The Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) yesterday announced a new partnership to create the Jr. NBA TBF Basketball League presented by Banvit, a school-based basketball league for boys aged 12.The first Jr. NBA TBF Basketball League will be held in Istanbul and will feature 30 local schools. Each school team will represent one of the 30 NBA teams and will receive corresponding NBA team branded t-shirts for their games."The TBF has long seen the investment in our country's youth through sport as an investment in our country's futures," TBF CEO and former NBA star Hidayet Türkoğlu said. "We're excited to partner with the NBA on the Jr. NBA TBF Basketball League, which will provide children in 30 schools across Istanbul an opportunity to chase after their dreams and learn the life lessons that only basketball can teach. Projects like these serve our mission to increase the impact of basketball."Similar to the NBA, teams will be divided into two conferences and six divisions. The regular season will run from March through May, with the top eight teams from each conference qualifying for the playoffs. The top two teams from each conference will then meet in the league championship in May to determine the first Jr. NBA TBF Basketball League champion."The Turkish Basketball Federation is the ideal partner to help us get more children to discover the joy of playing basketball," said NBA EMEA Vice President of Business Development Jesus Bueno."Their expertise means that together, we can offer a program that fosters healthy competition and provides the opportunity to learn more about the sport. We would also like to extend thanks to our program partner Banvit who has supported our efforts over the past three years to develop the foundation of the Jr. NBA programs in Turkey."Leveraging the excitement of Turkish Basketball and the NBA, the league will also promote the shared TBF and NBA values of teamwork, leadership, fitness and healthy living through competitive league play and a Jr. NBA youth clinic.