Basketball without Borders Americas will take place July 31-Aug. 3 in São Paulo, Brazil, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Brazilian Basketball Federation (CBB) announced today. The NBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program uses the sport to influence positive social change and features dozens of current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches. Brazilian natives Nenê of the Denver Nuggets, Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns, Anderson Varejao of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rafael Araujo of the Utah Jazz and a host of NBA stars will act as coaches for the young athletes across the region.

“I’m extremely excited about returning to my home country for such an incredible program,” said Nenê. “I look forward to sharing this NBA experience with my country, and all the other players and NBA personnel participating in this phenomenal instructional camp that combines the sport of basketball with education and community outreach.”

“Basketball without Borders is well established as the NBA’s innovative global program and further demonstrates the commitment of the NBA family, its teams, players and coaching staff in reaching out to communities worldwide through NBA Cares,” said Kathleen Behrens, Senior Vice President, NBA Community & Player Programs. “Together with FIBA and our marketing partners’ commitment to social responsibility, these camps exemplify the concept of using basketball to achieve a greater goal of influencing social change around the world.”

The camp will unite the top young basketball players (ages 19 & under) from across the region to take part in basketball instruction and competition. Camp participants are selected by FIBA and participating basketball federations based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport . To promote friendship and diversity, the campers will be divided into teams without regard to race and nationality. They also will participate in motivational and life-skills seminars that promote education, leadership, character development, and healthy living with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The camp will also be highlighted by extensive community outreach with efforts culminating in an NBA Cares Legacy Project. Through Basketball without Borders, the NBA and its partners have created 26 places around the world where families and children can live, learn or play.

“FIBA is proud of its successful partnership with the NBA for Basketball without Borders, an ambitious program that helps to promote the sport of basketball,” said FIBA Development Director Zoran Radović. “We look forward to bringing the camp to São Paulo and to work with Barbosa, Nenê, Varejao and Araujo, four Brazilian National Team stars, who are excelling in the NBA. They will be exceptional camp coaches for all the young athletes.”

The Esporte Clube Pinheiros will host the camp with Gatorade, Nike, Spalding and Xbox as BWB Marketing Partners. Joining the Brazilian NBA players as camp coaches will be Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert (Haiti) and forward Kyle Korver, Phoenix Suns forward James Jones, San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, L.A. Lakers forward Luke Walton and NBA Legend Sam Perkins. NBA team personnel include Greg Ballard and Herb Brown of the Atlanta Hawks, Alex English and Keith D’Amelio of the Toronto Raptors, Allen Lumpkin of the Philadelphia 76ers, Don Newman of the San Antonio Spurs, and Phil Weber of the Phoenix Suns. Marin Sedlacek (Serbia and Montenegro), who is a FIBA Expert for Europe, Asia and Africa with more than 25 years of coaching experience, will oversee as camp director.

“Hosting Basketball without Borders demonstrates the prestige of Brazilian basketball, and we are working hard to ensure the success of this event. As a result, we are relying on the excellent infrastructure of Esporte Club Pinheiros, with its large and modern facilities, to host a high profile event like BWB,” said Gerasime Grego Bozikis, President of the Brazilian Basketball Confederation (CBB). “This is an exciting event for our young athletes who will have the opportunity to train alongside stars like Anderson Varejão, Leandrinho, Nenê and Rafael Baby, who have succeeded on the global sports arena.”

“E.C. Pinheiros is proud to have been selected by the NBA and FIBA as the host site for Basketball without Borders Americas 2007,” said Antonio de Alcantara Machado Rudge, President of Club Pinheiros. “We are certain that our athletic facilities and our staff will meet and exceed the NBA's and FIBA's expectations. We are anxiously looking forward to the success of this event.”

“Basketball without Borders values the relationship between young athletes and basketball. It's an honor for Brazil to host an event like this,” said Lula Ferreira, President of the Brazilian Men's National Team. “The exchange between participants and their role models is an incredible incentive that continues to evolve and improve the level of basketball played across the region.”

A Basketball without Borders marketing partner since 2002, Nike will again outfit all the camp participants and coaches with Nike footwear and apparel.

“We at Nike are extremely pleased with our partnership with Basketball without Borders and the NBA. The program teaches young basketball players the importance of hard work, dedication, teamwork and sportsmanship,” said George Raveling, Global Director, Nike Basketball Sports Marketing. “These are all vital attributes to the young campers, which will serve them well in the future both on and off the court, and we are proud to be working with the NBA and FIBA in Europe and the Americas to promote these values.”

Since the inaugural camp in 2001, Basketball without Borders has expanded its reach to nine countries and territories on five continents. The program has featured more than 160 NBA players, coaches and team personnel from 30 different teams as camp coaches and mentors for more than 1,000 young athletes from 100 countries and territories. This year, more than 65 members of the NBA family will take part, including more than 30 current and former NBA coaches and team personnel.

The NBA family and the campers have traveled more than 85 million miles and logged more than one million hours of community service participating in Basketball without Borders. In addition, the program has reached countless others through its community outreach efforts in each region .

Community outreach plans for São Paulo will feature an event to promote education and healthy lifestyles. The NBA and FIBA will also donate products, such as basketballs, rims and sporting goods to local basketball federations and communities. Last year’s community outreach in San Juan, Puerto Rico included the opening of a Learn and Play Center and a Special Olympics clinic.

The inaugural Basketball without Borders took place in Europe in July 2001. NBA Legend Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc of the Milwaukee Bucks, together with five other NBA players from the former Yugoslavia, re-united to work with 50 children from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia and Montenegro at La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy. In addition to Brazil, Basketball without Borders Asia will return to Shanghai, China July 5-8, Basketball without Borders Europe will take place for the first time in Paris, France Aug. 6-10 and Basketball without Borders Africa will return to Johannesburg, South Africa Sept. 5-9.