MIAMI , FL , April 17, 2006 -- San Juan , Puerto Rico will host this year’s Basketball without Borders Americas featuring Orlando Magic guard and Puerto Rican native Carlos Arroyo, the National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), Puerto Rican Basketball Federation (FBPR), Puerto Rican National Basketball Team and the City of San Juan announced today. The program, a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, features current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches.

“One of the cornerstones of NBA Cares, Basketball without Borders is truly a global program that transcends all boundaries,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “Through the sport of basketball, it unites young people from diverse cultural, national and economic backgrounds on four separate continents. The NBA is proud to join forces with FIBA and its federations to bring together young athletes from around the world for such an impactful program that also serves as an essential forum for important social issues such as HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.”

San Juan, Puerto Rico July 17-20 EVENT PARTNERS

Since the inaugural camp in 2001, Basketball without Borders, the league’s premier global basketball development and community outreach program, has featured more than 120 NBA players, coaches and team personnel from 29 different teams as camp coaches for the more than 700 young athletes from nearly 100 different countries and territories. The NBA family and the campers have traveled more than 85 million miles and logged more than 1 million hours of community service participating in Basketball without Borders. Last year’s Basketball without Borders Americas took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina featuring Argentinean natives Emanuel Ginóbili of the San Antonio Spurs, Carlos Delfino of the Detroit Pistons and Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls.

The camp, hosted by San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini, is scheduled to take place July 17-20 at the Coliseo Roberto Celemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Nike and Spalding as BWB Marketing Partners. Joining Arroyo as camp coaches will be Phoenix Suns guard Raja Bell (US Virgin Islands), Golden State Warriors center Adonal Foyle ( St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Utah Jazz guard Gordan Giricek ( Croatia), San Antonio Spurs forward-center Sean Marks ( New Zealand) and Boston Celtics guard Delonte West (USA) and former NBA player and Puerto Rican native Daniel Santiago. NBA team personnel include Don Newman, Mike Budenholzer and Brett Brown of the San Antonio Spurs, Gary Colson of the Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Malone and Mike Brown of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Eric Waters of the Washington Wizards. Marin Sedlacek (Serbia and Montenegro), who is a FIBA Expert for Europe, Asia and Africa with more than 25 years of coaching experience, will oversee as camp director.

“I’m extremely excited about returning to my home country for such an incredible program,” said Arroyo. “I look forward to sharing this NBA experience with my country, and all the other players and NBA personnel participating in this phenomenal instructional camp that combines the sport of basketball with education and community outreach.”

One of the goals of Basketball without Borders Americas is to help explore, develop and nurture the top basketball talent in the area. The camp’s participants are selected by FIBA and participating basketball federations based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport of basketball . The top 50 young players (ages 19 & under) from more than 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean will take part in basketball instruction and competition. Some campers who have participated in the program have gone on to play competitive basketball internationally and at schools in the United States.

“It’s clear that the NBA and FIBA camp for basketball players is here to stay. In it’s two years of operation, Basketball without Borders Americas has undoubtedly met its objective of utilizing basketball as a means to promoting friendship, healthy living and education ,” said Alberto García, Deputy Secretary General, FIBA Americas. “FIBA Americas is

committed to continue offering this unequaled opportunity to young athletes around the continent and supporting this wonderful project, ‘without borders,’ alongside FIBA, the NBA and its sponsors.”

To promote friendship and diversity, the campers will be divided into teams without regard to nationality. They will share living quarters with their new teammates and participate in daily motivational life-skills seminars that promote education, leadership, character development, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The HIV/AIDS interactive educational seminars will be led by NBA Cares community partners, such as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world’s leading non-governmental organization dedicated to children.

The camps will be highlighted by extensive community outreach activities focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness, education and grassroots basketball development. Efforts will culminate with an NBA Cares Legacy Project, the NBA’s premier community initiative, at Escuela J. Huyke in San Juan, Puerto Rico . The center will feature a Learn & Play Center , an interactive event to promote healthy lifestyles and an “Es Tu Cancha” basketball court refurbishment . In addition, the NBA will host a Special Olympics Basketball Clinic and participate in an HIV/AIDS awareness event. The NBA and FIBA will also donate products, such as basketballs, rims and sporting goods to local basketball federations and communities. Last year’s community outreach in Buenos Aires, Argentina included the opening of a Reading and Learning Center in Buenos Aires and a visit to Ginobili’s hometown of Bahía Blanca.

“San Juan has headquartered a variety of world class events like the Prequalifying Tournament of the Americas, Major League Games and the Baseball World Classic. As for basektball, several NBA teams have also visited the Island for exhibition games. Welcoming this event in particular consolidates our leadership in all sports and major international events,” said Jorge Santini, Mayor of San Juan.

Through Basketball without Borders, five Learn & Play Centers and six new or refurbished basketball courts have been opened outside the United States and Canada. Centers are located at Vila Olimpica de Jornalista Ary de Carvalho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Escuela Benjamín Zorrilla Distrito Escolar in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Hui Lei School in Beijing, China and at Ithuteng Trust and at SKY Trust in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“Beyond reaching Spanish-speaking fans with the sport of basketball, the NBA is committed to giving back to the local community,” said Arturo Nuñez, VP and Managing Director of NBA Latin America and U.S. Hispanic. “In San Juan, the NBA will unveil an NBA Cares Learn & Play Center, an ‘Es tu Cancha’ court refurbishment and conduct educational seminars to further promote knowledge and provide the local community with a safe and attractive place to read and learn.”

As a part of NBA Cares, the NBA and its teams have created Learn & Play Centers, built homes, refurbished basketball courts and other play spaces. To date, the NBA and its teams have created 138 places where families and children can live, learn or play.

The inaugural Basketball without Borders took place in Europe in July 2001. NBA legend Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc of the Milwaukee Bucks, together with five other NBA players from the former Yugoslavia, re-united to work with 50 children from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia and Montenegro at La Ghirada in Treviso, Italy. Since then, Basketball without Borders has expanded its reach to eight countries and territories on four separate continents. In addition to Puerto Rico, Basketball without Borders Asia will travel for the first time to Shanghai, China June 8-11, Basket without Borders Europe will take place for the first time in Vilnius, Lithuania June 30-July 3, and Basketball without Borders Africa will return to Johannesburg, South Africa September 6-10.

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2005-06 season, the NBA will distribute 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide reach can also be seen with 82 international players on NBA rosters. As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.