The second season of the Stanbic Jr. NBA Finals concluded on Saturday, March 7, at the Nimra Talata Stadium, with the Gumbo Basic Hawks emerging as the overall champions after defeating the Liberty Clippers in an exciting championship clash.
Organized in collaboration with Stanbic Bank and the Luol Deng Foundation, the youth basketball tournament brought together talented young players from across the region in a season-long competition aimed at nurturing grassroots basketball talent.
The championship match featured the Eastern Conference winners, Gumbo Basic Hawks, against the Western Conference champions, Liberty Clippers. Gumbo Basic Hawks delivered a strong performance to outscore their opponents and secure the title, becoming the official winners of the second season of the Stanbic Jr. NBA League.
The road to the finals saw intense competition, with the Eastern and Western Conference semi-finals and finals taking place between February 25 and March 5.
In the Eastern Conference, Gumbo Basic Hawks dominated the series, clinching a 2–0 victory to be crowned conference champions. In the Western Conference, Liberty Clippers secured their place in the finals after winning their series 2–1 to become the Western Conference champions.
This year’s competition marked the culmination of a 127-game season involving 27 teams and more than 450 boys and girls participating in the program.
The Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA initiatives form part of the global youth basketball development program run by the National Basketball Association. The program focuses on teaching young players the fundamental skills and core values of the game, including teamwork, respect, determination, and community engagement.
Across Africa, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program has been launched in 19 countries and reached more than 390,000 young people last year, helping to grow the sport and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents.