The NBA today announced a new NBA Cares initiative in Latin America to renovate basketball courts in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the Dominican Republic for the remainder of the league’s 75th Anniversary season in 2021-22.
The renovations in the region are part of the NBA 75th Live, Learn or Play initiative to create and dedicate more than 50 new NBA Cares Live, Learn or Play centers during the 2021-22 season and will feature unique designs that showcase each city and the country’s rich history in an effort to inspire the next generation of leaders and athletes.
“We remain focused on using basketball to make a lasting difference in Latin American communities,” said Arnon de Mello, senior vice president and general manager of NBA Latin America. “Community involvement and youth basketball development are at the forefront of our efforts to grow the game, and this new initiative underscores our commitment to bringing people together by creating places for them to play the sport.”
The initiative will begin in Mexico on Sunday, March 13 in Torreon, Coahuila, where the NBA will dedicate the newly renovated NBA 75 Ejido de la Paz court. The event will include an opening ceremony followed by a “Her Time To Play” youth basketball clinic with former NBA player Horacio Llamas as guest instructor. The NBA launched Her Time To Play in 2018 to inspire the next generation of girls to play basketball in a positive and healthy way and provide ways for them to interact with each other through sport.
Mexican illustrator and musician Reez Ruiz worked with a group of local artists to design the court, which encapsulates the impact the NBA has had on generations of basketball players and fans in northern Mexico. The patterns on the three-point line pay homage to Mexican indigenous groups such as the Kikapúes of Coahuila, while the stars featured on the court mural serve as inspiration for young players to pursue their dreams.
Each renovated court will recognize the NBA’s historic 75th Anniversary season while continuing the league’s legacy of supporting and uniting Latin American communities through basketball.
