Lakers legend and 76ers coach head to England as NBA announces historic Basketball Without Borders camp
Some of the biggest names in recent NBA and WNBA history are crossing the ocean to spread the growth of basketball in England.
Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse, Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, two-time NBA champ Tyson Chandler and two-time WNBA champion Sylvia Fowles headline a group that will coach the 22nd Basketball Without Borders Europe camp.
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Derek Fisher, right, was Kobe Bryant’s teammate with the Lakers and won 5 NBA titlesCredit: GettyHistoric first for NBA in UKThe event will be held August 12-15 at the National Basketball Performance Centre in Manchester.
It marks the first time that the NBA’s and FIBAās global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in the United Kingdom.
āHosting Basketball Without Borders in Manchester for the first time reflects the cityās thriving basketball culture and the growing level of talent in England and across the UK,” Neal Meyer, NBA Europe and Middle East Vice President of Basketball Operations said.
“We look forward to bringing together the next generation of European prospects to learn from players and coaches who have succeeded at the highest levels of the game.ā
READ MORE ON NBAKevin Huerter, Bryan Gates and Roy Rogers are also scheduled to coach the 60 high-school-age boys and girls from 27 countries, whose participation was revealed on Wednesday.
The NBA recently announced its expanded international schedule, which includes a regular-season game between Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies and Paolo Banchero’s Orlando Magic at The O2 on January 18, 2026.
The NBA is set to play its first regular-season game at Co-op Live in Manchester in 2027.
BWB talent became NBA starsFifty-three former BWB Europe campers have been drafted into the NBA and WNBA, including Nicolas Batum, 2025 NBA champion Isaiah Hartenstein, 2023 NBA All-Star Lauri Markkanen and Denver Nuggets star Jonas Valanciunas.
Nurse, 58, won the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors during the 2018-19 season. He was a player/coach for the Derby Rams in the British Basketball League in 1990-91.
BWB has reached more than 4,600 participants from 144 countries and territories since 2001, with 142 former campers drafted into the NBA and WNBA or signed as free agents.
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Ivica Zubac, right, is teammates with Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Bradley BealCredit: Getty
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Nick Nurse coaches the Philadelphia 76ers and won the NBA Finals with TorontoCredit: Getty
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Sylvia Fowles is a two-time WNBA championCredit: Getty”This year’s Basketball Without Borders in Manchester marks an exciting milestone for the region’s growing basketball landscape,” said Kimberley Gaucher, FIBA Head of Players Unit.
“This camp will bring together promising young athletes from across Europe to train and learn from experienced international coaches and players, offering a unique opportunity to inspire and develop the next generation of basketball talent.
“We’re confident that participants will walk away not only with valuable skills, but also with lifelong lessons and memories.”
BWB Europe 2025 will be supported by Nike, which will outfit participants with apparel and footwear.
The Grizzlies and Magic will also play an NBA regular-season game at the Uber Arena in Berlin on January 15, 2026.
TheĀ NBAĀ London Game 2026 will be the 19thĀ contest featuring an NBA team in the UK since 1993, and the leagueās 10thĀ regular-season gameĀ in the city.
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The league — which is eyeing an eventual NBA Europe system — also announced that it will play regular-season games in Paris in 2027, and in Berlin and Paris in 2028.Ā
WATCH the crazy trailer for NBA London
NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum said in June that basketball is the “fastest growing sport in the UK” and the region’s second most popular team sport.
āManchester is honoured to host Basketball Without Borders Europe for the first time, marking another milestone in our journey as a global basketball city,” said John Hacking, Manchester City Council Executive Member for Skills, Employment and Leisure.
“With the NBAās regular-season debut at Co-op Live on the horizon, this camp showcases our commitment to nurturing talent, inspiring communities and celebrating the power of sport.
Read More on talkSPORT”Weāre proud to welcome the next generation of European stars to a city that truly understands and supports basketball at every level.ā
Players participating in BWB Europe 2025Ā (roster subject to change):
GIRLS ROSTERNAMECOUNTRYAnnie KibediBelgiumJada LynchBelgiumLaura VilcinskasĀ BelgiumNika GazicCroatiaLaura GrunmanEstoniaAnna GardziellaFinlandJessi NenonenĀ Ā FinlandEmma BrolironFranceKathy-Emma OttoFranceIsabella MarionDenmarkLili SchultzeGermanyApostolia ZormpalaGreeceKinga Babay-BognarHungaryKinga JosepovitsHungaryMaya ZilbershlagIsraelFrancesca BaldassarreItalyMarianna ZanettiItalyMila LuzginaLatviaJoyce Isi EtuteLuxembourgMilena VujovicMontenegroSiena SanfordNorwayZuzanna MarczynskaPolandCarina-Ana DanciulescuRomaniaDaniela HudecovaSlovakiaNika OcvirkSloveniaMaria CintasSpainAdriana DiazSpainLinnea NorbergSwedenBo Guttormsdottir-FrostUnited KingdomAthena ThompsonUnited KingdomBOYS ROSTERNAMECOUNTRYSten Markus AdamsonEstoniaMatthys MahopFranceSwann PendaFranceMate KhatiashviliGeorgiaJamie EdokaGermanyLukas KleinGermanyChrysostomos ChatzilamprouGreecePatrik BirminghamIcelandThomas AcunzoItalyFederico CattapanItalyĀ Ricards AizpursLatviaIgnas StombergasLithuaniaEmilis ZibudaLithuaniaMax JungersLuxembourgMaksim BrnovicMontenegroĀ Jayden AnikeNetherlandsTeun van der HeijdenNetherlandsGabriel SularskiPolandNikola KaralicSerbiaStefan JoksimovicSloveniaDiego NieblaSpainDaniel OsayiĀ SpainĀ Alfonso RodriguezSpainĀ Lucas SanchezSpainMalcolm PriceSwedenAnil AlyanakTurkeyOmer ZiyaettinTurkeyEmmanuel AhamefuleUnited KingdomIke DavidsUnited KingdomObinna EkufuUnited Kingdom
