2023 Nike World Basketball Festival Brings the Best of Basketball Style, Culture and Community

On September 15 and 16, the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival will celebrate the past, present and future of Nike Basketball.

The 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival will serve as the culmination of this summer’s VS tournaments that occurred in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City and Toronto. But more than just a showcase of the best young talent, the 2023 Nike World Basketball Festival is a celebration of the cultural influence that only basketball has. 

“If running is the heart of Nike, then basketball has always been Nike’s soul,” says Scott Uzzell, Vice President and General Manager of Nike North America. “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.”

Hosted at Lincoln Center, an iconic location for movement and cultural expression, the festival will bring the best of basketball home to New York City, the epicenter of the game’s cultural legacy. 

“The game has always stood for something bigger than simply what happens on the court,” explained David Hollander, New York University professor and author of “How Basketball Can Save the World: 13 Guiding Principles for Reimagining What’s Possible.” “Basketball actually provides a unique, compelling portal into the human condition. That is the source of its phenomenal power — its ubiquity, its influence and its peerless future.”

The tournament will feature 80 of the best high school basketball players — 40 girls and 40 boys — across 23 states and three countries to compete in the two-day tournament. Winners will receive an exclusive limited-edition jersey, designed in partnership with Cactus Jack. The girls’ and boys’ championship games on September 16 will be streamed live on the NBA app and YouTube here.

"The energy of New York City basketball is unlike the energy in any other place in the world,” said Mikal Bridges, small forward with the Brooklyn Nets. "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."

Embedded in Nike’s legacy across apparel, lifestyle and performance, a series of installations in adjoining Damrosch Park will showcase how the game has influenced innovation and design for decades. Classic era-defining silhouettes and other artifacts from the Nike archives will be exhibited to highlight key moments in Nike Basketball. The installation is accompanied by a first look at Nike Basketball’s upcoming holiday collection.

In addition to a celebrating basketball, Nike will partner with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to create year-round access to the arts for local young people. The long-term commitment includes a $2 million grant that will help provide access to the arts for tens of thousands of youths across the five boroughs. Beginning this fall, the grant will support a range of musical and dance programming.