The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced on Tuesday that they will host their first joint basketball development camp in Havana, Cuba from April 23 to 26.
NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, and WNBA Legend Ticha Penicheiro will lead the four-day camp.
They’ll be working with the Cuban Men’s and Women’s National Teams, and community outreach projects in association with the Cuban sports ministry, INDER, and the Cuban Basketball Federation (CBF).
For the first time, the NBA and FIBA will invite two players and one coach from Cuba to participate in the upcoming Basketball without Borders camp.
“This is a great day for Cuban basketball and our federation,” said CBF President Ruperto Herrera. “To have both the NBA and FIBA collaborate on youth instruction and the development of the game in our country is magnificent. We thank the Republic of Cuba and INDER for opening the doors for these basketball camps that will end up benefiting the future of national and international basketball.”
“We’ve seen the bridges that basketball can build between cultures,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum. “We look forward to sharing the values of our game with Cuban youth and learning together through the common language of sports.”
“In the continued effort to strengthen our national federations, it is extremely gratifying to see Cuba serve as the centre of a development camp of this magnitude,” said FIBA President Horacio Muratore. “This is a country that loves basketball and we are proud to work together with the NBA on this historic venture.”
Through NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility programme, the NBA and FIBA will refurbish three basketball courts and host youth basketball clinics at two Havana locations. Tatum will join the legends and local officials to participate in the court dedication ceremonies focused on encouraging healthy, active lifestyles and teaching the values of the game such as teamwork, respect and dedication.
