Basketball Without Borders (BWB)

Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is FIBA and the NBA‘s global development and community relations outreach program. With an emphasis on improving basketball skills, BWB promotes leadership, education, sportsmanship and healthy living with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention as well as friendship, openness and respect.

At the heart of the BWB concept is a four-day camp, bringing together top young basketball talent aged 18 and younger from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Americas and Africa. The participants, selected by FIBA, the NBA and participating National Federations, meet in a host city where they are joined by BWB staff, National Team and NBA players, as well as some of the world’s top coaches.

Off the court, campers attend life-skills seminars, learn from the stars about their experiences as professional players, and visit relevant nearby locations. This format allows and encourages campers to build long-lasting relationships with their fellow teammates and coaches.

Since the first edition held in 2001 in Treviso, Italy, BWB has staged 56 camps in 35 cities in 28 countries and reached more than 3,300 participants from 129 countries and territories, with 53 campers drafted into the NBA. A record 24 former BWB campers were on opening-night rosters for the 2017-18 season, including Thon Maker (Milwaukee Bucks; South Sudan; BWB Americas 2015/BWB Global 2016), Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls; Finland; BWB Europe 2014/BWB Global 2015), Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015), Danilo Gallinari (Los Angeles Clippers; Italy; BWB Europe 2003) and Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain; BWB Europe 2003), among others.

Participants have benefitted from the coaching and advice from current and former international and NBA stars such as Patrick Ewing (USA), Dikembe Mutombo (DR Congo/USA), Vlade Divac (Serbia), Scottie Pippen (USA), Yao Ming (China), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Tony Parker (France), Pau Gasol (Spain), Leandro Barbosa (Brazil), Andrey Kirilenko (Russia), Carlos Arroyo (Puerto Rico), Dwight Howard (USA), Al Horford (Dominican Republic), Manu Ginobili (Argentina) and many more.

The list of players having taken part as youngsters also include some famous basketball names. Luc Mbah a Moute (Cameroon), Milos Teodosic (Serbia), Greivis Vasquez (Venezuela), Nicolas Batum (France), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania) and Dario Saric (Croatia), among others are all former BWB campers.