Lucky students from Lambeth were graced by basketball legends for a once-in-a-lifetime coaching experience – just hours before the NBA London Game at the O2 Arena.

Six girls and a boy from Norwood School were part of a group of 40 children who spent three hours working with NBA stars and coaches at a Jr NBA Day clinic at CitySport in Clerkenwell.

The event was staged as part of the activities relating to the NBA London Game 2019 between the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks, providing another fantastic opportunity for Jr. NBA participants to enjoy incredible experiences through basketball.

Three-time NBA champion Bruce Bowen, 1978 champion Phil Chenier, Wizards legend Gheorghe Muresan, the tallest player ever to play in the NBA, and John Amaechi, a Brit who played in the NBA for three different teams between 1995 and 2003, were among the stars coaching on the day.

Norwood student Marni Humphries, 13, said: “I preferred the shooting drills because they were helping me with something I really needed to work on for my game in the future.

“It’s amazing to have those players here working with us.

“They’ve been telling us how they practice and the skills they use to help us improve. It makes me want to keep practicing what I’ve learned from them.”

Other stars helping out included 2015 WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, her Washington Mystics teammate Natasha Cloud and their coach Mike Thibault, who has the most wins of any women’s coach in the sport.

Manchester United Women’s football players Siobhan Chamberlain, Mollie Green and Millie Turner also attended and took part in the coaching session.

All the athletes completed a question and answer session with the children before posing for photos and signing autographs.

Jr. NBA Basketball England Leagues are designed to leverage the excitement of the NBA to inspire participation, and the programme aims to promote the shared NBA and Basketball England values of teamwork, leadership, fitness and healthy living through league games, Jr. NBA youth clinics, and league Finals events.

In 2018, Basketball England expanded their Jr. NBA offering significantly, moving from five to 13 leagues across the country, with more than 4,500 children aged 11 and 12 now participating in the programme annually.

Norwood teacher and basketball coach Jaron Thomas said: “The kids love the Jr. NBA. The first thing they love is the jerseys, when the other kids see the basketball team wearing it, it makes them want to join.

“They really enjoyed themselves in the session and it helps them to see the bigger picture. It shows them where basketball can take them. It’s great to see John Amaechi here giving back to British kids.

“Seeing the stars especially inspires the girls. It’s harder to keep girls doing sports, but it helps them seeing an adult figure whose been through what they’ve been through.”

To find out more about Basketball England the Jr. NBA programme, please go to www.Basketballengland.co.uk/Jrnba