San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini will be hosting this year’s Basketball without Borders — Americas. The camp is scheduled to take place July 17-20 at the Coliseo Roberto Celemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Joining Orlando Magic guard and Puerto Rican native Carlos Arroyo as camp coaches will be Orlando Magic forward Bo Outlaw (USA), Golden State Warriors center Adonal Foyle (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Utah Jazz guard Gordan Giricek (Croatia), San Antonio Spurs forward-center Sean Marks (New Zealand) and Boston Celtics guard Delonte West (USA), Puerto Rican native Daniel Santiago and former NBA player Jerome Williams.

The Best Players across Latin America and the Caribbean were selected by FIBA and the NBA, in conjunction with participating basketball federations, based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport.

Community outreach activities will tip off on Tuesday, July 19, with a Special Olympics basketball clinic for 100 Special Olympics athletes at the Roberto Clemente Arena. Efforts will culminate with an NBA Cares Legacy Project, the NBA’s premier community initiative, at Escuela J. Huyke in San Juan, Puerto Rico . The center will feature a Learn & Play Center , an interactive event to promote healthy lifestyles and an “Es Tu Cancha” basketball court refurbishment . In addition, the NBA will host a Special Olympics Basketball Clinic and participate in an HIV/AIDS awareness event.

As part of NBA.com's coverage, we'll provide daily updates from Puerto Rico. This event will also be covered in Spanish.

July 19: Special Olympics

As part of Basketball without Borders Americas, the NBA, FIBA, the Mayor of San Juan, Jorge Santini, and FedEx dedicated a Reading and Player Center and a refurbished basketball court at Escuela Juan B. Huyke in San Juan. Fifty five students had the opportunity to share books and a new court with their favorite NBA players including Puerto Rican guard Carlos Arroyo, former NBA player Daniel Santiago, Gordon Giricek, Adonal Foyle, Bo Outlaw, Sean Marks and Piculin Ortiz.
• Day 3: Photo gallery

July 18: Life-Skills Seminar

Today, campers gathered at the Roberto Clemente Arena for the first of three Life Skills Seminars that promote education, leadership, character, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, followed by team scrimmages and a Nike Presentation in the evening at Polideportivo Rebekah Colberg.

Don Newman, San Antonio Spurs
Newman on quality of kids and what he is looking forward to:
"I'm looking at yesterday's draft and I think its going to be a great week. I feel a lot of energy and a lot of maturity. I was just off the camp in Lithuania and it was younger kids and maybe a different style in terms of the length of the athletes. These kids like a little more mature, stronger, a little more physical, and they're really getting at each other. I'm looking forward to a great week and working with them and I think its going to be big time competitive."

Brett Brown, San Antonio Spurs
Brown on what is most important for kids to take away:
"The fact that they're being noticed. That the NBA does have their eye on the ball and we are aware of future prospects coming up in the ranks. Were committed to taking the game to a global stage, and not just looking into our own backyards, it truly has become a world game that is played all around the countries.
• Global Mailbox Answered: Marks | Arroyo | Giricek
• Day 2: Photo gallery

July 17: Camp Begins

Participants arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico and ready for Basketball without Borders training to begin.

The 51 campers from more than 13 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the eight NBA/FIBA players and nine FIBA/NBA coaches participating in the camp, arrived yesterday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The camp tipped-off today with a round of vital evaluations and shooting games for the campers at Roberto Clemente Arena.

"I feel honored about hosting Basketball without Borders 2006 in Puerto Rico. This is an extremely important event and it opens the doors for Puerto Rico as a destination for major sporting events like these,” said Carlos Arroyo.
• Day 1: Photo gallery


Arroyo, Giricek and Marks. (NBAE Images)

As part of the Basketball without Borders event, we will schedule interviews with the camp coaches when available.

This year, we have three players taking mailbox questions from fans:

-- Carlos Arroyo
-- Gordan Giricek
-- Sean Marks

Send us your questions and we will direct them to the players listed above. Be creative and have fun with your questions.