NBA and FIBA to host second Basketball Without Borders camp in Japan

NEW YORK (U.S.)/MIES (Switzerland)/TOKYO (Japan) - The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have announced the 11th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia will be held Wednesday, August 14 to Saturday, August 17 at the Mizumoto General Sports Center in Tokyo, marking the second time that the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Japan.  BWB Asia was previously conducted in Japan in 2012.

BWB Asia 2019 will bring together the top male and female players ages 17 and under from throughout the Asia-Pacific region to learn directly from NBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and to compete against the best young players from the region.

“We are very happy to be part of the BWB Asia 2019 camp and would like to thank the NBA and the Japan Basketball Association for their continued collaboration,” said FIBA National Federations & Sport Director Zoran Radovic. “With the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 taking place shortly in China, including eight teams from Asia, the Olympic Games taking place next year in Tokyo, with both the men and women’s Japanese national teams among the top ranked teams in Asia now, and the next FIBA World Cup to be hosted by Japan, Philippines and Indonesia, it is clear that basketball is booming in Asia. The Japan Basketball Federation has done an amazing job in restructuring its operations which resulted, among other achievements, in the creation of the B.League, one of the most successful leagues in Asia, and we are extremely happy to see such developments occurring. We believe that hosting BWB in Tokyo is just another step forward for the Japanese Basketball Association to establish itself as a powerhouse of basketball in Asia.”

“We are thrilled to bring Basketball Without Borders back to Japan at a time when excitement around the game is at an all-time high,” said NBA Senior Vice President, International Basketball Operations Kim Bohuny.  “The NBA and basketball have a rich history in Japan, and this summer’s camp will showcase the bright future of the sport in the region by bringing together the top male and female prospects from throughout Asia-Pacific to learn directly from NBA players and coaches.  We thank FIBA for supporting our continued efforts to grow basketball across the region.”

BWB Asia 2019 will also include NBA Cares and community outreach efforts with youth in Tokyo.  These efforts will highlight the power of sport to promote cultural understanding while teaching the importance of a healthy, active lifestyle and the values of the game, including teamwork, integrity and respect.

NIKE, a global partner of BWB since 2002, will outfit the campers and coaches with NIKE apparel and footwear.  Rakuten, the NBA’s exclusive live-game distribution partner in Japan and presenting partner of The NBA Japan Games 2019, and MGM Resorts International (MGM), the official gaming partner of the NBA, are official event partners of BWB Asia 2019.

The NBA and FIBA have staged 60 BWB camps in 38 cities in 30 countries on six continents, reaching more than 3,500 participants from 129 countries and territories since 2001.  Sixty-eight former campers have been drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents, and a record eight former BWB campers were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft, including Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2015), surpassing the previous record of six set in 2011 and matched in 2016 and 2018.  Last season, a record 27 former BWB campers were on 2018-19 opening-night rosters, including 2019 NBA Champions Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012) and Marc Gasol (Raptors; Spain; BWB Europe 2003), as well as two-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011).

Follow BWB using the hashtag #BWBAsia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  BWB Asia campers and coaches will be announced prior to the camp.

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About FIBA
FIBA (fiba.basketball) - the world governing body for basketball - is an independent association formed by 213 National Basketball Federations throughout the world. It is recognized as the sole competent authority in basketball by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For further information about FIBA visit fiba.basketball or follow FIBA on facebook.com/fiba, twitter.com/fiba, instagram.com/fiba and youtube.com/fiba.

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About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2018-19 season featured 108 international players from 42 countries and territories.  NBA Digital's assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.6 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.