The Japan Professional Basketball League (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Shimada Shinji hereinafter “B.LEAGUE”) will collaborate with the Slam Dunk Scholarship, a jointly run by manga artist Takehiko Inoue and Shueisha Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; “Shueisha”), to hold the “B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT,” a lesson (clinic) for elementary school students across the country to train future basketball players. This year marks the third time.
Click here for the detailed website page⇒
The Slam Dunk Scholarship began in 2006 with the aspirations of Inoue Takehiko, author of SLAM DUNK, and is a scholarship system that provides high school students who are working on basketball with the opportunity to study abroad in the US after graduating from high school.
In this project, clinics were held with the cooperation of B.LEAGUE clubs to expand the possibilities of children working on basketball or children who are experiencing the sport for the first time. The clinic features scholars who gained experience overseas through the Slam Dunk Scholarship, as well as active B.LEAGUE athletes. We will convey the appeal of basketball through a program that conveys basketball techniques and the fun of the competition to children.
◆ B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT Notice Summary
・ Organised by: B.LEAGUE
・ Co-hosted by: Shueisha/Slam Dunk Scholarship
・ Sponsored by: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Alpen Co., Ltd.
・ Summary: Programs by B.LEAGUE Club (players/staff) and Slam Dunk Scholars
・ Target: 1st to 6th grade elementary school students nationwide
・ Participation fee: free
· held:
① Saturday, July 5th, 2025 *Scheduled: Ariake Arena, Tokyo (with tickets for watching the international Japanese national team)
② Scheduled mid-late July to August 2025 nationwide (held by B.LEAGUE clubs)
・ URL：
*Applications for ① will begin at 12:00 on Friday, May 30th at the above URL.
*The date of the event in ① is subject to change. If there is any change, we will inform you on the website.
*The schedule and recruitment requirements for ② will be announced on the project website above in the future.
◆Comments from Shueisha
“I want to give back to my favorite basketball.”
This year marks the 19th time this Slam Dunk Scholarship was launched by Professor Inoue Takehiko. With the cooperation of the graduates, this year marks the third time that B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT, which was launched with B.LEAGUE as a place to provide children with the opportunity to encounter basketball, with the help of the graduates. Over the past two years, approximately 1,200 children have participated.
I'm interested in basketball, but I've never played it. I want to have my kids play basketball, but I don't have the opportunity to have them play. We sincerely hope that this project will be an opportunity for children and parents to be exposed to basketball.
No need to worry. Everyone, whether it's the current Japanese national team player or Sakuragi Hanamichi, is a beginner at first. Elementary school students, why not try “confident” basketball this summer?
◆Comment from Inoue Takehiko
Next year will be 10 years since B.LEAGUE began.
B.LEAGUE clubs have been established all over the country, and basketball has become a fun part of many people all over Japan.
B.DUNK will be held again this summer. This is the best chance for children who want to try basketball.
Children who want to become even better at basketball and want to learn from B.LEAGUE players, please enjoy the fun of basketball to the fullest at B.DUNK.
Inoue Takehiko
◆B.LEAGUE Chairman Shimada Shinji Comment
We were able to have many children participate last year, and we are very pleased to be able to implement similar initiatives this year as well. The popularity of basketball players has become increasingly popular, with children becoming ranked in the profession they dream of, but we hope that more children will participate in the “B.DUNK KIDS PROJECT,” which will develop players of the future, to learn about basketball, and to help more children feel its appeal.
◆B.LEAGUE clubs *Clubs to be held
The announcement will be made on the project website () and other sites around the middle of June.
◆Last year's situation
●Clinics held at Ariake Arena, Tokyo
●Conducted at B.LEAGUE clubs nationwide *Some excerpts
From the top left, Sanen Neo Phoenix, Levanga Hokkaido, Hiroshima Dragonflys, Utsunomiya Brex, Niigata Albirex BB
©San-En NeoPhoenix/©LEVANGA HOKKAIDO/©Hiroshima Dragonflys/©TOCHIGI BREX INC./©NIIGATA ALBIREX BB
◆Slam Dunk Scholarship Overview
The “Slam Dunk Scholarship” began with the desire of Inoue Takehiko, author of SLAM DUNK, to “in some way I want to repay the sport of basketball and the readers who loved this work so much.” It was founded in 2006 with the aim of supporting young athletes who have the will and ability to continue competing in the United States after graduating from high school or as a professional, but are unable to fulfill their dreams for various reasons. Specifically, this is a scholarship system that provides opportunities to study abroad in the US after graduating from high school. After passing the selection, scholars study abroad at a prep school in the United States (a school that prepares for university entrance) and spend 14 months studying and studying basketball. So far, 17 students have studied abroad, and past scholars have been active at B.LEAGUE in Japan, and are currently attending four-year universities in the United States.
*For an introduction to past scholarships and recent updates, please see the official Slam Dunk Scholarship website.
Official website:http://slamdunk-sc.shueisha.co.jp/
