NBA, FIBA organise Basketball Without Borders Asia; 4 Indian talents among 60 participants in event

New York/Tokyo: The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on Friday announced the top 64 boys and girls from 18 countries and territories who will participate in the 11th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia. BWB Asia 2019 will be held from Wednesday, 14 August– Saturday, 17 August in Tokyo, marking the second time that the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Japan. BWB Asia was previously conducted in Japan in 2012. BWB Asia 2019 will feature a number of current and former NBA players, including three-time NBA Champion Sam Cassell, two-time NBA Champion Kevon Looney (Golden State Warriors), Robin Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks) and Yuta Tabuse (formerly of the Phoenix Suns; Japan). Former WNBA players Ashley Battle, Allison Feaster and Yolanda Moore will also participate in the camp and coach the top high-school-age campers from throughout the Asia-Pacific region. [caption id=“attachment_7139701” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Harsimran Kaur is one of the participants for the Basketball Without Borders contest. Image courtesy: NBA[/caption] Current NBA assistant coaches Pat Delany (Orlando Magic), Bryan Gates (Minnesota Timberwolves), Antonio Lang (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Wes Unseld Jr. (Denver Nuggets) will also serve as BWB Asia 2019 coaches. Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia) will be the camp director. Jeff Tanaka (Chicago Bulls) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer. Players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities on and off the court, including movement efficiency, skill development stations, 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 MVPs at the conclusion of the camp. In addition, former NBA Referee Joey Crawford will lead development sessions with local FIBA referees. NIKE, a global partner of BWB since 2002, will outfit the campers and coaches with NIKE apparel and footwear. Rakuten, the NBA’s exclusive live-game distribution partner in Japan and presenting partner of The NBA Japan Games 2019, and MGM Resorts International (MGM), the NBA’s Official Integrated Resorts partner in Japan, are official event partners of BWB Asia 2019. BWB Asia 2019 will also include NBA Cares and community outreach efforts with youth in Tokyo. These efforts will highlight the power of sport to promote cultural understanding while teaching the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and the values of the game, including teamwork, integrity and respect. The NBA and FIBA have staged 60 BWB camps in 38 cities in 30 countries on six continents, reaching more than 3,500 participants from 129 countries and territories since 2001. Sixty-nine former campers have been drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents, and a record eight former BWB campers were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, including Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016), surpassing the previous record of six set in 2011 and matched in 2016 and 2018. Last season, a record 27 former BWB campers were on 2018-19 opening-night rosters, including 2019 NBA Champions Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012) and Marc Gasol (Raptors; Spain; BWB Europe 2003), as well as two-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011).