NASSAU, Bahamas –
Basketball without Borders (BWB) Americas 2017 officially opened at Nassau’s Kendal
G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium
on Wednesday with a press conference, featuring NBA/WNBA/FIBA
players, coaches and VIP guests who were on hand to welcome the campers and to
thank all of those who were integral in the development of this camp such as
Nike, the Bahamas Basketball Federation and the Bahamas Ministry of Youth,
Sports and Culture. Top media from major Bahamian and international
outlets were in attendance to cover the program and participate in a photo and
interview session.
The campers, the top 66 boys and girls from 16 countries and
territories from the Americas, started their day with a Life Skills session
where they learned what to expect over the course of the camp. Dwight
Powell (Dallas Mavericks; Canada), Tiago Splitter (Brazil), Anderson Varejao
(Brazil), NBA Legend Acie Law (U.S.) and WNBA Legend Ebony Hoffman (U.S.) led
the session, and they answered camper questions about playing in the NBA and WNBA.
Whether in Spanish, Portuguese or English, there were plenty of questions to go
around.
Campers then moved onto a round of morning position skills
stations: point guards, wings and bigs. Afternoon scrimmages gave camp
coaches a chance to evaluate the talent level of the players as the BWB
Americas Draft will take place
tonight.
Later in the day, more than 60 local youth from a primary
school and an orphanage visited the BWB Americas’ camp for a much-anticipated
Jr. NBA clinic. The clinic gave the kids the opportunity to work on their
passing, shooting and rebounding skills alongside NBA and WNBA stars. The
children were thrilled to share the court with some of the best players in the
world, and they left the gym with happy faces and unforgettable memories.
The day ended with a referee clinic for Bahamas game
officials, who are working the scrimmages and games during BWB Americas 2017.
After
Wednesday’s draft, the campers will be back on the
court
Thursday to take part in combine-style evaluations and positional skill
development in the morning before taking the court for games in the afternoon.
TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE (
JULY 6, 2017)
(Subject to change without notice)
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017 |
TIME |
ACTION |
ATTENDEES |
LOCATION |
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Positional Skill
Development |
Campers, NBA/WNBA Players, Coaches |
Kendal Isaacs Gym |
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM |
Boys Team Practice |
Boys, NBA Players, Coaches |
Kendal Isaacs Gym |
1:15 PM - 1:45 PM |
Girls Team Practice |
Girls, Ebony Hoffman |
Kendal Isaacs Gym |
1:45 PM - 3:45 PM |
BWB 5v5 Games |
NBA/WNBA Players, Coaches |
Kendal Isaacs Gym |
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM |
Referee Clinic |
Referees |
Stadium |