The ACG Jr. NBA program, a nationwide 3v3 tournament for the top U-14 players across India and the largest school-based basketball program in the country, concluded its City League finals in Delhi.  Three boys’ and girls’ teams and one all-star team from each of the boys’ and girls’ divisions advance to the league finals. Sadhana Chauhan from Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, Uttar Pradesh (U14 Girls) and Shivam Chaddha from Rishikul Sr. Sec. School, Haryana (U14 Boys) were recognized with the Skechers MVP award for their outstanding performance through the Delhi leg of the tournament. 

Chandan Meena from Sophia Sr. Sec. School, Delhi, emerged as the Boys’ top scorer with 140 points, while Sadhana Chauhan from Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, Uttar Pradesh, led the Girls’ division with 124 points.

The 11th edition of the program is being conducted in association with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), with Skechers as the official kit partner.

Here are the winners of the ACG Jr. NBA 3v3 City League – Delhi:

Category: Winning Teams (U14 Boys)

Winners – Rishikul Sr. Sec. School, Panipat (Haryana)

1st Runner Up – Nehru World School, Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh)

2nd Runner Up – Maharana Pratap Inter College, Noida (Uttar Pradesh)

All-Star Team:    

Veer Sharma – Balbharti Public School, Gangaram, (Delhi)

Tarun Yadav – Bharti Public School (Delhi)

Mohd. Ruhan Ahmed – Shri Sumer Senior Secondary School, Jodhpur (Rajasthan)

Prateek Teotia – St. Pauls Academy (Delhi)

The ACG Jr. NBA program features boys’ and girls’ divisions with teams representing schools from across the country.  The program is taking place in Mumbai, Chennai, Aizawl, Delhi, Bhubaneshwar and Ludhiana, where the top eight boys’ and girls’ teams in each city will compete in a league phase. From there, the top three boys’ and girls’ teams, along with one all-star team from each division, will advance to the league finals this year.

The Jr. NBA program has reached more than 14 million youth and 15,000 physical education instructors across 35 cities in India since 2013.  The ACG Jr. NBA program is part of the NBA’s broader basketball development initiatives in India that involve collaborations with local business and federations, including NBA Basketball School, a network of tuition-based basketball development programs open to male and female players ages 6-18, and Basketball Without Borders Asia, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been held in India twice.  

Players, coaches, and families can learn more about this year’s ACG Jr. NBA program by following the NBA’s social media channels in India across Facebook, Instagram, and X.  Fans can also download the NBA App for the latest news, updates, scores, stats, schedules, videos and more.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, celebrating his 40th birthday Monday, said he could play another five to seven years in the NBA at a high-caliber level — though he conceded he would probably retire before then. The basketball superstar, speaking after a Lakers practice session, also said he plans to finish out his NBA career with the Lakers, and would not make a comeback after leaving the league — whenever that is.

Asked what might be the deciding factor about when to retire, James declared a lack of competitiveness would not be his reason.

“It won’t be because I can’t play this game at a high level,” James said. “To be honest, if I really wanted to, I could probably play this game at a high level for another five to seven years if I wanted to, but I’m not going to do that.”

James, in his record-tying 22nd NBA campaign, is averaging 23.5 points, 9.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds a game and shooting 49.6 percent from the floor.

He won a third Olympic gold medal with the US team of NBA stars in Paris this year and, after starting in the NBA as an 18-year-old rookie, now has a 20-year-old son as an NBA teammate.

James is a four-time NBA champion, four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 20-time NBA All-Star and owns the ever-expanding NBA records for most points and games played in a career.

James said he plans to play out his career with the Lakers.

“I think that’s the plan,” James said. “I would love for it to end here. That would be the plan. I came here to play the last stage of my career.

“I think my relationship with this organization speaks for itself. Hopefully I don’t have to go nowhere before my career is over.”

Once he is gone, James said, there will be no comeback attempts, as was the case with superstar Michael Jordan.

“No, no, no, no, no. But I will miss the hell out of it for sure,” James said. “But no, I won’t walk away and then come back.”

For his career, James is averaging 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.5 steals over 1,520 games.

Making history and blazing a trail for Indian basketball, Ulhas KS has become the first Indian player to compete in the prestigious Serbian National Basketball League Division 1, Kosarkaska Liga Srbije (KLS). Representing Novi Pazar, Ulhas debuted in a match against BKK Radnicki, marking a significant milestone for Indian sports on the international stage. The Serbian National Basketball League is renowned as one of the most competitive leagues in Europe, featuring 16 elite clubs and numerous players who were part of Serbia’s bronze medal-winning squad at the Paris Olympics. Against this formidable backdrop, Ulhas’ participation represents a leap forward for Indian basketball players aspiring to excel on the global stage.

Ulhas’ journey to this historic debut has been nothing short of extraordinary. Just a few months ago, he suffered a broken jaw, a potentially career-threatening injury. However, with unwavering determination, he made a remarkable comeback, stepping onto the court to loud applause from teammates and fans. Wearing a protective mask, Ulhas played for five minutes in his debut game, recording an assist and a steal.

Speaking about his achievement, Ulhas said, “It is an incredible honour to represent India in the Serbian National Basketball League. The journey has been challenging, especially recovering from my injury, but the support from my family, coaches, and teammates kept me going. Competing in such a high-calibre league is a dream come true, and I hope this inspires more Indian players to aim for international opportunities,” according to a press release from Ulhas.

Ulhas has previously represented India in several key international matches, including the World Cup qualifier against Lebanon in October 2022 and games against Jordan and Saudi Arabia in February 2023. His transition to Europe’s competitive basketball circuit signifies the growing recognition of Indian talent on the global stage.

The Kosarkaska Liga Srbije promises thrilling action this season, with seasoned players and young talents vying for supremacy. Ulhas’ entry into this elite league is a testament to his resilience and skill, paving the way for future generations of Indian basketball players.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds on Saturday to spark the Milwaukee Bucks into the NBA Cup final with a 110-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. The Greek big man also added nine assists, four blocks and a steal while shooting 10-of-15 from the floor and 12-of-18 from the free throw line. Milwaukee will play for the title on Tuesday in Las Vegas against the winner of Saturday’s later Vegas semi-final between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.

“We got stops. That was the most important thing,” Antetokounmpo said. “They were feeling comfortable, getting to their spots. We were able to disrupt their offense.

“We were moving the ball, playing team basketball, getting to our spots, knocking down a few shots down the stretch. That’s why we were able to get the win.”

The Bucks also had 25 points from Damian Lillard and 16 more from Brook Lopez while Trae Young led Atlanta with 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

The Bucks, who made an unbeaten run to last year’s inaugural semi-finals of the in-season tournament before losing to Indiana, were the only team to make a return trip to this year’s last four.

They were inspired by NBA scoring leader Antetokounmpo and his hunger after last year’s Cup near miss.

“Enjoy the game, take it a possession at a time and win the game. That’s it,” Antetokounmpo said on what he told his teammates. “If we compete, we’ll win the game.”

After a 2-8 start to the campaign, the Bucks have gone 12-3 since.

“We trust one another. We play together. There’s no more hero ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “In the beginning of the season we tried to do it by ourselves. It had a bad effect on the team. We figured out we have to compete as a team, move the ball as a team, compete together.

“We’ve changed our season around but we’ve got to keep going. The job is not done so far. We’ve got to keep playing together and hope we get better.”

Two Jalen Johnson dunks late in the third quarter gave the Hawks an 83-82 lead entering the fourth. Young scored 14 points in the third quarter and Lillard netted 11.

The game stayed on a knife’s edge into the final minutes but Antetokounmpo had six points in a 7-1 Bucks run for a 103-96 lead with 3:13 to play.

Young answered with two free throws and a jumper but Brook Lopez scored to give Milwaukee a 105-100 edge and Lillard sank a driving floater from the free throw line for a 107-100 lead with 23 seconds remaining.

The Bucks drained free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

– Big runs early –

Antetokounmpo scored two fast-break layups in a 7-0 Bucks run to start the contest but the Hawks answered with the next seven as part of a 21-9 run to seize the lead.

The Bucks began the second quarter with a 12-0 run for a 38-28 edge and led 55-49 at half-time.

Lillard scored 10 points in the second quarter while Antetokounmpo had 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the first half and Young had 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Hawks in the first half.

The National Basketball Association (NBA), ACG, a global leader in pharmaceutical solutions, and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the governing body of basketball in the country, on Thursday announced the launch of the ACG Jr. NBA program, a nationwide 3v3 tournament for the top U-14 players across India and the largest school-based basketball program in the country. The ACG Jr. NBA program will feature boys’ and girls’ divisions with teams representing schools from across the country and tip off on Tuesday, Sept. 24 with tournaments in Chennai and Mumbai before visiting Aizawl, Delhi, Kolkata and Ludhiana.

The top eight boys’ and girls’ teams from each city will then compete in a league phase within each city that will see the top three boys’ and girls’ teams and one all-star team from each of the boys’ and girls’ divisions advance to the league finals early next year.  The dates of the remaining city tournaments and league phases, and the dates and location of the league finals, will be announced at a later date.  

“Over the past decade, we’ve engaged millions of children through the Jr. NBA program, and we look forward to expanding our development efforts in India alongside our partners and providing more opportunities for boys and girls to play the game and maximize their potential,” said NBA Asia Strategy Head and NBA India Country Head Rajah Chaudhry.

In addition to the ACG Jr. NBA program, the collaboration aims to enhance youth basketball development at the local level, expand elite talent identification nationally, and provide new development opportunities for players, coaches and referees at all levels.  The collaboration builds on the prior association between the NBA and ACG that included the launch of ACG-NBA Jump, a nationwide basketball talent search program, and marks the first time BFI will serve as an ACG Jr. NBA partner.

“This initiative goes beyond the game – it’s about building character, instilling values, and offering young athletes a platform to grow and shine,” said ACG Managing Director Karan Singh.  

The announcement was made on Thursday at a press conference in Mumbai by BFI President Aadhav Arjuna, NBA Asia Strategy Head and NBA India Country Head Rajah Chaudhry, ACG Chief Marketing Officer Alex Robertson and CEO of Skechers South Asia Pvt. Ltd. Rahul Vira.  

The Jr. NBA program has reached more than 14 million youth and 15,000 physical education instructors across 35 cities in India since 2013.  The ACG Jr. NBA program is part of the NBA’s broader basketball development initiatives in India that include NBA Basketball School, a network of tuition-based basketball development programs open to male and female players ages 6-18, and Basketball Without Borders Asia, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been held in India twice.  

(With inputs from NBA India Press Release)

Image for representative use© AFP

The United States held off France 67-66 to win an unprecedented eighth successive women’s Olympic basketball gold on Sunday and extend their run of victories at the tournament to 61 games. A’ja Wilson scored a game-high 21 points for the Americans who won the title for the 10th time overall, surviving a buzzer-beating shot from France’s Gabby Williams. The hosts needed a three to force overtime but Williams’ foot was on three-point line as she let go off the ball, so her shot counted for just two points in a dramatic finale. 

The US secured their 40th gold of the Paris Games in the final event of the competition, pipping China to the top the medals table by virtue of winning more silvers.

The US women got support from LeBron James who sat courtside wearing his gold medal, joined by team-mates Bam Adebayo and Derrick White, a day after they won the men’s gold by beating the French man 98-87 in Saturday’s final. 

A low-scoring first quarter saw a cold-shooting France muster just nine points, but the US only fared marginally better and led by six after 10 minutes.

Williams trimmed the gap to a point with a three early in the second period before a basket from Valeriane Ayayi tied the game at 20-20.

Marine Fauthoux drained a three from near midcourt with the shot clock expiring to send the crowd wild, but Napheesa Collier’s putback ensured the teams headed into the break level at 25-25.

France strung together a 10-point run to start the third period as Fauthoux and Ayayi both nailed threes.

The US to hit back to lead 45-43 going into the final quarter, with Kelsey Plum connecting on a pair of threes — one after Johannes took a nasty blow from Wilson that went unpunished, to France’s fury.

Wilson belatedly found some rhythm offensively after a difficult first half, but France had an answer each time and went back in front, 51-49, on Marieme Badiane’s layup.

The US nudged back ahead, Wilson getting a kind bounce off the backboard and Plum sinking a pair of free throws to leave them leading by three with two minutes to play.

Williams’ jumper made it a one-point before Kahleah Copper drove to the basket to keep the US in the driving seat.

A travelling call against Wilson gave the ball back to France with around 45 seconds left, but Fauthoux’s desperation three came up well short under pressure from Breanna Stewart.

Wilson then made a free throw to extend the lead to four and Plum looked to have clinched the win with a pair of foul shots, but Williams kept France alive with a clutch three.

Copper held her nerve to sink two more free throws for the US to restore their cushion to three. 

They needed every point as Williams nearly pulled off a miraculous escape act as the buzzer sounded only to be denied by a matter of centimetres.

South Sudan basketball team in action at Olympics 2024.© AFP

File photo of Dennis Schroder.© X/@NBA

Bronny James, the 19-year-old son of NBA superstar LeBron James, scored four points on Saturday in his unofficial Los Angeles Lakers debut, a loss in the NBA California Classic. Sacramento defeated the Lakers 108-94 at the Chase Center in San Francisco in the summer league contest, a showcase for prospects and newcomers to begin working into their team defensive systems and offensive schemes. James, taken 55th in last month’s NBA Draft, started at point guard and played 21 minutes and 43 seconds in the 40-minute contest, finishing with four points on 2-of-9 shooting, 0-of-3 from 3-point range and 0-for-2 from the free throw line.

The former University of Southern California guard also contributed two rebounds, two assists and a steal for the Lakers.

James, who signed a four-year deal with the Lakers, will play alongside his famed parent as part of the NBA’s first father-son duo.

The elder James did not attend the game as he was in Las Vegas with the US Olympic team for their first practice session ahead of an exhibition game against Canada before they travel to Europe ahead of the Paris Olympics.

But he made time in Vegas to watch some video of his son’s first basket, and later told reporters that Saturday’s game was part of a learning process.

“I just hope for (him to get) his feet wet in the NBA — the pace of the game, the speed of the game, the physicality of the game,” LeBron James said.

“But what he does in the California Classic and Summer League, it doesn’t matter if he plays well and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play well. I just want him to continue to grow. Practices, film sessions, his individual workouts.”

Bronny James grabbed his first rebound just 80 seconds into the game then missed his first shot attempt six seconds later.

James was not called for a foul. He was whistled for one early in the second quarter defending a 3-point shot by Sacramento’s Xavier Sneed but the Lakers challenged the call and it was overturned upon video review.

Bronny James made his first steal with 6:25 to play in the second quarter.

He scored his first basket with 5:51 remaining in the second period on a driving layup, tying the game at 31-31.

He was grateful for the crowd support he received, something he wasn’t expecting in the Golden State Warriors’ arena.

“The atmosphere was more than I expected,” James said. “It’s a big game for me and I didn’t know people from Golden State would come and rep for me. That was pretty nice to see.”