The NBA this week announced the creation of the Jr. NBA Court of Leaders, a diverse youth leadership council comprised of 18 boys and girls from across the U.S.
Through the program, the young athletes — all of whom participated in either the 2018 or 2019 Jr. NBA Global Championships — will develop their leadership skills, engage in career development opportunities, and learn how to use their platforms to champion social justice causes.
The participants were selected due to their display of integrity, leadership, and work ethic on and off the court. To prepare them for an eventual career in sports management, they will have the unique opportunity to receive advice and guidance from employees of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, and NBA 2K League who work across a range of areas including digital media, marketing, community engagement, youth basketball development, and business operations.
Speaking about the league’s inspiration for launching this new program, NBA Associate VP of Youth Basketball Development Adam Harper said that the NBA “wanted to establish a platform that recognizes the force of young people to drive change and empowers them to find and develop their voice.”
While the young leaders will benefit immensely from their participation in the program, the NBA stands to gain a lot as well. Through quarterly meetings, members of the NBA’s youth basketball development team will solicit feedback from the participants on how to improve Jr. NBA programming for the future.
Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies will serve as co-chairs of the Council. Its 18 members will include:
Girls
- Jadyn Donovan (MD)
- Kendall Dudley (VA)
- Mackenzie Nelson (CT)
- S’Mya Nichols (KS)
- Courtney Ogden (GA)
- Malia Samuels (WA)
- Sumayah Sugapong (CA)
- D’Asia Thomas (TX)
- Jada Williams (MO)
- Solé Williams (OH)
Boys
- Royal Brown (NY)
- Kanaan Carlyle (GA)
- Amani Hansberry (MD)
- Lebbeus “LT” Overton (GA)
- Grant Stubblefield (KS)
- Quinton Webb (CA)
- Curtis Williams (MI)
- Aidan Wing (KS)
