• ESPN Wide World of Sports
• Jr. NBA Global Championship

ORLANDO, FL: 32 teams, representing 75 countries, came together Sunday for the 2019 Jr. NBA Global Championship Tip-Off Ceremony at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida.

Over the course of the next week, players from around the world will battle to earn the title of Global Champions. The opening ceremony featured a dance contest, knock out competition, the honorary first basket by Aaron Gordon, and a number of other current and former NBA and WNBA players.

Gordon was joined by Danny Green, Jennifer Azzi, Jason Collins, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Dennis Scott, and Pops Mensah-Bonsu. The talent spoke to players and coaches about the importance of taking in the experience and embodying the Jr. NBA Core Values: Teamwork, Determination, Repsect and Community.

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A handful of players introduced themselves to the crowd in a dance contest, won by the Mid-Atlantic Girls.

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Gordon flushed the honorary first basket after players from every region got on the court and moved the ball from baseline to baseline to exemplify the global presence of the game and the forthcoming festivities.

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The first round of the 3pt contest ended the Tip-Off Ceremony. The sharpest shooters from around the world will finish the competition on Thursday night during the Jr. NBA Global Championship Skills Night presented by Gatorade.

Gameplay begins Tuesday at 9am from Orlando. Keep up with all the action by following @jrnba across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.