We are pleased to invite you to participate Monday, March 4, 2024, starting from 13:XNUMX a.m. in the amphitheater A01 of UVT (V. Pârvan no. 4), at the opening event of the 2024 season within the competition dedicated to primary school students – Jr. NBA League Romania, Western Conference, in the presence of two NBA ambassadors. On this occasion, the participating schools will find out the title under which they will play this season.
Eight localities from the westernmost county of the country will constitute the Western Conference of the second edition of the Jr. NBA League Romania North (the first Western Conference being organized in 2023), organized for students in grades I-IV. At the start of the competition, 15 schools lined up from Dumbrăvița, Giroc, Jimbolia, Lugoj, Moșnița Nouă, Sânnicolau Mare, Șag and Timișoara. The Jr. NBA League Romania format, slightly modified compared to last year, proposes the organization of two leagues at the national level, South and North, each structured on the two conferences similar to the NBA, respectively the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Cluj, Mureș and Sălaj counties are part of Jr. NBA Romania North, which will compete in the East Conference, and Timișul will constitute the West Conference. The final tournament, in which the finalists of the two conferences will participate, will be organized in Cluj-Napoca, around International Children's Day.
The 15 educational institutions from Timiș that will make up the Western Conference are the following: Banățean National College Timișoara, Secondary School no. 1 "Theodor Bucurescu" Sânnicolau Mare, Jimbolia Secondary School, Secondary School no. 24 Timișoara, Secondary School no. 2 Timișoara, Theological High School Sfântul Antim Ivireanul Timișoara, Dumbrăvița High School, Moșnița Nouă High School, High School no. 21 Vicentiu Babeș Timișoara, Roman-Catholic Theological High School Gerhardinum Timișoara, Secondary School no. 7 Sfânta Maria Timisoara, Secondary School no. 2 Lugoj, Șag Secondary School, Secondary School no. 30 Timișoara and "David Voniga" Giroc Theoretical High School.
The event at UVT will be attended by: Nicoletta Wilms (winsed.swiss partner representative), Madalin Bunoiu (provost of UVT, partner university in the Jr. NBA Romania project), Cosmin Hogea (deputy general school inspector within the Timiș County School Inspectorate, partner of the Jr. NBA Romania project), Alin Faur (president of the Timiș County Basketball Association, international referee), Gordana Grubin (NBA ambassador, former WNBA player), Mile Ilic (NBA ambassador, former NBA player) and Dragan Petricevic (director of the Jr. NBA League Romania North – Western Conference).
The ambassadors of this year's edition are two former high-level players. Gordana Grubin (51 years old, Serbia) played in the WNBA for the teams Los Angeles Sparks, Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury and Houston Comets, and in Europe played in the championships of Hungary, Poland, Russia, Italy and Serbia. She won the Eurocup, played a Euroleague final and was named the best basketball player in Europe in 2002. Mile Ilic (39 years old, Bosnia-Herzegovina) has two NBA teams (New Yersey Nets and Orlando Magic), one NBA D-League (Colorado 14ers) and other experiences in Serbia (including Red Star Belgrade), Spain, Lithuania, Georgia, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iran.
