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JEEVAN LEAVES TO SOUTH AFRICA FOR NBA

27/10/2015

Jeevan Raj Sebastian the Physical Education teacher from CMI Public School Thevara chosen as the Best Physical education Teacher by the NBA from the 150 Schools that took part in the Jr NBA Programme Inspire Youth to Play Basketball of 2014 in Kerala Left to Soutth Africa to participate in the NBA s 13th S Edition of Basketball Without Borders ; an Basketball Development camp by NBA to be held at Johannesburg South Africa from July 26th to August 1st 2015. He will Join the other 5 chosen from other 5 cities and will together travel to South Africa to attend the Programme . . He was the first lucky Physical Education Teacher from Kerala to witness the First NBA Exhibition Game which will be Staging along with this AFRICAN programme of NBA which will have Luol Deng and Chris Paul

About Basketball without Borders Programee

Basketball without Borders (BWB) is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that unites young basketball players to promote the sport and encourage positive social change in the areas of education, health, and wellness.

The top youth players 19 and under from Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa, as selected by the NBA, FIBA and participating federations, will train under NBA players and coaches and compete against their peers. NBA players will partner with local community groups to lead daily life-skills sessions focusing on the importance of education, leadership, character development, health and wellness. To promote friendship and diversity, the campers are divided into teams without regard to race and nationality.

The program has also reached countless others through its community relations outreach efforts in each region. Efforts usually culminate with an NBA Cares Legacy Project, which includes the creation of safe places where kids and families can live, learn or play. As part of Basketball without Borders, the NBA has created and dedicated 50 of these safe places outside the United States and Canada.

Since its inaugural year in 2001, the NBA and FIBA have staged 41 BWB camps in 23 cities in 20 countries on five continents. BWB has had more than 2,300 participants from more than 120 countries and territories. More than 150 different current and former NBA/WNBA players have joined nearly 140 NBA team personnel from all 30 NBA teams with 33 BWB campers drafted into the NBA.

The NBA will stage an exhibition game on 1st August in South Africa

Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum made the announcement in Johannesburg, where the NBA is holding a Basketball without Borders camp. He said all proceeds will go to charity and that becoming the first U.S. professional league to play a game on the continent is “just an evolution of our commitment to continuing to bring basketball to the continent of Africa.”

Reports From NBA Africa

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today the full rosters for the first NBA game in Africa, which will take place August 1 at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The sold-out NBA Africa Game 2015 will feature a Team Africa v Team World format and will be played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The game will air live in the US on ESPN at 9:00 a.m. ET and in Africa on SuperSport at 3:00 p.m. CAT.
Team Africa, comprised of players born in Africa and second-generation African players, will feature team captain and two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng (Miami Heat; Great Britain; born in South Sudan), Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; US; parents from Nigeria), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; parents from Nigeria), Nicolas Batum (Charlotte Hornets; France; parent from Cameroon), Bismack Biyombo (Toronto Raptors; Democratic Republic of the Congo), Boris Diaw (San Antonio Spurs; France; parent from Senegal), Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves; Senegal), Festus Ezeli (Golden State Warriors; Nigeria), Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City Thunder; Congo)*, and Luc Mbah a Moute (Sacramento Kings; Cameroon).

Team World, comprised of players from the rest of the world, will feature team captain, NBPA President and eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers; US), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards; US), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets; US), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain), Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls; Spain), Jeff Green (Memphis Grizzlies; US), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics; US), Evan Turner (Boston Celtics; US) and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).

Five-time NBA Champion Gregg Popovich will coach Team Africa, with 2014-15 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams serving as assistant coaches. Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King and Toronto Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri are the Team Africa general managers, with Eric Waters (Washington Wizards) serving as the team’s athletic trainer.

Brooklyn Nets Coach Lionel Hollins will coach Team World, with Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens serving as assistant coach. San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the Team World general manager, while Keon Weise (Orlando Magic) will be the team’s athletic trainer.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will attend the game along with NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and NBA Africa Ambassador Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).

The game will take place following the 13th edition of Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has reached 1 000 campers from 31 African countries since 2003.

As part of BWB and NBA Africa Game efforts, NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility program, and the NBPA Foundation will host a series of events to leave a lasting legacy in the community. With support from Ford, local youth will participate in a Jr. NBA clinic on Wednesday, July 29 at the American International School of Johannesburg. Also at the school, Hoops 4 Hope will conduct life skills sessions presented by South African Airways. NBA players, coaches and legends will hold sessions on leadership and health and wellness for BWB campers throughout the week.

Members of the NBA family will gather at the newly built Boys & Girls Club at Protea Glen on Thursday, July 30 for a basketball court dedication and clinic presented by NIKE.

NBA Africa Game 2015 partners also include Econet Global Limited, the Official Mobile and Telecommunications Partner of NBA Africa Game, and 947.

Friday, July 31 will mark the third consecutive year that NBA players will visit SOS Children’s Village Ennerdale, an organisation that builds families for orphaned and abandoned children. NBA Cares and the NBPA Foundation have undertaken their largest commitment to the village to date, working on a range of projects from the refurbishment of the local library to the construction of a new basketball court.

The NBA has a long history in Africa with more than 35 players from the continent featured on NBA rosters since Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted in 1984. The NBA opened an office in Johannesburg in 2010.