PARIS, July 15 -- The top 50 young basketball players, ages 16-18, from across the continent have been selected to take part in Basketball without Borders Europe, which will take place July 24-27 in Treviso, Italy and features Boston Celtics forward-guard Jiri Welsch (Czech Republic), Los Angeles Lakers forward Stanislav Medvedenko (Ukraine), Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert (Haiti) and former NBA center Gheorghe Muresan (Romania) as camp coaches, it was announced today by the NBA and FIBA.

July 24-27, 2004 Treviso, Italy La Ghirada Sport Center (Benetton) French: Les stars du basket-ball reviennent en Europe German: Basketball Stars kehren nach Europa zurück

Since its inception in 2001, Basketball without Borders has served as a basketball instructional camp in Europe for young people designed to promote friendship, healthy living and education through sport. This year, Basketball without Borders expanded to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (June 28-July 3) and Johannesburg, South Africa (September 6-10).

Basketball without Borders Europe will collaborate with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, for the second consecutive year to support education and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The camp is sponsored by Champion, Nike, Spalding, and United Colors of Benetton, among others and co-organized by the NBA and FIBA. The three-day basketball camp also will feature 2003 NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach P.J. Carlesimo, Golden State Warriors Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin, Memphis Grizzlies Assistant to the President of Basketball Operations Gary Colson, and Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Dick Harter.

FIBA selected the 50 young players (age 16-18) from 26 countries across Europe based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport of basketball. The NBA and FIBA also will donate products, such as basketballs, rims, and nets, to local basketball federations.

"This will be the fourth time that this camp takes place, establishing the Basketball without Borders camp as one of the most complete camp experiences in Europe," said FIBA’s Development Manager Zoran Radovic. "It has always been a focus for FIBA to emphasize the importance of hard work, dedication, teamwork and fair play to all camp participants. At Basketball without Borders, we are grateful to have been able to benefit from the experience and knowledge of some of the most prominent professional basketball players, who have worked with past camp participants from 26 different European countries, and assist in providing them with a solid foundation in terms of basic fundamentals at the early phase of their basketball experience."

The pan-European participants will be divided into four teams (Celtics, Lakers, 76ers and Spurs) without regard to their nationality. The young players and staff will be outfitted by Champion USA, the exclusive on-court apparel partner of the NBA in Europe, with footwear provided by NIKE. Each of the NBA players serving as coaches will be assigned to one of the camp teams and will work with the campers individually. Marin Sedlacek, a FIBA instructor who has conducted camps all over the world, will return for the fourth consecutive year as the camp’s Director.

BASKETBALL WITHOUT BORDERS EUROPE PARTICIPANTS Players Country Mikhail Linskens Belgium Stanko Barac Bosnia and Herzegovina Jozo Bakic Bosnia and Herzegovina Bozo Durasovic Bosnia and Herzegovina Stoyo Cholakov Bulgaria Milan Kolovrat Croatia Ivan Siriscevic Croatia Ante Tomic Croatia Pavel Hemmy Czech Republic Justin Robinson England Mihkel Niine Estonia Viljar Veski Estonia Mikko Koivisto Finland Jason Bach France Aurglien Salmon France Giorgi Mamatsashvili Georgia Manuchar Makoishvilli Georgia Sajmen Hauer Germany Nikita Khartchenkov Germany Tim Ohlbrecht Germany Papas Alkiviadis Greece Alexander Melniks Greece Tamas Halmai Hungary Ohad Cohen Israel Yehonatan (Yoni) Shiefer Israel Marco Belinelli Italy Luigi Da Tome Italy Danilo Gallnari Italy Kristaps Brencans Latvia Martynas Andriuskevicius Lithuania Vilmantas Dilys Lithuania Vytautas Nedzinskas Lithuania Martynas Pocius Lithuania Aleksandar Ugrinoski Macedonia Tomasz Kesicki Poland Alexandru Condurache Romania Titus Nicohra Romania Valery Likhodey Russia Vasily Zavorouev Russia Luca Drca Serbia and Montenegro Petar Maric Serbia and Montenegro Aleksandrov Nemanja Serbia and Montenegro Milenko Tepic Serbia and Montenegro Gasper Vidmar Slovenia Marc Fernandez Spain Marc Rubio Vives Spain Dusan Mladjan Switzerland Cenk Akyol Turkey Emre Bayav Turkey Oguz Savas Turkey

In addition to basketball instruction and competition, the young players will share living quarters with their new teammates and participate in a seminar, led by UNICEF, intended to promote leadership, support education and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The basketball camp will return to La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy, the camp’s host in 2001 and 2003. Owned and operated by co-sponsor United Colors of Benetton, which owns the Treviso basketball team of the Italian league, La Ghirada is the team’s state-of-the-art basketball facility, one hour north of Venice.