Junior National Basketball Association (NBA) program

The two-day Junior National Basketball Association (NBA) program reeled off in Dagupan with a seminar for some 500 basketball coaches on Saturday and school clinic for 1,200 kids on Sunday.

Participants are taught of the finer points in basketball, how America's NBA plays.

Dagupan City Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, Region 1 Director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)hosted the two-day under her program Community Service Idol (CSI).

She said the NBA style of coaching and playing will surely improve the quality of basketball in Dagupan City and northern Luzon.

The Junior NBA program was first held in Manila on January 19 before moving to Lucena and Davao cities with Dagupan as the last stop-over.

Considered as main event of the two-day event was the school clinic with some 1,200 students, boys and girls, aged between 10 - 14, from various public and private schools in Dagupan.

Sefu Bernard, NBA Asia Director of Basketball operations,is camp director. He is assisted by local coaches selected by NBA, and coaches of the Alaska Power Camp led by Philippine Basketball Association legend Jojo Lastimosa.

Alaska Powdered Milk Drink is the presenting partner of NBA in the Junior NBA program for the third consecutive year.

The Junior NBA is the league's international youth development program that promotes basketball participation, sportsmanship and teamwork, and an active lifestyle for children.

The two-day coaching seminar and school clinic in Manila, Lucena, Davao and Dagupan will be followed with the holding of a Regional Training Camps in March and April.

Fernandez said there will be a regional Junior NBA selection camp in Northern Luzon in March where players not only from Dagupan but from Baguio, Tarlac, Pampanga, Laoag and other places, are attending.

NBA said the regional selection camps will lead to the selection of 50 participants from all over the country who will join the Junior NBA National Training Camp in Manila from April 26 to 28 and participate in a national try-out..

The national try out will lead to the selection of 10 members of the Junior NBA All-Star Team who will be brought to the United States and be given unique NBA experience of seeing NBA games live.