A hometown boy is helping to bring the NBA experience to Metro.
Jonathan Chang, a Dartmouth High School graduate now living in Toronto, is the manager, marketing partnerships for NBA Canada. He announced this week that for the first time ever NBA Jam Sessions are coming to Canada.
Halifax is hosting the kick-off Canadian event on Aug. 21- 22.
"In addition to family friendly activities, there will be 3 v 3 basketball tournaments, where one team may win a trip to Toronto for the national 3 v 3 finals during a pre-season Raptors game," said Chang. "There will be a lot going on during those two days on the waterfront."
Chang said the event is being hailed as an interactive basketball festival and will feature free activities on the Saturday for fans of all ages.
"Halifax is a huge basketball town so I know this event will be a success," he said.
There will be performances by a Harlem Globetrotter, dancing instruction by the NBA dancers, a free photo for each fan with the Larry O`Brien Trophy, an NBA Fit clinic to teach attendees how to get in shape and measure up stations that will give fans the chance to compare height, hand size and shoe size with NBA players.
"And in the next few days we will be announcing the name of the NBA player who will be coming to the Jam Session in Halifax," said Chang.
On the Sunday there will be a chance for players of all ages to take part in a full day 3 v 3 tournament. There is a $60 entry fee per team and there will be four age divisions.
Liam Blanchard, executive director for Basketball Nova Scotia said this Jam Session is an exciting opportunity for basketball fans in Nova Scotia.
"Anytime we have an opportunity to bring an event like this to Halifax it will only help promote the game of basketball," said Blanchard. "We have thousands of kids playing the game in Halifax alone, not to mention the thousands more across the province."
Both Blanchard and Chang said they see this event as a perfect way to both entertain and encourage people to become physically active and to support their local athletes.
To register a team for the tournament on Aug. 22 go tohttp://www.nba.com/jamsession>
joanneoostveen@accesswave.ca
