Basketball Without Borders Australia
Basketball Without Borders is the NBA’s annual initiative to bring attention to basketball all over the world. Their mission is very a simple and positive initiative.
Basketball without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that unites young basketball players to promote the sport and encourage positive social change in the areas of education, health, and wellness.
The top youth players 19 and under from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa, as selected by the NBA, FIBA and participating federations, will train under NBA players and coaches and compete against their peers. NBA players will partner with local community groups to lead daily life-skills sessions focusing on the importance of education, leadership, character development, health and wellness. To promote friendship and diversity, the campers are divided into teams without regard to race and nationality.
Since its inaugural year in 2001, the NBA and FIBA have staged 45 BWB camps in 26 cities in 22 countries on five continents. BWB has hosted more than 2,500 participants from 130 countries and territories. More than 210 different current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined more than 160 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams with 37 BWB campers drafted into the NBA.
For the first time ever, the Basketball Without Borders camp traveled to Australia. With help from our partners at ‘The Basketball Dunk’, our very own Regan Cesar was able to capture some of the great moments from the four day camp.
Here’s some of the recap, courtesy of the Basketball without Borders site.
Day 1
The NBA, FIBA and the NBL – Australia’s National Basketball League – tipped off Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia 2016 today at the Dandenong Basketball Stadium in Melbourne, marking the first time the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program is being held in Australia. Forty-five boys from 17 countries across Asia have gathered for the opportunity to learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches, including Australians Aron Baynes (Detroit Pistons), Dante Exum (Utah Jazz), Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz) and Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs). BWB Asia 2016 also includes a girls camp for the top female players in Victoria and a Jr. NBA camp for local youth, both of which tipped off today.
The day began with an opening press conference featuring remarks from the NBA, NBL and camp director Patrick Hunt, who also serves as the President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC). Following the proceedings, the campers participated in a life skills session led by former NBA player Bruce Bowen. The oncourt portion of the day began shortly after, with the campers going through positional skills development before breaking off into teams for scrimmages.
The first of three NBA Cares community outreach activities – a basketball clinic conducted for indigenous youth – was held in the afternoon.
Day 2
Day 2 of BWB Asia 2016 began with palpable excitement given Melbourne’s own Ben Simmons was selected 1st overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft. Inspired by Simmons, the campers took to the court with much enthusiasm to continue their own development, training directly under the attending players and coaches. The boys and girls were then broken up again to take part in scrimmages in the afternoon.
The second of three NBA Cares community outreach activities was also conducted in the morning at the RecWest YMCA Braybrook, where the NBA dedicated a newly revitalized basketball court.
Day 3
NBA Legend David Robinson tipped off Day 3 of BWB Asia 2016 by addressing all of the campers about the keys to success on and off the court and the importance of being a professional in every aspect of life. Robinson gave the campers a treat when he demonstrated that, at age 50, he could still throw down a two-handed dunk.
After more scrimmaging in the afternoon, the preliminary round of the BWB Asia 3-Point Contest was conducted to crown the most proficient long-range shooter at the camp.
Day 4
The fourth and final day of BWB Asia 2016 began at Geelong Arena with a wheelchair basketball clinic that the players and coaches took part in. Following that, the campers played in warm-up games to prepare for the All-Star exhibition. Inside a near capacity arena, the All-Star boys and girls named earlier in the day took to the court to showcase their talent. The 3-Point Contest Finals took place at halftime, with Hamish McDonald (New Zealand) taking home the shooting crown.
At the conclusion of the All-Star games, awards were then handed out to the standout campers. On the boys side, Samuel Waardenburg (New Zealand) was named camp MVP for his outstanding play over the course of the camp while Cassidy Gould (Australia) and Claudia Armato (Australia) were named camp MVPs for the girls. The MVPs will travel to the U.S. in February 2017 to take part in the third annual BWB Global Camp.
