The "B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT," a collaboration between the "Slam Dunk Scholarship," which supports young basketball players, and the professional basketball league B.League, will be implemented in 2026. This will be the fourth year of the project, and it will involve alumni who have gained overseas experience through the "Slam Dunk Scholarship," as well as current B.League players, conducting clinics for elementary school students nationwide with the aim of nurturing future basketball players.
The basketball clinics are being held with the cooperation of clubs across Japan, aiming to expand the possibilities for children who are already playing basketball or who are new to the sport. A special clinic will be held at SAGA Arena (Saga City, Saga Prefecture) on August Getsuku. The schedule for clinics by each B.League club is available on the special website. Participation is free. Applications are scheduled to open in late June.
The "Slam Dunk Scholarship" is a scholarship program that began in 2006 with the desire of Takehiko Inoue, the author of the popular basketball manga "SLAM DUNK" (Shueisha), to "give back in some way to the readers who have loved this work so much and to the sport of basketball." Scholarship recipients who pass the selection process will study at a prep school (a school that prepares students for college) in the United States for 14 months, dedicating themselves to their studies and basketball training. So far, 19 people have studied abroad through this scholarship.
◇Comment from Takehiko Inoue
The "B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT" will be held again this summer. This is a chance for kids who love basketball and the B.League, as well as kids who have never played basketball seriously but want to try it in the future, to enjoy playing basketball together with B.League players. Feel free to ask the professional players anything you want to know. We hope that all participants will enjoy basketball even more through the "B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT," they commented.
◇Comment from B.League Chairman Shinji Shimada
We are incredibly happy to be able to hold this project again this year, following last year's success in bringing so many bright smiles to people's faces across the country. We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated last year. Basketball players are now becoming a "dream job" that children seriously aspire to, and their enthusiasm continues to grow. We want to further enhance the "B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT," which nurtures these future players, and make it a platform to deliver the wonders of basketball to even more children. Through the time they spend with professional players and coaches, children can "get to know" basketball and "learn" skills and the bonds of friendship. We sincerely hope that through such a special experience, as many children as possible will discover the charm of basketball and be inspired to spread their wings and pursue their own big dreams.
◇Shueisha's comment
"I want to give back to the sport I love, basketball."
The Slam Dunk Scholarship, which was established with a single word from Mr. Takehiko Inoue, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. With the cooperation of alumni of the scholarship, the "B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT," which was launched in collaboration with the B.League as a place to introduce children to basketball, is now in its fourth year. Approximately 2,000 children have participated in the past three years. In the last 10 years since the establishment of the B.League, the environment surrounding basketball has changed dramatically, and it has become an increasingly familiar sport. For children who are interested in basketball but have never played, or for parents who want their children to play basketball but haven't had the opportunity, we sincerely hope that this project will be an opportunity for them to experience basketball. Don't worry. Even the current Japanese national team players, Takenori Akagi, Kiminobu Kogure, Hisashi Mitsui, Ryota Miyagi, Kaede Rukawa, and Hanamichi Sakuragi... everyone was a beginner at first. Elementary school students, why not "meet" basketball this summer?
(C) B.LEAGUE (C) ALVARK TOKYO (C) SGBL (C) HIROSHIMADRAGONFLIES (C) NAGOYAD
