Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, NBA legend and former Yugoslavia Men's National Team player Vlade Divac, former NBA and Italy Men's National Team player Danilo Gallinari, NBA All-Star player and 2021 NBA champion Brook Lopez, 2021 NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Khris Middleton, and Jalen Suggs, who was named to the Kia NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the 2023-24 season, with current and former NBA and FIBA players. They received direct training from their coaches.
IT RECEIVED THE BIGGEST APPLAUSE AT THE CEREMONY
At the awards and closing ceremony held on the last day of the organization, there was a name that caught the attention of all of us, apart from the players invited to the stage. Kim Bohuny, who also named the Camp MVP award. He could not attend the award ceremony, but he received the biggest applause at the ceremony.
The BWB project, which was implemented 25 years ago under the leadership of Bohuny, brought together 60 young people from the former Yugoslavia countries in its first year. In the quarter century that has passed, the project has spread all over the world; It reached more than 4,900 participants from 149 countries and regions. 155 athletes, among the former participants of BWB, later stepped into the NBA or WNBA.
We wanted to hear both the story of BWB and the importance of Istanbul for BWB from him. We asked both Bohuny and NBA and European basketball legend Vlade Divac, who was with the children at the first camp in 2001, about the story of the emergence of the program.
BASKETBALL OFFERS YOUTH A COMMON LANGUAGE
Saying that Basketball Without Borders was founded in 2001 with the belief that sports and basketball could bring people together, Kim Bohuny said, "After the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Vlade Divac and eight NBA players from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia brought together 60 young players from all over the former Yugoslavia in the first BWB camp. We have something very powerful in Treviso." We witnessed: Despite everything that divided their communities, these talented players shared the same dreams and the same love for basketball. This showed us that sports can be a way to bridge differences, bring people together and create opportunities. Even after 25 years, this idea is still at the core of BWB. BWB is a perfect example of how basketball and sports can offer a common language to young people, no matter where they come from.
EVEN TODAY I HAVE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON
This program has a special importance for Vlade Divac. "Yes, I have done a lot thanks to basketball," Divac begins and continues: "But BWB has left a special mark for me that I am really proud of. We had a vision 25 years ago, and when we look at it today, this program has spread all over the world. Even today, I get goosebumps when I think about it. We found a way to get those kids out of war zones, bring them together and make them play basketball together. That's where the name of the program came from: Basketball Without Borders. It's a matter of who you are, where you come from, which "It doesn't really matter what religion you believe in or what your political views are. What matters here is basketball, and I think that's the best part about it; we all act together."
Basketball Development Center is an incredible facility
This is not BWB's first trip to Istanbul. He was previously in Istanbul in 2002 and 2008. But this time the situation is more meaningful. While BWB celebrates its 25th anniversary, it is also changing its shell. This year was the first implementation of the new format. While in the past young talents were with athletes from their own continent, this year BWB has become much more global with the name Next Up. 78 young people, not only from Europe but from all over the world, met in Istanbul. Considering all this, it is obvious that Istanbul has a special importance in the eyes of the NBA. Kim Bohuny confirmed this: "Turkey has a very strong basketball culture, a large talent pool and an outstanding infrastructure. Therefore, Istanbul was a natural choice for our first camp. We previously held BWB camps in Istanbul in 2002 and 2008 and have always witnessed firsthand the passion for basketball and the quality of basketball in the country. The Basketball Development Center is an incredible facility and a true reflection of Turkey's commitment to basketball and the development of new generation talents."
I am grateful to my friend Hedo Türkoğlu
One of the things that made Kim Bohuny the happiest during the camp at Turkcell Basketball Development Center was the interest shown by Hidayet Türkoğlu and Ergin Ataman: "We were all very happy that Coach Ergin Ataman visited the camp. I am especially grateful to my dear friend Hedo Türkoğlu. His support as the President of the Turkish Basketball Federation helped make this camp happen. Moreover, this was his contribution to the Basketball Without Borders camp held in Istanbul in 2002." It happened more than twenty years after he took over as coach.”
NBA Europe will create meaningful opportunities for young players
The presence of the NBA in Europe dates back more than 40 years. During this period, NBA teams played games in Europe many times. In fact, the 100-game threshold will be exceeded with the NBA Europe Games to be held in Paris and Manchester at the beginning of next year. But beyond these, the NBA is now making preparations for the new basketball league it will establish in Europe. While we are meeting with the teams, work continues in many different areas such as broadcasting rights, sponsorships and brand identity studies. When you have the opportunity to follow the BWB organization in Istanbul, you feel how important talent development is for the NBA. In his statements within the scope of the BWB organization, Kenny Atkinson, one of the late legendary coaches of the NBA, also used complimentary expressions for the NBA Europe project. Kim Bohuny has a very similar opinion. Stating that NBA Europe will create meaningful opportunities for young players to compete and develop in Europe, Bohuny said, "NBA and FIBA's plans for Europe are designed with the new generation in mind, in order to create more opportunities for young players at every stage of their development. As part of the new league, the NBA and FIBA will make a significant financial investment in the development of youth basketball. This will include organizing more programs and events like the one we held here this week."
The triple formula for the best: Talent, competitiveness and a real desire to learn
There are some truly remarkable names among BWB graduates. Many stars who have been in the NBA's All-Star squads for many years, such as Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Lauri Markkanen, as well as the recent NBA MVPs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Joel Embiid, have attended these camps in the past. According to Kim Bohuny, the main purpose of the camp is for each athlete to leave the camp as a better player. However, it is a priority for the NBA for young people to have more self-confidence, new relationships and a broader understanding of the world around them. So what is that golden formula? The difference between the 'good' and the 'best'. According to Bohuny, talent is important, of course, but at this age, what really matters is how he competes, how he reacts to the guidance he receives from coaches, how he adapts, how he interacts with his teammates: “The best players often have a combination of talent, competitiveness and a real desire to learn.”
“No matter what happens, keep going without giving up!”
Vlade Divac is one of the first representatives of European basketball in the NBA. Numerous European stars who entered through the door he opened achieved great success in the NBA. To himself; We asked about his communication with young people during the camp and what advice he would give to future stars. Here is the answer: "I really love listening to children's questions. They ask very good questions. As former players, they usually ask us the following: 'What did you do to be successful in your career?' We want to share our experiences with these children. We want to tell them what kind of obstacles they may encounter and how they should overcome these obstacles. The important thing is that they continue their path without giving up, no matter what."
We asked a similar question to Kim Bohuny. Bohuny expressed his advice for young people as follows: "Keep working, don't lose your curiosity and take advantage of every opportunity you encounter to learn. BWB is about competing against the best, as well as learning from very good coaches, meeting different cultures and building relationships that can last a lifetime. You never know where basketball will take you."
