NBA, TOMODACHI, and United Sports Foundation to Hold Basketball Clinic for Tohoku Youth as Part of Basketball without Borders Asia
June 8, 2012 – The National Basketball Association (NBA), TOMODACHI, and the United Sports Foundation (USF) announced today that they will hold a basketball clinic as part of Basketball without Borders Asia for boys and girls from areas heavily affected by the tragic, multi-dimensional disasters that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The clinic will take place at Shiogama Junior High school, where the children will receive encouragement and coaching from NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo, and NBA players Corey Brewer (Denver Nuggets), Samuel Dalembert (Houston Rockets), Vladimir Radmanovic (Atlanta Hawks), and former NBA standout from Japan Yuta Tabuse.
“It is such an honor to be able to give back to the community and especially to one that has recently been through such a terrible disaster,” said Dalembert. “I am excited to use the game of basketball to do whatever we can to make these kids happy and to give them hope for the future.”
The TOMODACHI Initiative supports ongoing recovery efforts and invests in the young people of Japan and America. Through sports partnerships with organizations like the NBA, TOMODACHI provides gateways for Japanese and Americans to develop enduring friendships and interest in each other’s cultures, while also helping the young people of Tohoku. With generous support from the NBA, TOMODACHI is also sponsoring a rare opportunity for Tohoku boys and girls to attend a two and a half day NBA Youth Camp in Tokyo from June 15-17, 2012. Attending the camp in Tokyo are kids from the town of Minamisoma, which has faced challenges brought about by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear situation.
“Part of the NBA’s mission is to be actively involved in improving the quality of life in communities and addressing important social issues,” said Scott Levy, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Asia. “We look forward to bringing smiles to these children’s faces and to the continual support of the local community through Basketball without Borders.”
First held in 2001, Basketball without Borders is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development program that uses the sport to create positive social change in the areas of education and health and wellness.
Basketball without Borders Asia, which is being held in Japan for the first time, will take place June 13 – 16 in Tokyo. BWB features top youth players from each region, as selected by the NBA and FIBA, training under NBA players and coaches. Campers receive top-level instruction on-court and participate in daily life-skills seminars focused on values of the game such as leadership, character development, and living a healthy lifestyle.
Through NBA Cares, the NBA players and coaches also participate in extensive community outreach efforts highlighted by the creation of places for children and families to live, learn or play including new technology centers, libraries and basketball courts.
TOMODACHI is a public-private partnership, led by the United States Government and the U.S.-Japan Council and supported by the Japanese Government, that supports Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake and invests in the next generation of Japanese and Americans in ways that strengthen cultural and economic ties and deepen the friendship between the United States and Japan over the long-term.
NBA Cares is the league’s social responsibility program that builds on the NBA’s long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated than $190 million to charity, completed more than 1.9 million hours of hands-on community service, and created more than 700 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play, in 22 countries and territories on five continents. In addition, this year the league launched the NBA Cares Community Caravan, a year-round community and fan engagement program, through which the NBA family will reach more than 10,000 schools and community centers and touch the lives of more than 15 million fans. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.
United Sports Foundation (USF), based in Tokyo, Japan was created in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake as relief efforts made by many athletes, sports organizations and corporations demonstrated the power of sport to raise people’s spirits, create opportunities for much needed exercise and giving people hope. Following the motto “One World, One Team,” USF hopes to contribute to a healthier world through sports. http://unitedsportsfoundation.org
