The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on July 8, announced that the 20th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa will be held at the American International School of Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 3-6.
This marks the 16th time that the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in South Africa.
Only Dakar, Senegal (2010 and 2019), Luanda, Angola (2016) and Cairo, Egypt (2022) are the only other African cities to have hosted the BWB Africa camps.
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BWB Africa 2024 will bring together 30 boys and 30 girls from more than 20 African countries to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside their peers from across the continent.
The campers and coaches, who will be announced prior to the camp, will also take part in life-skills, leadership development and NBA Cares programming.
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“Bringing Basketball Without Borders back to South Africa for its milestone 20th edition reflects the incredible momentum we’re seeing for basketball in the country,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi.
“We look forward to welcoming some of the most talented boys and girls from across the continent for four days of high-level basketball training, competition, and leadership development that will have a lasting impact on their on-court and personal journeys.”
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Forty-one former BWB campers were among the record 125 international players on opening-night rosters for the 2023-24 NBA season, including 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), who became the first former BWB camper to be named NBA MVP, and 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012).
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In total, 13 former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA since the first BWB Africa camp in 2003, including Ulrich Chomche (Cameroon), who was selected 57th overall by the Toronto Raptors in the 2024 NBA Draft last month. Sixty-three former BWB Africa campers have also been featured on BAL team rosters over the league’s first four seasons.
BWB has reached more than 4,400 participants from 142 countries and territories since 2001, with 127 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA have staged 75 BWB camps in 50 cities across 33 countries on six continents.
Jane Dusabe was the only Rwandan players who participated in the camp in south Africa last year and went on to be named Most Improved Player.