As the NBA prepares to bring its Basketball Without Borders program to Israel this summer, league officials hope that the first trip to the country can help bring children together during a time of increasing tension.
Basketball Without Borders has visited cities across the globe since 2001, using the sport to promote cultural understanding and active living. The first camp was held in Italy, but brought together Vlade Divac and Toni Kukoc, teammates on the former Yugoslavian national team that grew estranged during the political turmoil that ensued as the country fractured.
Now the NBA and FIBA are going to Israel, a nation that has long had a great passion for basketball, during a time of unrest in the Middle East.