In reflecting upon the success of Basketball Without Borders, Adam Silver added that he wants the NBA to be more involved in the worldwide development of the game.

“There’s nothing more important than continuing to develop that next generation of players. Historically, we played more of a passive role when it came to development of players, whether it was through college system or systems that existed in Europe or other parts of the world. Those players were, in essence, presented to us when they are ready for the draft. I think we’re increasingly of the view that we can have more direct involvement in the development of players. If we get to them, boys and girls, at a younger age, we can begin teaching them not just fundamentals but the values of this game, helping them build character around the game, teaching them about their bodies, and teaching them the importance of nutrition and sleep and stretching and physical fitness,” said Silver.

The NBA recently announced plans to start a 12-team league in Africa.

A recent study also found that nearly a million people in Australia play basketball, more than half of whom are under 25 years old.