Basketball Without Borders Europe
As part of NBA.com's coverage of the Summer of Goodwill, we'll provide daily updates from Italy, including photos and web log entries on the latest events.
Slava Medvedenko talks with Martynas Andriuskevicius. (Say that five times fast.) Fabio Bozanni/NBAE
 All of the kids at Basketball Without Borders Europe came to learn from NBA coaches and players and improve their game. A number of them stood out and showcased some impressive skills. As the camp wrapped up, NBA.com talked with a few camp observers to get the low down on some of the top players in camp this year.
Boston's Jiri Welsch demonstrates some moves for a young European player in Italy. Fabio Bozanni/NBAE
Boston Celtics guard Jiri Welsch is in Treviso, Italy, taking part in Basketball Without Borders Europe and coaching top European basketball players. He answered fan e-mail on everything from his experience at the camp to his predictions for the coming NBA season under new head coach Doc Rivers.
Global basketball scouting has exploded, and Basketball Without Borders is just one stop on the ride. Fabio Bozanni/NBAE
NBA teams have expanded their scouting networks to include almost every major country. At Basketball Without Borders Europe, NBA.com talked with international scouts from three NBA teams. As Masai Ujiri, a scout with the Denver Nuggets said, "There is no running away from it. You have to cover everywhere. Basketball globally has gotten better, the skill level has gotten better. What some of the international kids are doing in the NBA is amazing."
Gheorghe Muresan battles during a (very) big man drill in Treviso on Sunday. Fabio Bozanni/NBAE
As part of Sunday's program, the campers took part in a UNICEF clinic on HIV/AIDS awareness. U.S. Funds for UNICEF President Chip Lyons said the UNICEF/NBA partnership is a perfect fit: "There's not a place where the NBA is and kids are playing basketball where UNICEF isn't working."
Nike Global Basketball director Rich Sheubrooks talks to campers at Basketball Without Borders Europe. Fabio Bozanni/NBAE
Basketball Without Borders Europe began on Saturday as fifty players from 26 different countries descended on Treviso, Italy. The players checked in, got split up into teams, and immediately began scrimmaging. "I'm quite excited," said Yoni Shiefer, a 17-year-old from Israel. "I will be playing against players much better than me. It's another opportunity to learn stuff and improve my basketball."
Samuel Dalembert stands on the Rialto Bridge in Venice on Friday. Camp starts on Saturday. Eric Weinstein/NBAE
Sixers center Samuel Dalembert was the first to arrive in Treviso for Basketball Without Borders Europe. His first time in Italy, Samuel enjoyed an afternoon in Treviso on Thursday. We caught up to him on Friday morning following a workout to answer fan mailbox questions. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Video Camper interviews-
NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad
RSS Feeds
