Davis Bertans, Lauri Markkanen to coach in BWB global camp

By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and FIBA today announced the top 64 boys and girls from 34 countries and regions who will travel to Chicago for the sixth annual Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp, which will be held Friday, February 14 – Sunday, February 16 at Quest Multisport as part of NBA All-Star 2020.

2020 NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012), Davis Bertāns (Washington Wizards; Latvia), Tacko Fall (Boston Celtics; Senegal) and 2017-18 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Lauri Markkanen (Chicago Bulls; Finland; BWB Europe 2014; BWB Global 2015) will coach the top high school age campers from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

Siakam, Bertāns, Fall and Markkanen will be joined by former WNBA players Ashley Battle, Michele Van Gorp and Ebony Hoffman, as well as select players participating in NBA All-Star 2020. Chicago Bulls assistant coach Karen Stack Umlauf, Milwaukee Bucks assistant coaches Vin Baker, Josh Longstaff and Ben Sullivan, and Chicago Sky director of player development John Azzinaro will also serve as BWB Global coaches.

Among the record 30 former Basketball Without Borders campers on opening-night NBA rosters for the 2019-20 season (active and inactive), 14 participated in the BWB Global Camp, including 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), 2019 No. 3 overall draft pick RJ Barrett (New York Knicks; Canada; BWB Global 2017), 2019 No. 9 overall draft pick Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016), 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder; Canada; BWB Global 2016) and 2016-17 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015).

Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia), Gersson Rosas (Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations; Colombia), Marin Sedlacek (Philadelphia 76ers international scout; Serbia) and Masai Ujiri (Toronto Raptors President; Nigeria) will be the camp directors. Windy City Bulls head athletic trainer Matt Comer will serve as the camp’s athletic trainer.

Players and coaches will lead the campers 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 life skills seminars focusing on health, leadership and communication. The final day will feature a single-elimination tournament culminating with the boys and girls championship games.

The camp will be officiated by representatives from the NBA’s Referee Development Program, which provides rising professionals and former players with the skills necessary to pursue a career as a referee in the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League.

The campers will attend State Farm All-Star Saturday Night and the 69th NBA All-Star Game at United Center. Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, will outfit the campers and coaches with Nike apparel and footwear.

BWB, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, has reached more than 3,600 participants from 133 countries and territories since 2001, with 69 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents. The NBA and FIBA have staged 61 BWB camps in 38 cities across 30 countries on six continents. More than 310 current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players have joined more than 240 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams to support BWB across the world.

The following is the complete list of players participating in the sixth annual BWB Global Camp (rosters are subject to change):

Boys Roster:

Girls Roster:

Follow the camp using the hashtag #BWBGlobal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Find out more about NBA Academies at nbaacademy.nba.com and on Instagram (nbaacademy).

Photo Credit: Getty Images / Source: FIBA