The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) have announced the top 66 boys and girls from 16 countries and territories who will participate in the 10th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia.
The Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia 2018 will be held from May 30 to June 2 at the NBA Academy India in New Delhi.
It will be the second time that the NBA and FIBA's global basketball development and community outreach programme will be held in India.
Corey Brewer (Oklahoma City Thunder; U.S.), Caris LeVert (Brooklyn Nets; U.S.), Kelly Olynyk (Miami Heat; Canada; BWB Americas 2009), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks; Canada), two-time WNBA Champion Ruth Riley, and former WNBA player Ebony Hoffman will coach the top high school age campers from throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
BWB Asia 2018 will feature two current prospects from NBA Academies, the league's signature elite player development initiative that consists of a network of elite basketball training centers around the world for top male and female prospects from outside the U.S.
Since October 2016, NBA Academies have been launched in Canberra, Australia; Jinan, Urumqi and Zhuji, China; Delhi NCR, India; Mexico City, Mexico; and Thies, Senegal.
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Players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, positional skill development, shooting and skills competitions, 5-on-5 games, and daily life skills seminars focusing on health, leadership and communication. One boy and one girl will be named BWB Asia 2018 MVPs at the conclusion of the four-day camp.
BWB Asia 2018 will be preceded by a basketball development camp from May 27 to May 29 for the 18 female prospects from throughout India as part of The NBA Academies Women's Program.
1996 Olympic Gold Medalist and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame member Jennifer Azzi, Riley and former college coach Blair Hardiek - the global technical directors for women's programming across the league's seven academies - will oversee the camp.
Current NBA assistant coaches Bret Brielmaier (Nets), Darvin Ham (Atlanta Hawks), Ryan Saunders (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Mike Wells (Utah Jazz) will also serve as BWB Asia 2018 coaches. Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia) will be the camp director. Casey Smith (Mavericks) will serve as the camp's athletic trainer.
BWB has reached more than 3,190 participants from 127 countries and territories since 2001, with more than 50 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents. A record 24 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2017-18 season.
The NBA and FIBA have staged 53 BWB camps in 33 cities across 27 countries on six continents. More than 250 current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players have joined more than 200 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to support BWB across the world. BWB Asia was previously held in India in 2008.
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