THE University of Technology (UTech) and the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will see the tertiary institution playing host to a number of games in the National Basketball League (NBL) as well as become the permanent home of JABA’s academy over the next three years.

JABA also presented a set of basketball rims previously owned by NBA champions Miami Heat to the Papine-based institution.

The presentation and MOU signing took place during a press briefing at the Alfred Sangster Auditorium at UTech yesterday.

The rims, which were used by the Florida-based NBA team during their last championship-winning season, were donated by Ziggy Marley via the Marley Foundation.

They will be an integral part of the JABA’s Basketball Academy which will be based at UTech every Saturday morning between January and August in 2011.

Games in the National Basketball League will also be held at the university on Sundays and will become known as “NBL Sundays”.

“It extends that dignity that we’re giving back to the game,” said JABA president Ajani Williams at yesterday’s press briefing.

“It will (also) help us find the resources to officially launch a Women’s League.”

Six participants of last season’s inaugural basketball academy received scholarships to attend universities overseas.

Meanwhile, Williams told the Observer that JABA has already secured a number of sponsors for next season’s NBL, which will again feature 27 teams — as it did in its first season.

“We’ve also identified a number of pointed locations instead of being all over the place trying to figure out where the points of interest which are easily accessible to the public,” he added.

This is the latest in a series of MOU’s that UTech has signed with local sporting bodies this year following similar agreements with the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).