Basketball Without Borders is a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes leadership, education, sportsmanship and healthy living. The program incorporates seminars on important social issues such as AIDS/HIV education and prevention

The National Basketball Association, together with the Fédération Internationale de Basketball (FIBA), will stage Basketball Without Borders, in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Featuring the top players from across each region, Basketball Without Borders will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 28-July 3; Treviso, Italy, July 24-27; and Johannesburg, South Africa, Sept. 6-10.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) will select the young players based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport of basketball.

Each Basketball Without Borders camp will feature current and former NBA players and coaching personnel -- acting as camp coaches -- and will unite young players from across each region to take part in basketball instruction and competition. They will share living quarters with their new teammates and participate in daily seminars intended to promote healthy living while providing a forum for HIV/AIDS and drug abuse education and prevention.

The participants will be divided into teams without regard to nationality. Each of the NBA players serving as coaches will be assigned to one of the teams and will work with the campers individually.

The inaugural Basketball Without Borders took place in July 2001, with Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings, Toni Kukoc of the Milwaukee Bucks and five other NBA players from the former Yugoslavia uniting to work with 50 children from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYRO Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia Montenegro at La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy.

In 2002, Basketball Without Borders brought together 50 young Greek and Turkish players in Istanbul, Turkey and was led by NBA stars Hedo Turkoglu and Peja Stojakovic.

In 2003, Basketball Without Borders returned to La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy with NBA players: San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (France), Memphis Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol (Spain), Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Los Angeles Clippers forward Marko Jaric (Serbia and Montenegro), Houston Rockets forward Bostjan Nachbar (Slovenia) and Denver Nuggets forward Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Georgia). Its partner, UNICEF, United Nation’s Childrens Fund, offered seminars to support education and HIV/AIDS prevention programs.