NBA NEWS

Basketball Without Borders Europe camp set

The Sports Xchange

May 27, 2015 at 10:11 am.

The NBA and the International Basketball Federation announced the players and coaches from more than 25 European countries who will travel to the first Basketball Without Borders Europe camp next month.

Gerald Henderson (Charlotte Hornets, U.S.), Damjan Rudez (Indiana Pacers, Croatia), Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets, U.S.), and NBA legends Jorge Garbajosa (Spain), Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia) and Hanno Mottola (Finland), as well as WNBA legend Amaya Valdemoro (Spain) will lead the 50 campers at the event in Gran Canaria, Spain, from June 2-5.

Dan Burke (Indiana Pacers), Bryan Gates (New Orleans Pelicans), Walter McCarty (Boston Celtics) and Jim Moran (Portland Trail Blazers) will serve as BWB Europe 2015 camp coaches. Marin Sedlacek (Philadelphia 76ers) will be the camp director and Jeff Tanaka (Chicago Bulls) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer.

The 15th year of BWB — the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program — also includes a return to Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 12th time and a first-time camp in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

BWB Africa will be held in Johannesburg from July 29-Aug. 1, and the best players from Latin America and the Caribbean will congregate in Santo Domingo from Aug. 13-16 for BWB Americas.

Through BWB, the top players from around the world born in 1998 will have the unique opportunity to learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and to compete against the best players from their continent.

The inaugural BWB program was conducted in Treviso, Italy, in 2001 by bringing together 50 children from across the former Yugoslavia. The program has expanded and evolved to become the NBA and FIBA’s signature global grassroots initiative.

BWB has reached more than 2,300 campers from more than 120 countries and territories, with 33 campers drafted into the NBA. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011) became the highest drafted BWB Africa camper ever when he was selected third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. Twenty-two former BWB campers were on active NBA rosters during the 2014-15 regular season, including 2015 NBA All-Star Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain; BWB Europe 2003), 2014 NBA Champion Marco Belinelli (San Antonio Spurs; Italy; BWB Europe 2004), and Nikola Mirotic (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro; BWB Europe 2008), who finished second in 2014-15 NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting.