest Division: Primary School “ Ujedinjene nacije”- Houston Rockets, Primary school “ Braca Jerkovic” – New Orleans Pelicns, Primary school “ Milos Crnjanski” – San Antonio Spurs, Primary school “ Ljuba Nenadovic” –Memphis Grizzlies , Primary school “ Miroslav Antic”- Dallas Mavericks
East Confederation L
Central Division: Primary school “ Vladislav Ribnikar” – Indiana Pacers, Primary school “ sveti Sava” – Milwaukee Bucks, Primary school “ Sinisa Nikolajevic” – Cleveland Cavaliers, Primary school “ Skadarlija” – Detroit Pistons, Primary School “ Veselin Maslesa” – Chicago Bulls
Atlantic Division: Primary school “ Pavle Savic” – Toronto Raptors, Primary school “ Cirilo i Metodije” – New York Knicks, Primary school “Ivan Goran Kovacic” – Boston Celtics , primary school “ Jelena Cetkovic” – Brooklyn Nets, primary school “ Aleksa Santic” – Philadelphia 76ers.
Southeast division: Primary school “ Branko Copic” –Charlotte Hornets , Primary school
“ 14.Oktobar” – Atlanta Hawks, Primary school” Ivo Andric”- Washington Wizards , Primary school ” Vojvoda Radomir Putnik” – Orlando Magic, Primary school “ Zmaj Jova Jovanovic “ – Miami Heat.