Bruno
07-27-2007, 07:08 AM
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/other-sports/article2806722.ece#
Basketball: US stars provide a giant boost
Thursday, July 26, 2007
By David Kelly
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00252/basketata_252646d.jpg
NBA stars traveled to Belfast's Methodist College today to teach kids from the community how to play basketball. Brent Barry front row holding the ball, Jason white tee shirt and John in the white and blue
Two giants of world basketball in every sense hit Belfast yesterday.
Brent Barry, fresh from helping the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA crown, and Miami Heat star Jason Kapono took coaching clinics in different parts of the city as part of the camps organised by Peaceplayers International, a cross community project.
The international organisation has been based here for many years and is also involved in year-round education and basketball programmes in South Africa, the West Bank in Israel and Cyprus.
Barry, a 6ft 7in guard for the Spurs, said: "I think this is a fantastic programme that they have and it is to be applauded.
" Basketball has always been a passion for me and my family and I believe it is a sport that is able to break down barriers.
"It has opened a lot of doors for me and I believe it can have an impact on the community and I have seen that with my own team San Antonio Spurs.
"It was great to see the kids having a great time today - there was plenty of laughs and plenty of good basketball."
The 35-year-old had to wait some time before he got his hands on the NBA championship but now the Spurs are hoping to replicate the success of the Chicago Bulls who dominated the Nineties.
"It took a while for me to win the championship but I would have waited even longer if someone had told me it was going to be this good to be NBA champions.
"We've won two out of the last three championships and there is a sense in the team that we can do something like the Bulls did.
"It's a great set up in San Antonio, not just on the court but off the court as well and the community is a very important factor for us."
Basketball: US stars provide a giant boost
Thursday, July 26, 2007
By David Kelly
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00252/basketata_252646d.jpg
NBA stars traveled to Belfast's Methodist College today to teach kids from the community how to play basketball. Brent Barry front row holding the ball, Jason white tee shirt and John in the white and blue
Two giants of world basketball in every sense hit Belfast yesterday.
Brent Barry, fresh from helping the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA crown, and Miami Heat star Jason Kapono took coaching clinics in different parts of the city as part of the camps organised by Peaceplayers International, a cross community project.
The international organisation has been based here for many years and is also involved in year-round education and basketball programmes in South Africa, the West Bank in Israel and Cyprus.
Barry, a 6ft 7in guard for the Spurs, said: "I think this is a fantastic programme that they have and it is to be applauded.
" Basketball has always been a passion for me and my family and I believe it is a sport that is able to break down barriers.
"It has opened a lot of doors for me and I believe it can have an impact on the community and I have seen that with my own team San Antonio Spurs.
"It was great to see the kids having a great time today - there was plenty of laughs and plenty of good basketball."
The 35-year-old had to wait some time before he got his hands on the NBA championship but now the Spurs are hoping to replicate the success of the Chicago Bulls who dominated the Nineties.
"It took a while for me to win the championship but I would have waited even longer if someone had told me it was going to be this good to be NBA champions.
"We've won two out of the last three championships and there is a sense in the team that we can do something like the Bulls did.
"It's a great set up in San Antonio, not just on the court but off the court as well and the community is a very important factor for us."