NEW YORK, May 31, 2012 -
The 2012
schedule for Basketball without Borders (BWB) will feature two first-time
locations, in Japan and Russia, and a return to South Africa, it was announced
by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball
Federation (FIBA). First held in 2001, Basketball without Borders is the NBA
and FIBA’s global basketball development program that uses the sport to create
positive social change in the areas of education and health and wellness.
NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo, Sam Dalembert (Houston Rockets) and
Vladimir Radmanovic (Atlanta Hawks) will tip off the summer with Basketball
without Borders Asia in Tokyo, Japan, from June 13 – 16. Xebio Co., LTD, a
leading Japanese sports retail company, will serve as the Official Co-Organizer
of Basketball without Borders Asia, providing all aspects of on-ground event
support. In addition to NBA Cares community outreach efforts in Tokyo, the NBA
players and coaches will visit Sendai where the group will conduct a basketball
and fitness clinic for children affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
NBA coaches attending BWB Asia include Lloyd Pierce (Memphis Grizzlies), Rolando
Blackman (Dallas Mavericks) and James Borrego (New Orleans Hornets), and
shooting coach Dave Hopla. Dean Cooper returns as the BWB Asia Camp Director
with Koichi Sato (Washington Wizards) joining as camp athletic trainer.
The 10th edition of Basketball without Borders Africa will return to
Johannesburg, South Africa from Aug 30 – Sept 2. The Milwaukee Bucks’ Luc Mbah
a Moute, a former BWB camper from Cameroon, will participate in his third BWB
Africa camp as a coach along with Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo),
Chicago Bulls teammates Luol Deng (South Sudan) and CJ Watson, and Oklahoma City
Thunder teammates Serge Ibaka (Congo) and Cole Aldrich, with additional NBA
coaches and personnel.
Rounding out the 2012 camp schedule will be another first, with Basketball
without Borders Europe in Moscow, Russia, from Sept 13 – 16.
“Basketball without Borders showcases the NBA's commitment to using basketball
as a tool to connect with communities around the world, and we are thrilled to
bring the program to two new countries this year,” said Kathy Behrens, NBA
Executive Vice President, Social Responsibility & Player Programs. “Thanks to
the support of FIBA and our group of dedicated current and former NBA players
and coaches, BWB continues to provide elite training for top young basketball
talent around the world while helping to bring attention to important social
issues.”
"I am delighted to see that Basketball without Borders will be making first-time
visits to Japan and Russia and returning to South Africa this year," said
Patrick Baumann, Secretary General of FIBA and a member of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC). “BWB gives young people from all over the world the
opportunity and tools to improve and showcase their basketball skills by
learning from the best players and coaches around. Over the course of eleven
years, the NBA and FIBA have also enabled these young athletes to become
positive role models in their communities.”
Nike, a BWB global partner since 2002, will again outfit the campers and coaches
of all three camps with Nike apparel and footwear.
“Basketball without Borders not only provides top level basketball instruction,
but also teaches characteristics that are key to success in life such as hard
work, dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship,” said Lynn Merritt, Vice
President, Global Basketball Sports Marketing, Nike. “We are proud to continue
to work with the NBA and FIBA who share our commitment to developing talent
around the world.”
BWB features top youth players from each region, as selected by the NBA and FIBA,
training under NBA players and coaches. Campers receive top-level instruction
on-court and participate in daily life-skills seminars focused on values of the
game such as leadership, character development, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Through NBA Cares, the NBA players and coaches also participate in extensive
community outreach efforts highlighted by the creation of places for children
and families to live, learn or play including new technology centers, libraries
and basketball courts.
Since its inception, the NBA and FIBA have staged 30 BWB camps in 17 cities in
15 countries. Nearly 140 different current and former NBA/WNBA players have
joined with more than 130 NBA coaches to act as mentors for nearly 1,500 campers
from just over 100 countries, with 21 BWB campers drafted into the NBA.
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business that features three professional
sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National
Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has
established a major international presence, with offices in 15 markets
worldwide, games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 47
languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100
countries on six continents. Current NBA rosters feature 78 international
players from 39 countries and territories. The NBA’s digital assets include NBA
TV, which is available in 59.4 million U.S. homes, and NBA.com, which averages
more than 35 million page views per day, more than half of which originate from
outside of North America. The NBA is the No. 1 professional sports league on
social media, with more than 240 million fans and followers globally across all
league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league and its teams
and players have donated more than $190 million to charity, completed more than
1.9 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 700
places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.