Thursday, 6th October 2016 – Castries, St. Lucia: Digicel and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that seven-time NBA Champion, Robert Horry, 1977 NBA Champion and former NBA head coach, Lionel Hollins, and two-time WNBA All-Star, Skylar Diggins, will coach at the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Elite Camp in the British Virgin Islands from October 7th-9th.
The Elite Camp will feature the top 63 players – 45 boys and 18 girls – from the Digicel NBA Jumpstart Clinics held in nine Caribbean countries this fall. At the conclusion of the Elite Camp, the NBA and Digicel will choose the top thirteen players – eight boys and five girls – who will have an opportunity to take part in the Digicel Jumpstart Experience in the U.S. later this year.
The Digicel NBA Jumpstart Basketball programme, now in its second year, began August 24th and took place in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The clinics, run by NBA assistant coaches and D-League coaches, along with NBA International Basketball Operations staff, brought together hundreds of players and coaches from across the Caribbean. Each clinic featured the top boys and girls born between 1999-2001 as well as coaching clinics for local coaches.
“These boys and girls who have made it to the Elite Camp are not only the best in their countries, they are also the embodiment of hard work, dedication and a good attitude. Congratulations to all them,” said Digicel Group Director of Marketing, Peter Lloyd. “The players, along with their family and friends, will also be able to relive the memorable moments from the camp, which will be shared on all our social media platforms and on SportsMax.”
“The second year of the Digicel NBA Jumpstart programme has been a resounding success,” said NBA Vice President, Latin America Arnon de’Mello. “As a leading company in the Caribbean and a strategic NBA partner, Digicel shares our vision of growing basketball at the grassroots level and teaching the value of a healthy, active lifestyle. Congratulations to the boys and girls heading to the British Virgin Islands for this year’s Elite Camp.”
Last year, Digicel and the NBA announced a multi-year partnership that will deliver live games and extensive NBA programming to almost 30 Caribbean territories through SportsMax, which is the Official Wireless Partner of the NBA in the region. This partnership also allows Digicel customers to get in on the action through a number of promotions that will be launched across the Caribbean.
The 2016-17 NBA season starts Tuesday, October 25.
About Digicel Group
Digicel Group is a total communications and entertainment provider with operations in 33 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific. After more than 15 years of operation, total investment to date stands at over US$5 billion worldwide. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.
Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Caribbean Premier League. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.
Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.