FORMER PBA great Ronnie Magsanoc will be heading the new cast of coaches that will mentor the players joining the new season of the JR. National Basketball Association (NBA) Philippines on Jan. 16 at the Jose Rizal University Gym.

Magsanoc, an assistant coach of the Purefoods TJ Giants, will be joined by Purefoods head coach Ryan Gregorio and former PBA MVP Benjie Paras in the program that continues to inspire teens aged 12 to 14 years old to aspire for something bigger in their sport.

“The global basketball stage is opening it’s doors to Asian countries and we should take advantage of the rare opportunity that it is presenting to our youth today,” said Magsanoc in his press statement.

The NBA Coaches Clinic will roll into Cebu City Sports Club in Cebu on Jan. 18 and at the Montana Gym in Davao on Jan. 21.

Magsanoc also cited that the top six campers of the Jr. NBA Philippines program last year, three of which came from Cebu, were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to taste what the NBA was all about.

Mark Jayven Tallo, Adrian Roland Marvin Mueller and Arc Araw-Araw from Cebu, Aldrin Fegidero and Michael Jay Javelosa from Manila and Jose Carlo Escalambre joined the tryouts, underwent the regional training camp tests and topped the national training camp challenges that earned them the title of Jr. NBA Philippines Team and a trip to the US to play with a counterpart US Jr. NBA Team, go on a tour of New York City and watch an NBA game live.