Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to Kuala Lumpur to participate in the Jr. NBA presented by Dutch Lady National Training Camp. Adams will help coach participants from all over the country striving to be named this year’s Jr. NBA Malaysia All-Stars. The National Training Camp will be held at IGB International School Aug. 5-6 and at the 1 Utama Shopping Center Aug. 7.
From Aug. 3 through to the final day of the National Training Camp on Aug. 7, fans can visit the Lower Ground Floor, Oval Court at the new wing of the 1 Utama Shopping Center to enjoy free NBA entertainment and experiences for fans of all ages, including three-point shootouts, skills challenges, autograph sessions with Adams and more. Miami Heat mascot Burnie will also be on hand to interact with fans and entertain the crowd.
“I’m looking forward to visiting Kuala Lumpur to experience the city, meet with the fans and help train the future basketball stars of Malaysia,” said Adams. “The Jr. NBA participants have put in a lot of work to earn their spots at the National Training Camp, and I can’t wait to work with all of them.”
“We are honoured to have an NBA player join us for the National Training Camp,” said Marketing Director of Dutch Lady Milk Industries Ashlee Ng. “The presence of an NBA player will definitely be beneficial to our Jr. NBA participants as they receive training not just on basketball, but also on good nutrition and a healthy diet with milk playing an important role.”
Adams, a 7’0” center from New Zealand, was selected 12th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2013 NBA Draft. Adams averaged 10.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during the 2016 NBA Playoffs, helping lead the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals.
The National Training Camp is the culmination of the Jr. NBA Malaysia presented by Dutch Lady program, providing the top 40 boys and top 24 girls the opportunity to train with and compete against one another. At the end of the National Training Camp, 10 boys and five girls will be named Jr. NBA Malaysia All-Stars and will participate in a unique, overseas NBA experience together with fellow Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia later in the year.
As part of last year’s overseas NBA experience, the 2015 Jr. NBA All-Stars traveled to China to attend NBA Global Games 2015 in Shenzhen featuring the Charlotte Hornets and L.A. Clippers. While in Shenzhen they met with NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo, played in exhibition basketball games and toured the city. Details of the 2016 NBA experience will be announced at a later date.
According to the South East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS)*, nearly 50% of Malaysian children studied in SEANUTS have calcium insufficiency. Findings also found a high proportion of physical inactivity among children ages seven to 12. As a result of these findings, Dutch Lady partnered with the Jr. NBA program as part of its Drink.Move.BeStrong campaign to encourage an active lifestyle and a healthy diet among Malaysian youth while highlighting milk’s role in a child’s growth and development, helping build muscle, keeping bones strong while also filling up and rehydrating.
In addition to presenting partner Dutch Lady, the event is supported by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, Spalding and Westports Malaysia Dragons. Astro is the official broadcast partner of the Jr. NBA in Malaysia.
For more information, visit the official event website at www.jrnba.asia/malaysia and follow Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbamalaysia. For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and “Friend” the NBA’s official account on LINE by adding @nba_global.
Reference:
* Nutritional status and dietary intakes of children ages six months to 12 years: findings of the Nutrition Survey of Malaysian Children (SEANUTS Malaysia), British Journal of Nutrition (2013), 110, S21–S35.
