Four young Bermudian basketball players depart for New York today to take part in the four-day Digicel NBA Jumpstart Experience.

The players were selected after shining in the Jumpstart Elite camp that took place in the British Virgin Islands in October.

The Jumpstart Experience is the culmination of the Jumpstart programme, which started in the Berkeley Institute in September.

Seven players were selected from the programme for the three-day Elite camp, where NBA coaches selected Caelin Peters, Jorel Smith, Kobie Reid and Ishan-Nae Smith to progress to the final stage.

At the Jumpstart Experience the players will be joined by other young players from around the Caribbean to continue their development.

During their time in New York the players will train with top NBA coaches at Columbia University before taking part in a scrimmage game with Rutgers Preparatory School.

They will also enjoy the sights of New York, tour the NBA offices and Madison Square Garden as well as experience tomorrow’s clash between the New York Knicks and LeBron James’s NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

“This is the second year of Jumpstart and it’s great to see so many Bermudians making an impact,” Robin Seale, chief executive of Digicel and the Bermuda Telephone Company, said.

“Of the 13 players travelling, four are Bermudian, which shows the level of young talent that exists here.

“The Jumpstart program is designed to develop this talent by providing access to professional NBA coaches that otherwise wouldn’t be available. I have no doubt the players will continue to impress their coaches and be proud ambassadors for Bermuda as they have been throughout the programme.”

The Digicel Jumpstart program is a youth sports initiative that takes place in select countries across the Caribbean and Bermuda. The clinics give young basketballers, aged 14 to 16, access to elite NBA coaches in order to advance their skills.