Candace Parker talks Jr. NBA World Championship

Walt Disney World is known to be packed with children eager to see Mickey Mouse and his fellow characters, but in a few days, young athletes will show up in Orlando, from all corners of the world, in hopes of winning a World Championship title.

For the first time ever, the National Basketball Association (NBA) will host the Jr. NBA World Championship. The NBA has gathered over 300 young basketball players around the world that make up 32 teams; all are set to compete beginning Aug. 7 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

317 kids, ages ranging from 13 to 14, were selected from regional tournaments which took place in May.  Both boys and girls have 16 teams each and will undergo round-robin play which will determine seeding.  The 16 teams are split in half, and eight international teams face each other while eight U.S. teams do the same (per gender). Following seeding, single-game elimination will determine the winner of the tournament.  According to the NBA, on Aug. 12, “the winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play in the World Championship games.”

World Champion and 2018 WNBA All-Star Captain, Candace Parker, announced her partnership with the Jr. NBA earlier this year. She and Dwayne Wade are both ambassadors of the program.  “What [the kids, girls in particular] need to feel most now is support,” Parker said on a conference call with media today.

Though Parker will not physically be at the tournament due to her WNBA schedule, she has contributed throughout the entire process.  Joining the children on-site will be legends of the League Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash and Jennifer Azzi.  NBA’s Andre Drummond, Vince Carter, Brook Lopez and Grant Hill will be in attendance as well.

In the five day span, FOX Sports will air 16 games between FS1 and Fox—both girls and boys. “I love the fact [the tournament] is all inclusive and everybody is playing at every court,” Parker said. “It’s huge to take the steps forward…for the kids to not know any difference.” The balanced coverage in the 20 hour span of programming could be something to which the NBA and WNBA should pay mind.  Parker spoke about the future and “making steps and strides” toward equality with “the support of the NBA.” Equality is mirrored in this tournament and hopefully it will transpire into the WNBA and NBA’s relationship.  In the future, the goal is to view basketball as basketball, regardless of gender.

The international aspect allows the kids to experience other cultures on multiple platforms. Introducing them to various styles of play at an early age can potentially lead to a wider view on basketball and life in general.  “Take in everything…the moments [and] relationships [are] things you’ll remember the rest of your life,” Parker said, in context of advice for the participants. “You might not remember a stat, but you’ll remember the conversations you’ll have.”

Extending beyond the court, the Jr. NBA is focusing on character development.  Parker said the time spent in Orlando allows the kids to “work on themselves and [explore] the different traits it takes to be an athlete.” She stressed “teamwork, life lessons, handling success [and] working through adversity” are all qualities of success.  “To not allow someone to participate in [sports] when they’re younger,” denies them the keys to making it in life; it limits their “endless possibilities.”

35 countries are represented in the tournament and there can be only one winner.  The championship will be aired on Fox Sports on Aug. 12. The teams are as follows:

U.S. Boys Division: Central-Overland Park, Kan.; Mid-Atlantic – Upper Marlboro, Md.; Midwest- Detroit, Mich.; Northeast- Westchester, N.Y.; Northwest- Seattle, Wash.; South- Dallas, Texas; Southeast- Atlanta, Ga.; West- Los Angeles, Calif.

U.S. Girls Division: Central-Kansas City, Mo.; Mid-Atlantic- Germantown, Md.; Midwest- South Bend, Ind.; Northeast- Westchester, N.Y.; Northwest- New Castle, Wash.; South- Dallas, Texas; Southeast- Columbia, S.C.; West- Los Angeles, Calif.

As they compete, Parker would like to “see [the] young girls treated like athletes.” She added: “I hope my daughter never hears ‘you play like a girl.’ This generation, they might not know the difference. And that’s the biggest thing.”