16 US, 16 international teams in Jr. NBA World Championship
NEW YORK (AP) Sixteen teams from the U.S. and 16 international ones have qualified to play in the inaugural Jr. NBA World Championship next month.
The tournament will be for boys and girls, ages 13 and 14, from Aug. 7-12 in Orlando, Florida. The NBA announced the qualifying teams and their rosters Thursday.
The eight U.S. teams in each division will play in one bracket and the international clubs in the other in a format similar to the Little League World Series, with the championship games set for the final day of competition.
The U.S. teams qualified by winning regional competitions and represent Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West.
The Midwest boys' team, based in Detroit, was the former AAU team of NBA All-Star Draymond Green and defeated a team featuring LeBron James Jr. during qualifying. The girls' Midwest representative is Sky Diggs Soldiers from South Bend, Indiana, the AAU team of women's star Skylar Diggins-Smith that is coached by her stepfather.
International representatives are: Africa and Middle East, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe, India, Mexico and South America.
