Latvia internationals Porzingis, Kurucs and Bertans brothers join festivities at BWB Camp Europe

MIES (Switzerland) - Latvia's national team stars Kristaps Porzingis, Davis and Dairis Bertans and Rodions Kurucs will all take part in this month's Basketball Without Borders Camp (BWB) Europe in Riga this month.

Two of the country's most famous players from the 2008 Olympics and numerous EuroBaskets Women, Anete Jekabsone and Gunta Basko, will also participate.

The NBA coach of Dallas Mavericks star Porzingis, Rick Carlisle, and former Argentina point guard Pablo Prigioni, will coach at the BWB camp, the global basketball development and community outreach program run by FIBA and the NBA from June 9 to June 12 at the Elektrum Olympic Center.

Porzingis was one one of the standout players at FIBA EuroBasket 2017 in Turkey, helping Latvia make it to the Quarter-Finals. 

Davis Bertans (San Antonio) and his brother, Dairis (New Orleans), were in that EuroBasket team, too,  and also took part in the European Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup along with rising Latvia star Kurucs (Brooklyn). 

Davis Bertans has played for San Antonio since 2016 while Dairis made headlines in the middle of this season when he joined the Pelicans.

Dairis Bertans has had many highlight-reel moments in his time with Latvia's national team.

Jekabsone and Basko had sensational careers with Latvia, leading the women's national team to its greatest moment with qualification for the Beijing Olympics 11 years ago before shining on home soil at the FIBA EuroBasket Women 2009 in Riga.

The two had been leading players before that at FIBA EuroBasket Women 2007 in Chieti, Italy, when Latvia made a stunning run to the Semi-Finals.

Jekabsone, who played for Latvia and was a leading player in Europe, also competing in the WNBA

Sam Dekker (Washington Wizards) and Jonathan Isaac (Orlando Magic and Italy international Raffaela Masciadri, another former WNB A player, will also be on hand and involved at the BWB camp.

The coaching, led by Carlisle, will again be top notch.

An NBA champion as a player in 1986 with the Boston Celtics, Carlisle been at the helm of the Mavericks since 2008 and he coached the team to its only title in 2011.

Prigioni, who spent the majority of his career as a player in Europe before becoming the oldest rookie in NBA history at the age of 35 when he signed a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, is now an assistant coach with the Brooklyn Nets. The Cordoba native played in three FIBA Basketball World Cups and two Olympics for Argentina.

Prigioni, a terrific point guard for Argentina, is now on the coaching staff of the Brooklyn Nets

Also coaching at the 18th edition of the BWB Europe (June 9-12) will be assistant coaches Jamahl Mosley (Dallas), Josh Longstaff (Milwaukee Bucks),  and NBA player development coaches Cameron Hodges (San Antonio Spurs) and Michael Ruffin (New Orleans Pelicans). The Mavericks' athletic trainer, Casey Smith, will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer.

Marin Sedlacek, an international scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Patrick Hunt, the President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches, are to serve as camp directors.

Coaches will lead the top male and female players ages 17 and under from Europe 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.

Among the campers will be Augustas Marciulionis, the son Lithuania legend Sarunas Marciulionis, and Luka Tarlac, the son of Serbia great Dragan Tarlac.

BOYS
Marko Andric (SRB)	Juhann Begarin (FRA)	Max Besselink (FIN)	Aleksa Bulajic (MNE)
Abramo Canka (ITA)	Adria Domenech (ESP)	Nikoloz Gaprindashvili (GEO)	Aleksa Gataric (BIH)
Tibet Gorener (TUR)	Ondrej Hanzlik (CZE)	Kriss Helmanis (LAT)	Ariel Hukporti (GER)
Markus Ilver (EST)	Andreas Kalogiros (GRE)	Yannick Kraag (NED)	Gilad Levy (ISR)
Rodijs Macoha (LAT)	Ibrahim Magassa (FRA)	Augustas Marciulionis (LTU)	Zsombor Maronka (HUN)
Matthew Marsh (GBR)	Leo Menalo (CRO)	Sarper David Mutaf (TUR)	Roko Prkacin (CRO)
Gabriele Procida (ITA)	Lamin Sabally (GER)	Joryam Saizonou (NED)	Pavel Savkov (RUS)
Len Schoormann (GER)	Filip Siewruk (POL)	Toms Skuja (LAT)	Lazar Stefanovic (SRB)
Emil Stoilov (BUL)	Matthew Strazel (FRA)	Luka Tarlac (SRB)	Boris Tisma (CRO)
Azuolas Tubelis (LTU)	Joshua Uduje (GBR)	Luc Van Slooten (GER)	Amari Williams (GBR)

  

GIRLS
Anna Gret Asi (EST)	Jovana Boričić (SRB)	Eleni Bosgana (GRE)	Ioanna Chatzileonti (GRE)
Mama Dembele Traore (ESP)	Mathilda Ekh (SWE)	Marta Garcia Mateo (ESP)	Madlena Gerke (LAT)
Caterina Gilli (ITA)	Maud Huijbens (NED)	Petra Juric (CRO)	Kristiana Kulackovska (LAT)
Marta Daniela Leimane (LAT)	Marta Daniela Leimane (LAT)	Hana Muhl (CRO)	Alberte Marie Mehrenst Rimdal (DEN)
Gisela Sanchez Iznajar (ESP)	Magdalena Zuzana Szymkiewicz (POL)	Nina Ulchenkova (RUS)	Arife Vardar (TUR)
Iryna Vensakaya (BLR)	Simona Visockaite (LTU)	Audrone Zdaneviciute (LTU)	Katerina Zeithammerova (CZE)

This will be the 18th BWB Europe.  FIBA and the NBA have staged 57 BWB camps in 36 cities in 28 countries on six continents. Sixty BWB campers have been drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents.

FIBA