Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC November 7, 2005
NBA Legend Sam Perkins, WNBA Players Andrea Stinson and Shameka Christon to Conduct Basketball Clinics in Algeria through Public-Private Partnership National Basketball Association (NBA) legends player Sam Perkins and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Andrea Stinson and Shameka Christon will conduct basketball clinics in Algeria, November 9-12, as sports envoys for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). These clinics, for boys and girls ages 7-17, will include technique drills and team building activities, as well as providing an opportunity for the youth to engage in dialogue with the American players.
Sam Perkins played in the NBA for 17 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Seattle Supersonics and Indiana Pacers. He was co-captain of the gold medal winning 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team and a member of the1982 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels. Andrea Stinson just completed her ninth season in the WNBA, eight for the Charlotte Sting and one for the Detroit Shock. Stinson led Charlotte in scoring for the fifth straight season and was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2001. She is also a three-time Italian League All-Star. Shameka Christon has played two years with the New York Liberty. She played at the University of Arkansas where she was the 2004 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.
ECA and the U.S. embassies in Algeria, Nigeria and Senegal have partnered with the NBA and its corporate partner Reebok to sponsor basketball clinics for young boys and girls in Africa. Twelve thousand youth in Nigeria, Senegal and Algeria will receive a pair of new basketball shoes through this public-private partnership.
These clinics provide an opportunity for young people to discover how success in sports can be transformed into the development of life skills and achievements in the classroom, emphasizing the values of teamwork, respect, and leadership. The first basketball clinic took place August 12-14 in Abuja, Nigeria featuring NBA player and Nigerian native Obinna Ekezie. The second clinic took place September 2-5 in Dakar, Senegal with NBA player Jim Jackson of the Phoenix Suns and Cynthia Cooper, former WNBA player for the Houston Comets.
For further information about U.S. government-sponsored international sports initiatives through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, please contact Nina Bishop at 202-203-7024 or Catherine Stearns at 202-203-5107.
2005/1043
Released on November 7, 2005
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