The NBA is diving into the inaugural HoopsFest in Perth, with a Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia camp to take place during the multi-day event.
The BWB Asia camp will see 30 boys and 30 girls - aged 17 and under - from across the Asia-Pacific region descend onto Perth's Warwick Stadium, where they'll participate under the tutelage of current and former NBA, WNBA, and FIBA players and coaches.
It'll be the 14th edition of the BWB Asia camp, and the third time the event will be held in Australia, following stints in Melbourne (2016) and Canberra (2022).
The camp will take place from September 19-22 as part of HoopsFest, the NBL's multi-day basketball event that will feature regular season games, a WNBL preseason tournament, under-18 Australian Club Championships, the renowned Sneakerland convention, and a heap of fan activations.
"Our collaboration with the NBL and FIBA presents a unique opportunity to showcase BWB Asia as part of the first-ever HoopsFest in Perth as part of our commitment to developing elite players from the region as players and leaders," Troy Justice, the NBA's Senior Vice President, Head of International Basketball Operations, said.
"This year's camp will once again provide a platform for top prospects to compete alongside their peers and learn from some of the world's best players and coaches and deliver a truly memorable experience to participants who also get to be a part of the NBL's weeklong celebration of basketball."
BWB camps have produced a plethora of NBA and WNBA players, including 41 of the record 125 international players on opening-night rosters going into the 2023-24 NBA season. That includes two Australians: Josh Giddey and Josh Green.
"FIBA is thrilled to partner with the NBA once again to bring Basketball Without Borders Asia to Australia with the host city of Perth," FIBA Oceania President and FIBA First Vice President, David Reid, said.
"The integration with Basketball Australia and the NBL through HoopsFest is an outstanding example of how basketball collaboration can be achieved. BWB Asia provides a unique opportunity for talented young players from across the Asia-Pacific region to develop their skills and compete against their peers under the guidance of experienced coaches and mentors. We are confident that this camp will help to identify future stars of the game."
The NBL's CEO, Dave Stevenson, added: "Having the NBA involved in HoopsFest is a massive addition to what already promises to be the biggest weekend in Australian basketball history. One of the main goals of HoopsFest was to unite basketball, and this will happen with all elements of the game coming together in Perth. The BWB camps have helped develop several current and former NBL players including Josh Giddey, Kye Savage and more. We look forward to seeing the next wave of basketball talent come through the BWB camp in September and are also excited for NBA talent to arrive in Perth for HoopsFest."