Basketball Without Borders Africa – 2009 ed.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUG. 26, 2009 – 60 of the top young basketball players from across Africa have been selected to participate in Basketball without Borders Africa, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), and Basketball South Africa (BSA) announced today. Basketball without Borders, which is returning to Africa for the seventh time, is the league’s global basketball development and community outreach program, which uses sports to influence positive social change, and features dozens of current and former NBA/WNBA players and team personnel as camp coaches.
List of participants 2009
2009 Participants (downloadable document)
The players (ages 19 and under) from 23 countries spanning the African continent and were selected by FIBA, the NBA and participating federations based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport. Basketball without Borders Africa, which takes place Sept. 2-6, will be hosted by the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), the site of BWB Africa since 2003.
For the duration of the five-day event, campers will work on improving their basketball skills through drills, scrimmages, and competitions with top instruction from NBA players and coaches. To promote friendship and diversity, campers will be split into teams irrespective of nationality or race. The campers will also participate in daily life skills sessions, in partnership with Hoops 4 Hope, in which NBA players will speak about the importance of education, leadership, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
For the seventh consecutive year, Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo will lead a contingent of NBA/WNBA players including NBA All-Stars Boozer (Utah Jazz), Bosh (Toronto Raptors) and Howard (Orlando Magic), teammates on the 2008 Senior Olympic Men’s Team. Also attending the camp are Jason Maxiell (Detroit Pistons), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks), Vladimir Radmanovic (Charlotte Bobcats), Nate Robinson (New York Knicks), Congo native DJ Mbenga, and Luc Mbah a Moute (Milwaukee Bucks) a former participant in BWB Africa 2003 from the Cameroon. Former WNBA players Teresa Edwards and Nykesha Sales will also be present at the camp.
Co-organized by the NBA, FIBA, and BSA, the camp features Nike, South African Airways, Sprite and Spalding as BWB Marketing Partners. A Basketball without Borders marketing partner since 2002, Nike will again outfit all the camp participants and coaches with Nike footwear and apparel. South African Airways will provide transportation for players, participants and NBA staff for this year’s event. EA SPORTS will host a gaming tournament for the campers.
Information supplied by Felicia Ntisa
who will be representing SA.
Hey Baller,
I will put that into the article shortly… Thanks for the reminder.. Hope that you are well.
ciao,V
Why has south africa sent U16 to an under 19 camp??? what is up with us?
Bad D
i personally support the idea of sending the u16. most countries bring their u17 and i believe going into the african junior championship is a good move. remember most of the kids that are there will be in mozambique from other countries. it is always better to give this kids exposure at their age.
Baller,
have you ever played among then “trees” at BWB, our kids are too small, if we are going to send kids taht young than they should be able to physically handle the big guys from the pther ountries. Or we make a three year commitment to the kids we send and see them develop, then it hasent been a wasted exersise, but where are our U18 players?
Bad D
you just raised an important point regarding the height of the boys coming for the BWB. the very same trees you refering to are the ones we play against in the african championships. shouldn’t we then let these kids know what kind of competition they will face around the continent and get them mentally ready going to Mozambique? besides, we not going to have kids that tall in the southern part of africa. look at Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. we in the same category and ask ureself why Angola wins.
in angola for example, they let their u18 national team compete against the likes of petro athletico. that shows you that its not only about physic but mental toughness. this is what we should be instilling in our kids since we loosing too much in terms of height and we can not manufacture tall kids.
lastly BWB is just a coaching clinic for the kids bar the last two days were games are played. let them go there and gain something that will make them better in future.
Hey Baller,
The problem is the american scouts and coaches there are looking for the next big thing to come out of africa, so its fine for our young kids to go but then we neex to commit to them going for a couple of years to develop. Our kids mainly sit on the bench during the games, sure they benifit from the coaching but its not that spectacular stuff that they are learning, its stuff that they could learn from coaches here. The problem as you say is that they compete in africa against the trees , why dont we play Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon and Senegal more often at all age groups. It would really benifit us.
Bad D
i agree that they scouting but then how many years have we heard BWB and from that how many of our kids from SA went to the US through the programme. bet there isn’t even a number. my point is that we should accept that we are still way behing other african countries in terms of development and should therefore not be looking at that now. yes,we do send kids to the states even without BWB.
i agree with you that we should get more games against this countries and countries in europe for us to learn. the problem is that you will always be told there is no money or this and that. for me we rather focus on building good programmes at home then things like BWB will be a bonus. lets have a proper coaching structure, league programmes running, school basketball, refering structure to start with. after that then we will be worried about the results.
BALLER
You are right, but you need to understand BWB is just show for the NBA it does nothing sustainable. We can build better basketballers here but it takes time and effort.
BWB…BWB….BWB…Thats all I have to say.
Kim
are you still not invited. if i were you,would just do a sit in at the american school. do you by chance know anything about the envisaged coaching commission since you part of the senior coaching staff.
Bad D
we don’t have to expect NBA to do that, we shpould have made sure that we benefit from BWB. as bball we failed to realise the opportunities.
Baller
Dont ask me ANYTHING about basketball in this country cos I dont know anything anymore.Its very sad that the sport we love just goes into a silent domain.I dont have the money anymore to be phoning people to findout whatsup.This recession affects us as well.Why do we have to be forever asking what is happening etc etc etc.Thats why you have communication tools such as websites.I dont mean to attack any BSA members or the committee as a whole but if we continue in this manner then we going nowhere FAST.
As for the BWB,may everyone enjoy their freebies and the occasion.Hope to see the pictures and memories.Dont think I will ever be invited to this prestigious EVENT.The envisaged coaching commission to my understanding is just that…ENVISAGED.Your guess is as good as mine to what MIGHT be transpiring regarding this.
Atleast I see that Dr Ralethe was on SAFM………….
Kim
you need to keep you blood levels low otherwise heart attack. well, i see you enough with BSA. maybe we should start paying the executive they will do a good job. what do you think.
The thing is one is not even able to crtiticise,give praise etc cos one doesnt know whats happening in that jungle.For 1,I dont know the chaos that happened at the FSU games.I have spoken to 5 of the SA players that participated and they all say they have never STARVED like that in their whole lives.Having to rely on pizza bought by the FSU team is embarrassing to say the least.Having to play wearing Tuks/SA kit is clumsy and the list goes on.A wiseman said that it seems BSA is concentrating only on the SA teams but it seems like the guys in Libya also had issues………
GOD,PLEASE HELP……………………….
Hey Kim,
Shocking indeed but you are in for more shocks when I publish the article on Libya… I should finish it up tonight…
ciao,V
Kim
i do support you cos there is never information about anything regarding Bball from BSA except on SAFM. atleast now that its BWB they will be all over the media. after BWB they will be nowhere to be found. i can guarantee that almost half of the BSA executive and Board will be at the american school attending BWB and you never see them in any local games. we living in good times.
Vic, who is the chairperson of GBA.
My spirit is very low today with whats happening and I hope someone from BSA is reading this and can try kickstart something,anything PLEASE.
I dont think I will be reading any articles cos they seem to be putting my spirits down and I am not that type of a person.I wouldnt want to deprive people with information so put it up and I will only read it next week.You wouldn’t want to be the reason why I kill people at work cos of basketball frustrations.
Iyo…..
Kim
Unfortunately the DISGRUNTLED BALLERS RETIREMENT VILLAGE is full to capacity and cannot take anymore members. We wish you luck in your quest for alternative accomodation.
LOL……I see you ALREADY have a position at the village Joe,damn you quick,LOL.
Its funny that as I was feeling depressed yesterday I ACCIDENTALLY received a leaked document regarding the ENVISAGED coaching commission progress which was very strange.This was then followed by an email that said the document was confidential………There is God out-there….SERIOUS…LOL.
Communication is a very funny thing…….
Basketball without borders is a good initiative and big ups to the nba for promoting the game here at home.
Well I urge all those who can make it to the American School either on Saturday or Sunday to listen to our President Francis Maleka tell the basketball world about the state of basketball in SA. I remember listening to Vusi last year and his promises were very ludacris.
If you can make it there please go and hear what lies in store for us…..
I am GATECRASHING this year….as the one soldier on tv said last night…’it will be 1 on 1,contact to contact,to see who is better trained’.I shall fight if the need arises,SEE you there.
The year of revolutionary strikes….I am joining the bandwagon.
Kim
i support your idea.