If you haven't heard, the NBA has come to Yellowknife.

Just in a smaller form.

Junior NBA is a new program that was launched by Basketball NWT on Sunday at Weledeh Gymnasium. From the turnout, it seems like it's going to be a hit, with 24 players between the ages of five through seven signing up to play.

That's pretty close to capacity said Cole Marshall, Basketball NWT's technical director and one of the coaches for the program.

He said Junior NBA has been on the cards for two years and this was the year it finally got going.

SA国际影视传媒淏asketball Alberta had approached us about doing something like this,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e talked about it at our annual general meeting last year but we got it up and running this year.SA国际影视传媒�
Junior NBA takes over as the first step for youth to begin playing the sport. Before that, Steve Nash Youth Basketball was what was available.

SA国际影视传媒淜ids weren't touching a ball until they were eight years old and by that time, they've already been playing hockey for at least two years,SA国际影视传媒� said Marshall. SA国际影视传媒淗ockey is still a strong sport and it's cool that kids want to play that but we want to give them a chance to see and play another sport, one that I've always loved, and hopefully have them grow in basketball.SA国际影视传媒�

Junior NBA is essentially a miniature version of basketball with nets lowered to 6.5 ft. high as opposed to the regulation height of 10 ft. The basketballs themselves are also smaller, making them easier to handle and work with on the court.

SA国际影视传媒淲e just want the kids to be having fun and not thinking about doing drills,SA国际影视传媒� said Marshall. SA国际影视传媒淚t's a lot of basic stuff and a lot of game-play learning with the ball in their hands a lot.SA国际影视传媒�

The players also have T-shirts with the logo of a NBA team on the front, something Marshall said is probably the coolest part of the whole thing.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey look down and see the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics on the front of their shirt,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淔or me, that would be the best.SA国际影视传媒�

The big difference with the program in Yellowknife is that it's only 10-weeks long, as opposed to the 12-week version down south. To make up for that, each of the Sunday sessions lasts for 60 minutes, 15 minutes longer than down south. It's also a co-ed program and seven girls are signed up to play.

That was important to Marshall and he gave credit to the GO Ball program for helping fill what was an obvious void in youth basketball.

SA国际影视传媒淕O Ball started their youngest division for five to seven-year-olds and that was really great for them to get that level going and they've had a lot of success with it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut then, we had questions about whether there was anything for the boys at that age so this gives the boys a chance to start young. We needed to do something like this, because by the time they're old enough for Steve Nash, they've grown into their bodies a bit.SA国际影视传媒�