BWB Asia camp features Boomers, The Admiral, Bruce Bowen and more
Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia, which is set to be held in Victoria, will not only feature several of our Australian Boomers, but also former NBA names like Spurs greats Bruce Bowen and David Robinson, nickname "The Admiral".
The camp, which was announced last month, is a collaborative effort between the NBA, FIBA, NBL, Basketball Australia and the Victorian State Government. Conducted from 23-26 June at Dandenong Basketball Stadium in Melbourne and the Geelong Arena, the camp will host 45 talented male junior players from 17 Asia-Pacific countries to learn from the cadre of professional basketballers and coaches.
According to an official release on the NBL website, participating NBA players include several Boomers who will be in town for the upcoming July training camp --Aron Baynes, Dante Exum, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills-- and also Milwaukee Buck forward Khris Middleton.
It should be noted that Exum's attendance in the BWB Asia camp is yet another positive indicator of his recovery progress.
Professional players in the local scene will also join the camp roster; this includes Igor Hadziomerovic, Daniel Kickert, Majok Majok, Nate Tomlinson and Lucas Walker.
Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson is also set to join the camp, along with former WNBL player Jan Stirling.
The coaching roster includes not only current NBL coaches like Lanard Copeland (Sydney Kings), Dean Demopoulos, Mike Kelly (both Melbourne United), Andrew Gaze (Sydney Kings), but also current NBA assistant coaches like Zach Guthrie (Utah Jazz), Charles Klask (Detroit Pistons), Jay Larranaga (Boston Celtics) and Jerry Stackhouse (Toronto Raptors).
Other BWB Asia events
A separate international coaching clinic will be available for Australian coaches on 25 June at Dandenong Basketball Stadium; registrations are currently open.
Other events conducted by BWB Asia will include a girls' camp for Victorian female basketballers, a Jr. NBA camp for local youth, and community outreach programs via NBA Cares, centered around Melbourne and Geelong.
The activities include a Jr. NBA youth basketball clinic, an NBA Cares court dedication, a Jr. NBA wheelchair basketball exhibition game and clinics and life skills sessions with campers.
The 15-17 year old juniors representing Australia in this BWB Asia Camp include:
Alexander Mudronja
Biar Garang
Nicholas Stoddart
Jason Gregg
Benjamin Fakira
Owen Hulland
Juniors representing New Zealand include:
Samuel Waardenburg
Daniel Fotu
Quinn Clinton
Hamish McDonald
Callum McRae
Taane Samuel
For full details of the participating players in the BWB Asia Camp, please refer to the official release.