NBA, FIBA and the Senegalese Basketball Federation today announced the top 60 boys and girls ages 17 and under from 29 African countries who will participate in the 17th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa when the camp returns to Senegal from Sunday, July 28 – Wednesday, July 31.
BWB, the NBA and FIBA's global basketball development and community outreach program, will be held at The NBA Academy Africa in Saly on July 28 and at Dakar Arena from July 29-31, with NIKE serving as the official partner.
The campers will be coached by former and current NBA players, including two-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), two-time NBA Champion Chris Bosh (U.S.), 2017 NBA Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana Pacers; U.S.), two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng (most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves; South Sudan), Gorgui Dieng (Timberwolves; Senegal; BWB Africa 2009), Luc Mbah a Moute (most recently with the LA Clippers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2003), Tacko Fall (Boston Celtics; Senegal), Makhtar Ndiaye (former NBA player; Senegal), Boniface Ndong (former NBA player; Senegal) and NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Joining the NBA players will be 2003 WNBA Champion and NBA Academy Africa Associate Technical Director, Astou Ndiaye (Senegal); Mozambique basketball legend and former WNBA player, Clarisse Machanguana (Mozambique); former NBA player and Philadelphia 76ers General Manager, Elton Brand (U.S.); former NBA player and Capital City Go-Go General Manager, Pops Mensah-Bonsu (UK/Ghana); and former NBA player and 76ers Technical Scout, Ruben Boumtje Boumtje (Cameroon).
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NBA head coaches Kenny Atkinson (Nets), Doc Rivers (Clippers) and David Fizdale (New York Knicks), and current NBA assistant coaches DeSagana Diop (Jazz; Senegal), B.J. Johnson (Houston Rockets), Vince Legarza (Jazz), Patrick Mutombo (Toronto Raptors) and Miles Simon (LA Lakers), will also serve as BWB Africa 2019 coaches. Raptors President Masai Ujiri (Nigeria) and World Association of Basketball Coaches President and FIBA Technical Commission Chair Patrick Hunt (Australia) will be the camp directors. Several NBA front office personnel will also participate.
Players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, 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 Africa Camp Most Valuable Players after the camp.
Through NBA Cares and the Jr. NBA, BWB Africa community outreach efforts in Senegal will use the power of sport to promote cultural understanding while teaching the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and values of the game like teamwork, integrity and respect. In partnership with BWB Africa's longstanding partner Hoops 4 Hope, campers, players, and coaches will take part in two interactive life skills seminars designed to teach leadership and communication skills and share information about HIV/AIDS prevention.
Highlighting the week's community efforts, the NBA and SEED Project will host a dedication ceremony for two newly refurbished courts in the Ndiareme Limamoulaye district of Guediawaye in Dakar on Monday, July 29, as well as basketball clinics for local boys and girls. Also, a group will visit the S.O.S. Children's Villages in Dakar to tour the facilities and participate in a variety of activities with children and families living there.
The NBA and FIBA have staged 59 BWB camps in 38 cities in 30 countries on six continents. BWB has hosted more than 3,500 participants from 129 countries and territories. More than 290 current and former NBA and WNBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams, with 68 former BWB campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents.
The following is a complete list of players participating in the 17th BWB Africa Camp in Senegal:
GiveMeSport will be bringing you all the updates throughout the week in Senegal with exclusive interviews with players, campers and more. Get involved by hashtagging #GMSNBA and #NBAAfricaBWB