The similarity between jazz and basketball has been noted by many fans of both institutions. Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar noted, "Jazz players pass the solo spotlight amongst themselves the way basketball players pass the ball; and in both cases, it only works when it's about teamwork...Jazz and basketball both say something about America. We're a group of individuals, but we're still a team." Abdul-Jabbar is Chairman of the Institute's Jazz Sports program, which brings together these two classic American traditions.

Jazz Sports was established in Los Angeles in 1995 and replicated in Washington, DC a year later. The program has been overwhelmingly successful in creating invaluable learning experiences for young people on both coasts.  The program serves students from more than a dozen public elementary, middle, and high schools.

The first of Jazz Sports' three components is professional instruction by musicians and educators, which is provided to students on a daily basis in Los Angeles and twice a week in Washington, DC. Instructors give individual lessons and lead sectional clinics that focus on brass, woodwinds, and the rhythm section. Topics including theory, improvisation, composition, technique, and jazz history are covered in these lessons.

The second component is a series of master classes, which occur approximately twice a month and are conducted by legendary jazz musicians including Chick Corea, Stanley Jordan, Terri Lyne Carrington, Branford Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, Kenny Garrett, Charlie Haden, Carmen Lundy, George Duke, Kevin Eubanks, Danilo Perez, and Terence Blanchard. The master classes create an environment in which young jazz musicians can learn from the masters of the music all the vital elements that will allow the next generation of jazz musicians to uphold the tradition and continue to create new innovations in jazz.

Lastly, the students who participate in Jazz Sports have opportunities to perform for tens of thousands of people at high-profile sporting events and community functions. Recent Los Angeles highlights include student performances at The Hollywood Bowl and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Recent highlights in DC include student performances at the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival and at a Washington Wizards "Jazz Night" basketball game with Herbie Hancock.

Jazz Sports has helped students pursue their creative dreams. Many have continued on to higher education, where they  continue their musical studies. Of special note, more than 90% of the seniors who have participated in Jazz Sports have gone on to attend college.