GBA Young Guns Invitational 2026
The 10th edition of the international U19 basketball tournament
🗓 4–6 December 2026 · 📍 Jindřichův Hradec, Czech Republic · 🎟 Free admission
Ten years of international youth basketball
The GBA Young Guns Invitational is an international U19 basketball tournament organised by Get Better Academy (GBA) since 2016. Every year it brings youth teams from leading European clubs and academies to the Czech Republic, where their players compete in front of scouts, coaches and agencies from Europe and overseas. The 10th edition takes place from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026 in Jindřichův Hradec. Admission is free and every game is streamed live.
Dates
Friday 4 – Sunday 6 December 2026
Venue
U Stadionu 1137, Jindřichův Hradec — main hall (approx. 1,500 seats) and a brand-new hall hosting its very first event
Category
U19, boys
Teams
8 teams from across Europe
Format
Two groups of four, Sunday finals day, FIBA rules
Side Events
Slam Dunk Contest & Three-Point Contest
Admission
Free
Live Stream
Get Better Academy YouTube channel
How it works
The eight teams are split into two groups of four and play a round robin, so every team plays three group games. Placement games and the final follow. All games are played under FIBA rules, 4 × 10 minutes. The tournament culminates on Sunday with the championship game and the awards ceremony.
Slam Dunk Contest
Two attempts in the first round, one minute each. Judges score every dunk from 0 to 10. The top two meet in the final "Dunk Off".
Three-Point Contest
One minute, five racks of five balls. The last ball on each rack – the money ball – counts double. Maximum 30 points. The top two go to the final.
Awards
MVP · All-Stars (all-tournament team) · Slam Dunk Contest winner · Three-Point Contest winner. Prizes provided by The Streets EU.
Schedule
Friday 4 December
Group games
Opening ceremony – To be announced
Saturday 5 December
Group and placement games
Sunday 6 December
Placement games
Three-Point Contest & Slam Dunk Contest – To be announced
Championship game – To be announced
Awards ceremony
The full game schedule will be published soon. Follow @gbayoungguns for updates.
The field
Inter Bratislava
Slovakia
Defending champions, 2025 winners
London United
England
London club founded in 2002, academy for 16–19-year-olds
GBA Lions Jindřichův Hradec
Czech Republic
Hosts, 2024 winners
+ 5 more teams
International
To be announced soon
Can't make it? Watch every game live
Every game of the tournament is streamed live and free on the Get Better Academy YouTube channel. Results, highlights and daily recaps on Instagram @gbayoungguns.
A springboard to a professional career
The Young Guns Invitational has long been a showcase watched by scouts and coaches from Europe and overseas. Former participants Ilja Kurucs (Georgia Tech), Mobi Ikegwuruka (Kansas State) and Martin Kheil (Iona University) later played NCAA Division I basketball. Get Better Academy has helped more than 100 players move on to US universities and European professional clubs, including Álvaro Cárdenas (Valencia Basket, Spanish ACB) and Junior Kemm (University of Evansville, NCAA Division I).
GBA alumni at US universities and European professional clubs
Champions
Past editions have featured youth teams from FC Barcelona, Valencia Basket, Žalgiris Kaunas, Red Star Belgrade, Fenerbahçe Istanbul, Alba Berlin, Virtus Bologna, Stella Azzurra Roma and Joventut Badalona, as well as The Skills Factory (USA) and NBA Academy Africa. Tournament patrons have included Jiří Welsch, Kateřina Elhotová, Vojtěch Hruban and David Pekárek.
What they said
"This type of tournament helps us a lot because it brings several teams to one place. We can spend two or three days here and see many players at the same time."
Yaron Arbel, Scout, New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), 2017
"It gives young players competition – the chance to play against other quality teams is extremely important for them."
Ľubomír Kotleba, FIBA, 2017
"I was amazed at how fast and athletic the game is in such young age groups."
Jiří Welsch, Former NBA player, 2016
Come and watch – it's free
High-level international youth basketball does not come to the Czech Republic every day. See the players before the rest of the basketball world knows their names. A great day out for families, schools, young athletes and every basketball fan. Admission to all games and contests is free.
Getting there
Jindřichův Hradec is in South Bohemia, about 50 km from České Budějovice and roughly 150 km from Prague and Brno. Both halls are at U Stadionu 1137, Jindřichův Hradec. The town is a great reason for a pre-Christmas visit – it has the third-largest castle and chateau complex in the Czech Republic.
Media & accreditation
Journalists, photographers, radio and TV crews are welcome. Accredited media get a press area with power and Wi-Fi, media parking, official photos free for editorial use, live stats and daily results, interviews with players, coaches and organisers, and the option to broadcast live from the hall.
To request accreditation, email andrej.mydlo@gbacademy.eu with your name, outlet, role and the days you plan to attend.
Create with us
Basketball, sneaker and sports creators are welcome to film courtside, set up challenges with players and even join the Slam Dunk Contest jury. Creators get accreditation, a tournament T-shirt, reposts on @gbayoungguns and a meet-and-greet with players and coaches.
Interested? Email andrej.mydlo@gbacademy.eu with a link to your profile.
Be part of the tournament
Anyone can get involved – students, fans, parents and companies. We are looking for:
Volunteers & Support
Volunteers, drivers, interpreters and team liaisons
Visual Creators
Photographers, videographers and content creators
Broadcast & Stats
Live-stream commentators, hosts, scorer's table helpers and statisticians
Interns
Interns in sports management, marketing and journalism
Partners & Sponsors
Partners and sponsors
Volunteers receive a tournament T-shirt and meals.
Partners
Jižní Čechy (South Bohemia)
Town of Jindřichův Hradec
The Streets EU
Frequently asked questions
Is entry free?
Yes, admission to all games and contests is free.
Can I watch online?
Yes, every game is streamed live on the Get Better Academy YouTube channel.
Who plays?
Eight U19 teams from across Europe.
How do I get media accreditation?
Email andrej.mydlo@gbacademy.eu.
Can I volunteer?
Yes – email andrej.mydlo@gbacademy.eu. Volunteers get a T-shirt and meals.
Contact: Andrej Mydlo · andrej.mydlo@gbacademy.eu
Instagram: @gbayoungguns · Hashtag: #GBAI2026
Organised by Get Better Academy, Jindřichův Hradec, Czech Republic.
Website: gbacademy.eu/YoungGuns