Corey Brewer and Al Horford are among the players participating in the NBA’s first Basketball Without Borders camp in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic next week.
The NBA and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced Wednesday that Brewer (Houston Rockets; U.S.), Horford (Atlanta Hawks; Dominican Republic) and Charlie Villanueva (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.; parents from Dominican Republic) will join Luc Mbah a Moute (most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), as well as former NBA players Francisco Garcia (Dominican Republic national team), Tito Horford (Dominican Republic) and Felipe Lopez (former Dominican Republic national team player) to lead 51 campers from 18 North and South American countries at the BWB Americas 2015 camp Aug. 16-19.
Melvin Hunt (Dallas Mavericks), Brett Gunning (Houston Rockets), Darvin Ham (Atlanta Hawks), Nick U’ren (Golden State Warriors) and Patrick Hunt (president of the World Association of Basketball Coaches) will serve as camp coaches. Gersson Rosas (Houston Rockets) will be the camp director. Kevin Johnson (Philadelphia 76ers) and Ale Oliveira (Brooklyn Nets) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainers and Matt Friia (Charlotte Hornets) will serve as strength and conditioning coach.
As part of BWB Americas 2015, the top players from around the world born in 1998 will have the opportunity to learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends, and coaches and to compete against players from North and South America.
BWB, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, has reached more than 2,400 campers from more than 125 countries and territories since 2001, with 37 campers drafted into the NBA. Twenty-two former BWB campers were on NBA rosters during the 2014-15 regular season, including 2015 NBA All-Star Marc Gasol.
This year, BWB included the 13th BWB Africa camp in Johannesburg, South Africa, from July 29-Aug. 1 and a first-time camp in Gran Canaria, Spain from June 2-5 as part of BWB Europe 2015.
“The sport of basketball has afforded me many opportunities throughout my life,” Horford said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to return home to share the values of the game with the campers and work in the Dominican Republic.”
The second annual BWB Global Camp will be held during NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto and will bring together the top players from this summer’s BWB camps. The first BWB Global Camp was held during NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City.