Photo By Krishna Jackson | 171111-N-RP435-054 SAN DIEGO (Nov. 11, 2017) Professional basketball player Troy...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Junior National Basketball Association (Jr. NBA) joined San Diego-based Sailors and their families for a day of basketball at the Admiral Prout Field House, Nov. 11.
The event, called the Jr. NBA Navy Tip-Off Celebration, kicked off an initiative by the NBA and the Navy to bring the benefits of basketball to Sailors and their families.
"I love the NBA. I love basketball and I heard about the opportunity to play and I couldn't turn it down," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Julian Taylor, from Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Fleet Readiness and Logistics Vice Adm. Dixon R. Smith helped kick off the event with some encouraging words.
"Most importantly it's about fun and also it's about sportsmanship," said Smith to a crowd of more than 100 kids before the Jr. NBA clinic began.
The event was broken into three sessions including a skills clinic, a parent coaching session, and a five-on-five Hoops for Troops game with Sailors. While the kids were learning basketball skills, the parents were provided a positive coaching seminar and then everyone was invited to watch the Hoops for Troops game between Team Murphy and Team All Cooped Up.
"I had a great time being down here on the base. I really enjoyed it," said Troy Murphy, NBA player and coach for Team Murphy. "It was fun coaching the Sailors and they wanted to know about the NBA and who I thought was going to win this year. They were great guys."
Murphy, who has played with the Dallas Mavericks and Notre Dame, joined 14-year NBA veteran and Los Angeles Lakers defensive player Michael Cooper as guest coaches for the Jr. NBA clinic and the Hoops for Troops game. Cooper coached Team All Cooped Up, who won the game 51-40.
"He gave us a lot of encouragement and I really enjoyed being coached by him," said Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Kamal David, from Naval Medical Center San Diego, of Cooper.
"He likes to rotate everybody in and we had fun. I would do this again if I had the chance," said Hull Technician 2nd Class Antoine Prince, USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) about Cooper and the Hoops for Troops event.
The NBA's partnership with the military started in 2014 when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey launched the Commitment to Service initiative where members of the NBA family work side-by-side with military members to positively impact communities.
The Navy, through the Naval Base San Diego Morale, Welfare and Recreation office, brought the Jr. NBA Veterans Day weekend event together in an effort to provide an opportunity for Sailors and their families to have fun while learning basketball skills from NBA professionals.
For more information, visit http://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.
For more news from Naval Base San Diego, visit http://www.navy.mil/local/NBSD/.
| Date Taken: | 11.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2017 17:40 |
| Story ID: | 256378 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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