2023 Nike World Basketball Festival Recap

Over the course of two days on September 15 and 16, Nike hosted the 2023 World basketball Festival in New York City‘s Lincoln Center. This weekend, Nike brought together several of its Swoosh family members, including former and current athletes to artists and the next generation of hoopers to the Basketball Festival.

Notable attendees included legends like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Scottie Pippen, Carmelo Anthony to Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Sue Bird, to even Travis Scott and Lil Yachty. Nike hosted the event at Lincoln Center, a nod to the iconic location for movement and cultural expression. Featuring 80 of the best high school basketbal players that included 40 girls and 40 boys across 23 states and three countries, the next generation of players competed in the two-day tournament. The event is a way to showcase young basketball talent. Scott Uzzell, Vice President and General Manager of Nike North America said, “If running is the heart of Nike, then basketball has always been Nike’s soul. There’s no place like New York City to witness basketball’s deep connection to culture. And that influence grows as the global game continues to grow.”

Players who attended the event received an exclusive limited edition jersey designed in partnership with Cactus Jack. Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets was also in attendance and said, “The energy of New York City basketball is unlike the energy in any other place in the world. This incredible moment pulls together next gen talent, icons of the game and the people who help share the culture of the city. Only in New York. Only because of basketball.”

On top of celebrating basketball, Nike is partnering with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to create year-round access to the arts for local young people. This includes a $2 million USD grant that is slated to help provide access to the arts for tens of thousands of youths across the five boroughs. Starting this fall, the grant will support a range of musical and dance programming. Take a look at some of what happened during the event below.