Treviso, July 02: Some of the NBA's most famous international stars gathered in Treviso, Italy for the third annual "Basketball Without Borders" basketball camp which is intended to promote friendship and leadership skills to young players from varied backgrounds across Europe. The third "Basketball Without Borders" brought the best young European players together for three days of games and drills under the guidance of NBA stars. For the first time, the camp brought together 15- to 17-year-olds from across Europe. Since its inception in 2001, Basketball Without Borders has served as a summer camp for young people, designed to promote friendship, goodwill and education through sport. The Fedration Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) selected the young players based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport of basketball. San Antonio Spurs sensation Tony Parker gave young players an inside look at the NBA and in particular the way the game differs from the way the game is played in Europe. In addition to Parker Nikoloz Tskitishvili of the Denver Nuggets, Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies, Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz and Marko Jaric of the Los Angeles Clippers were part of this years staff. "In the NBA if you do this they steal the ball," Parker told a small group of players who listened closely. Parker went on to show his charges how to protect the ball while moving to the basket.


In addition to basketball instruction and competition, the young players shared living quarters with their new teammates, ate three meals a day together and participated in a seminar, led by UNICEF intended to promote leadership, support education and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS education and prevention.


The basketball camp returned to La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy, the camp's host in 2001. Owned and operated by co-sponsor Benetton, which owns the Treviso basketball team of the Italian league, La Ghirada is the team's state-of-the-art basketball facility, one hour north of Venice.


Basketball Without Borders also marked a significant return for Jaric, Nachbar and Tskitishvili, all of whom played with professional teams in Italy before joining the NBA last season. Jaric played for Kinder Bologna and Nachbar and Tskitishvili were teammates with Benetton Treviso. The other three NBA players also first started their professional basketball careers in Europe. Gasol played for F.C Barcelona in Spain, Parker spent two years with Paris Basket Racing in France and Kirilenko played with CSKA Moscow in Russia.


The inaugural Basketball Without Borders took place in July 2001, with Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings, Toni Kukoc of the Milwaukee Bucks and five other NBA players from the former Yugoslavia uniting to work with 50 children from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, FYRO Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia Montenegro.


Last year's Basketball Without Borders brought together 50 young Greek and Turkish players in Istanbul, Turkey, and was led by the Sacramento Kings' Hedo Turkoglu and Peja Stojakovic.


Bureau Report