DUBAI: When Vlade Divac entered the National Basketball Association BA in 1989, international players were still a relative rarity.
More than three decades later, some of the NBA’s biggest stars are international, from Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic to Victor Wembanyama.
And this week, in Istanbul, Divac has had an up-close look at some of those hoping to form the next generation.
The Serbian NBA legend is among the current and former players and coaches mentoring 78 leading high-school-age prospects from 44 countries and territories across six continents at the inaugural Men’s Basketball Without Borders Next Up camp, which runs from Aug. 26-29 at Istanbul’s Basketbol Gelisim Merkezi.
“There is obviously a lot of talent out here, so it’s exciting to work with participants to give them a lead and make sure that they’re ready one day to hopefully become a part of the NBA,” Divac told Arab News.
But for the Hall of Famer, talent will only take a young player so far.
“Talent is always the number one thing, but besides that, you can’t just rely on talent,” he said.
“You have to work hard, you have to work every day and you have to create an environment around you of coaches and teammates and even family members. They all have to be supportive of your journey. Additionally, you have to be smart enough to stay out of trouble and focus on the game.”
It is advice rooted in Divac’s own journey.
Drafted 26th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, he went on to spend 16 seasons in the NBA, also playing for the Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
Young international players today have far more opportunities to learn from and connect with the NBA than when Divac entered the league in 1989.
The prospects in Istanbul are taking part in athletic testing, movement efficiency work, skill development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, life-skills seminars and 5-on-5 games.
They are also learning directly from NBA players, coaches and legends, including Kenny Atkinson, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, Jalen Suggs, Danilo Gallinari and Divac.
“I think it’s very important for them to be in touch with real NBA coaches, NBA players and ex-players and for them to get the feeling of what they have to work on and how far they can get in their career,” Divac said.
The global makeup of the camp also includes young players from the Middle East, such as Bahrain’s Hassan Oshobuge Abdulkadir and Qatar’s Ameer Hausawi and Azam Yakan.
Divac believes the region has the potential to become a bigger part of basketball’s international growth.
“I’ve been visiting the region over the last five to 10 years and I’ve seen a big development in sports particularly,” he said. “I’m from basketball so I want to see basketball grow there more.”
Divac pointed to Dubai Basketball competing in the EuroLeague as an important step in bringing elite competition closer to young people in the region.
“In the UAE, Dubai has their own team that is part of the EuroLeague, so that’s part of the first step of promoting big leagues and giving the kids locally an opportunity to see the players,” he said.
He has also witnessed the NBA’s growing presence in the region firsthand: “I was also part of the NBA Games in Abu Dhabi a couple of years ago. That was huge!”
Divac cited Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup as another example of how major sporting events can inspire younger generations.
“Four years ago, there was the FIFA World Cup in Doha, so that gives another push for local kids to pursue that path,” he said.
The Istanbul camp, organized by the NBA, International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Turkish Basketball Federation, marks the debut of the BWB Next Up format as Basketball Without Borders celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Since its launch in 2001, the program has reached more than 4,900 participants from 149 countries and territories, with 155 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA.
More than 50 BWB alumni were among the record 135 international players on NBA opening-night rosters last season. Among them was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who participated in BWB Global in 2016 and has since gone on to become a two-time NBA MVP and NBA champion.
The new BWB Next Up format is designed to continue that pathway, with annual camps for leading male and female prospects from outside the US. Top performers will progress to BWB All-Star camps around future NBA and WNBA All-Star events.
For Divac, who once belonged to a generation helping establish international players in the NBA, the scene in Istanbul offers a glimpse at how far the game has come and, perhaps, where its next generation of stars could come from.
