What are Basketball Without Borders and the NBA Academies?

By McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM · Certified WNBA player agent · Former certified NBA agent

Published October 31, 2026. Last updated October 31, 2026.

This guide explains two NBA programs aimed at young players outside the United States, and what is public about how each works. It uses FIBA and NBA pages, ESPN and Reuters reporting through October 2026, and the NBA's own roster report. The roster numbers are in the post on 125 international players, and the contract rules that follow a prospect's rise are in the guide to how international players reach the NBA.

What is Basketball Without Borders?

Basketball Without Borders (BWB) is a global development and community program run jointly by FIBA and the NBA, per FIBA. It is invite-only for elite boys and girls, who are selected by FIBA, the NBA and the participating national federations, and its stated aim is to provide elite instruction and development opportunities to maximize the potential of international talent. It began in 2001, per FIBA.

FIBA's page gives two sets of totals that do not match. The main text says 84 camps in 56 cities across 36 countries and more than 4,620 campers from 149 countries, while the statistics banner says 87 camps and more than 4,900 campers, per FIBA. The page does not say why they differ, so the safest reading is a range of 84 to 87 camps. It also says 143 BWB alumni have played in the NBA or WNBA, per FIBA.

The program runs by region. An edition for African players in Johannesburg brought together 30 boys and 30 girls from more than 20 African countries, per NBA Africa. Participants learn from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, per the same page. The pages reviewed do not give age ranges beyond saying each camp is age-based.

How many NBA players went through Basketball Without Borders?

More than 45 players on 2026-27 opening-night NBA rosters took part in BWB, per NBA.com. The NBA reported the figure in its report on international players, and the page does not say whether all of the 45 are among the 125 international players. It is a count of participation, and it does not say BWB caused anyone's career.

A participation count does not show cause. The sources reviewed give no data on how many campers never reached the NBA, or how many NBA players reached it by another route, so the figure shows reach and not the odds of a camper making a roster.

What is an NBA Academy, and who is it for?

An NBA Academy is a training program with year-round competition for high school-age prospects from outside the United States, per NBA Academy. The NBA describes it as providing coaching from staff with professional, college or international experience, regular competition, chances to join travel teams for international tournaments and schooling, either in a local public school or, depending on the location, on a scholarship to a private school.

The model differs from BWB because an academy runs through the year and includes schooling, per NBA Academy. The pages reviewed do not describe how prospects are chosen for an academy or what it costs a family, so those questions need the program's answer in writing.

Agents notice that families compare academies on facilities and rarely ask who holds a minor's guardianship, schooling and travel paperwork in another country.

Why has NBA Academy Africa closed, and what else has the NBA shut?

The NBA has cut its academy network in stages. ESPN reported in November 2024 that the NBA Global Academy in Australia and the Latin America Academy in Mexico would close in July 2025, citing the cost of running three academies and the difficulty of persuading elite prospects' families to relocate to Australia, per ESPN. At one time the NBA operated seven academies: three in China, plus Senegal, Delhi, San Luis Potosí and Canberra, per ESPN.

I built the Overseas Contract Questions Checklist for readers in this spot. 20 contract terms and the question to ask the club about each one.

On October 1, 2026 Reuters reported that the NBA closed NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, its only elite training academy in Africa, which opened in 2018 per Reuters and in 2017 per ESPN, per Reuters via CP24. The NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy and that all training will move to a new global academy in Abu Dhabi that is set to open soon, per Reuters. A former head of academic planning said about 110 students trained at the Senegal academy, per Al Jazeera.

The NBA denies that the move limits opportunities. It said one location gives players more exposure to coaches and scouts, and it cited the Basketball Africa League, which has completed six seasons, and BWB, per Al Jazeera. Former staff said the closure hurts young African players, per Reuters. Both views are on the record, and the Abu Dhabi academy had not opened in the sources reviewed.

Do these programs lead to the NBA?

Some do, and the sources show specific cases. ESPN reported that the two academies closing in 2025 produced five NBA draft picks in the previous three years, including top-10 picks Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Bennedict Mathurin, and that 115 academy alumni, men and women, had played Division I college basketball since 2018 as of that date, per ESPN. Ulrich Kamka Chomche of Cameroon became the first player drafted from the Africa academy in 2024, and Khaman Maluach of South Sudan, who also trained in Senegal, plays for the Phoenix Suns, per Al Jazeera.

None of the sources reviewed says what share of the NBA's international players came through an academy or a camp. A prospect without an invitation still has other routes: a club, a national team or a U.S. college. The college route is in the scholarship and visa guide.

What should a family outside the United States do about these programs?

Treat the programs as one input and keep a written record of the player's development. BWB selection runs through FIBA, the NBA and national federations, per FIBA, so a player's federation and club coaches are the first contacts. Moving a minor abroad has its own rule: FIBA bars international transfers before a player's 18th birthday except in cases the FIBA Secretary General decides, per Article 3-78 of FIBA Internal Regulations, Book 3.

• Ask the program in writing who selects players and what the family pays.
• Ask who handles schooling, housing, guardianship and travel for a minor.
• Ask what happens to a student if the program closes or moves, since three academies have.
• Keep game film and stats current, as the guide to getting noticed by college coaches describes.

College is a separate question. Whether a player who has played professionally can enter the NCAA is covered in the international pros and college basketball guide.