FORMER National Basketball Association (NBA) fan favourite Jerome Williams and ex-women's NBA (WNBA) All-Star Andrea Stinson dazzled fans yesterday as they opened the 'SportsUnited' basketball clinic during a ceremony at the Zain Bahrain Basketball Arena in Um Al Hassam.
The pair was greeted with warm smiles and loud cheers by around 200 of the kingdom's aspiring young basketball players, both boys and girls, who will today and tomorrow enjoy a chance to participate in basketball drills and engage in dialogue with the two superstars.
The clinic is part of the US Department of State's Sports Envoy Programme 'SportsUnited'. It has been organised locally by the US Embassy of Bahrain in cooperation with the General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys), Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) and the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Department (MWR) at Naval Support Activity (NSA)-Bahrain.
Goys president Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa attended yesterday's inauguration. He was joined by US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Christopher Henzel, BBA general secretary Abdulelah Abdulghaffar, former BBA president Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa and other invited officials.
Williams and Stinson addressed the youngsters after being formally introduced to the admiring Bahraini contingent. They then conducted a short on-the-court preview of what's to come at the clinic in the next couple of days. Williams also thrilled the on-lookers with a rim-rattling one-handed slam dunk.
"I'm really looking forward to working with the kids this week; I think we're going to have a lot of fun, a lot of excitement, and we're going to give them a good time," said Williams, who played in the NBA for nine years, first with Detroit Pistons and later on had stints with Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks.
Stinson added: "The kids have been great, we had such a wonderful reception. I'm looking forward to working with them all week. They're very excited about this clinic and that makes us excited, and I think we're going to have a great programme here in Bahrain."
For both players, it is their first time in the Middle East. Since their retirement from professional basketball a few years ago, they have been greatly involved in community outreach programmes under the NBA's social responsibility initiative 'NBA Cares'.
Williams, who is nicknamed 'Junk Yard Dog', has also formed his own programme, the 'JYD Project', through which he aims to use his influence as a professional athlete and inspire youth to excel in all fields in life. More information on Williams's initiative can be found on the website jydproject.com.
"Doing events like this means a lot to me; it means more than playing in NBA ecause when your career is over, a lot of guys don't have the opportunity to still have a fan base, and because of my outreach and my JYD project, the same fans that supported me when I was playing support me now, and I enjoy reaching out to them," he said.
"This clinic is part of my continued JYD project partnered with NBA Cares. We're excited about it and are looking forward to teaching the kids everything from shooting, passing and dribbling, as well as a little bit of defence; basically, the fundamentals of basketball is going to be the core of what we'll be focusing on with the kids."
Stinson hopes that the clinic is a memorable one for all involved. "It means so much to me to get to work with kids. We play all the time in front of a big crowd, but it's nothing compared to putting a smile on a child's face," she said.
"You get to meet them in person and you work with them and hopefully give them something that they will always remember."
Following yesterday's opening, Williams and Stinson conducted a workshop for Bahraini coaches who will be assisting them in conducting the clinics.
Last night, Henzel hosted a reception for the visiting basketball stars at his residence in Budaiya.
