Green inspires youngsters at BWB Asia camp

CANBERRA (Australia) – The Basketball Without Borders Asia camp returned to Australia for the first time since 2016 and tipped off Sunday in Canberra with 60 boys and girls from across 15 countries ready to learn and be inspired on and off the court.

This will be the 12^th Basketball Without Borders Asia camp with the previous edition of the camp being hosted by Tokyo in 2019.

Campers congregated for the first day of the camp at the Australian Institute of Sport, located in the Australian Capital Territory – home of superstar, Patty Mills and second home of teenage sensation, Josh Giddey.  The up-and-coming prospects were welcomed by FIBA Executive Director – Oceania, Amanda Jenkins and BWB alumnus and Dallas Mavericks guard, Josh Green who encouraged athletes to make the most of the opportunities during the camp.

“The Basketball Without Borders camps, are one of FIBA’s development initiatives as part of our global strategy to grow basketball around the world and enlarge the FIBA family,” Jenkins said.  “The Basketball Without Borders camps are a fantastic initiative where we see international basketball and the NBA coming together to work as one.  The NBA’s partnership with FIBA on this initiative is an important one in our longstanding relationship together.”

Jenkins encouraged players to enjoy themselves and to take their learnings back to their home countries to increase development opportunities, a sentiment echoed by Green who attended BWB Global in Los Angeles in 2018.

“Learn as much as you can from the coaches and other players,” Green said.  “Make the most of the connections you make and embrace the competitive environment that will be in front of you, if we can improve three things for you, it’s a better sense of leadership, teamwork and respect for everyone.”

BWB Asia 2022 will run from August 7-10 which will include skill and leadership development, health, and wellness tips as well as team practise session and games made up of teams chosen by camp coaches.  The camp culminates with an award ceremony with a Most Valuable Player presented to a male and female camper.

Among the campers are a number of players from Australia, Korea, Japan, Lebanon, and New Zealand who competed in the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 and FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022.  From Australia in the women’s tournament, Layla Cameron and Lulu Laditan; from Korea, Seo Jinyeong and Sooin Kim; and from New Zealand Lilly Taulelei and Maia Riley.  In the men’s tournament from Australia, Carlin Briggs, James O’Donnell, Joshua Dent, Joshua Hughes, Kye Savage, Lachlan Brewer, Rocco Zikarsky and Roman Siulepa; from Japan, Yuto Kawashima; from Lebanon, Rayan Hachem; from New Zealand, Kaia Berridge, William Passi, Kalid Petzer and William Shortt.

The Basketball Without Borders Asia camp can be followed at NBA.com/Australia and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and follow BWB using the hashtag #BWBAsia.

FIBA