HENDERSON, RUDEZ AND ZELLER BRING NBA BASKETBALL TO EUROPEAN YOUTH IN 15TH YEAR OF BASKETBALL WITHOUT BORDERS

The NBA and FIBA announced today that Gerald Henderson, Damjan Rudez, and Cody Zeller will join Ex NBA players Jorge Garbajosa (Spain), Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia) and Hanno Mottola (Finland), as well as WNBA Legend Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), to lead the 50 campers from more than 25 European countries who will travel to the first Basketball without Bordersn Europe camp in Gran Canaria, Spain June 2-5.

You can see highlights from 2014’s Basketball Without Borders Camp below:

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 15^th 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 12^th time and a first-time camp in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

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

In addition to working with the campers on the court, NBA and FIBA players and coaches will lead extensive community outreach programs through NBA Cares.  The focus of these efforts will be education, grassroots basketball development, and health and wellness highlighted by the creation of a lasting legacy in the community.  Through BWB, NBA Cares has created 66 legacy projects around the world where kids and families can live, learn or play.

The campers will be outfitted with the latest footwear and apparel from Nike, a BWB global partner since 2002.

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 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting.

The NBA and FIBA showcased the program’s growth by holding the first BWB Global Camp during NBA All-Star 2015 in New York City.  The camp, which was the first BWB in the U.S., will become an annual tradition that brings top players from around the world to NBA All-Star for a global celebration of basketball.  The BWB Global Camp during NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto, the first NBA All-Star to be held outside of the United States, will bring together the top players from this summer’s BWB camps.

Campers and coaches for Johannesburg and Santo Domingo camps will be announced prior to each camp.

The following is a complete list of players participating in BWB Europe 2015 in Gran Canaria:

*For those who follow me closely, you will know I’m very happy that two British players Samuel  Japhet-Mathias and Carl Wheatle have been included. The Lottery Mafia will be reaching out to both players to see if it is possible for us to follow their experience at BWB Europe 2015.