INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Abdulla Mousa never loses sight of the ball. He leans forward in his seat on the bench, as if to somehow will himself back into the game. Back to his sweet spot along the 3-point line, where he had drilled a silky step-back just a few minutes earlier.
It doesn’t matter that he feels a little jet-lagged, having arrived here less than two days earlier, after a 16-hour flight from his home in Doha, Qatar. He isn’t going to let anything get in his way.
This is his chance to be scouted. To be seen. It is the biggest opportunity of his young 17-year-old life.
It’s All-Star Weekend. There are so many NBA scouts and executives watching, here at the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) camp, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, that many must lean against the walls of the practice facility. They are hoping to find The Next Victor Wembanyama. The Next Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Next Great International Star. Many of them do not yet know Mousa’s name. He’s the lone participant from Qatar, and one of 40 international players from 29 countries and territories invited to the elite camp, fighting for their basketball dreams. Dominican Republic. Australia. France. Italy. Senegal. Ivory Coast. Nigeria. Poland. And more. And more.
Mousa, who was named MVP of BWB Asia 2025 in Singapore in June, and winner of the camp’s 3-point contest, is somewhat of an underdog. He has two steep hills to climb: he is from one of the smaller countries represented (Qatar has a population of just over three million people), and he is among the shortest players at the camp (he stands just 6-foot-2). That only motivates him.
So does the sight of a familiar 6-8 figure in jean shorts, a white T-shirt and a red cap, entering the practice facility. Mousa can’t believe who he’s seeing. “That’s Pascal Siakam!” he thinks to himself. “NBA All-Star. NBA Champion,” Mousa says. “Coming here.”
Siakam makes his way over to the bench — to Mousa — sitting first in line. He extends his hand to the young point guard and shakes his hand, before going down the line, shaking the hands of Mousa’s teammates. Siakam feels a deep connection with all of them. He, too, was a Basketball Without Borders participant, at BWB Africa 2012 held in South Africa. He, too, comes from humble beginnings, growing up in Douala, Cameroon. Few knew his name when he came to BWB camp. And now, he’s a four-time All-Star.
“I always get that feeling of just understanding exactly what they feel like. I know the journey,” Siakam says. “I’m them, basically.” Without the camp, Siakam may never have been scouted — may never have morphed into an NBA star. And he’s one of many who got their start at BWB — such as current All-Stars Jamal Murray (Canada), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Deni Avdija (Israel). Since BWB’s inception in 2001, 143 former campers have advanced to the NBA or WNBA.
“It just gave me an opportunity to see that there’s a lot more ahead, and there’s a lot possible for me as a young kid from Cameroon that really didn’t have any opportunity,” Siakam says. “This was the first great opportunity that I had to know that the NBA — or even just basketball in general — is something that I could pursue. It was really instrumental to who I am today as a basketball player and also as a person.”
Siakam moves on to greet others, but Mousa’s eyes continue to follow him. In Siakam, he sees a blueprint. Hope. Who he wants to become.
“A kid from Qatar? No one expects me to be here,” Mousa says. “I told one of [my teammates] who asked me, ‘You’re from where?’ I told him, ‘I’m from Qatar.’ He’s like, ‘Where is that?’ … I was like, ‘You’re gonna find out in a couple of years. You’ll find out.”
“So me representing Qatar is something big,” he says. He pauses, taking in the magnitude of this moment. He has three days — starting now — Friday to Sunday — to show who he is. Who he can be.
“Not a lot of people from my region,” Mousa says, “have the chance.”
The NBA has been working to change that. It sees the Middle East as its latest frontier in developing grassroots infrastructure, providing opportunities for youth, as it has in several continents, including Europe and Africa. As players develop in the NBA’s grassroots system, they can progress from the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA and NBA Basketball Schools (youth) to Basketball Without Borders (BWB) and NBA Academy (elite).
Over the last few decades, the NBA has expanded into Europe, leading to dozens of international stars, including the more recent ascension of Nikola Jokić. Meanwhile, the NBA has also invested heavily in Africa, more recently opening a state-of-the-art facility in Saly, Senegal, in November 2018, that serves as the primary training location for NBA Academy Africa. It even created the Basketball Africa League, a pan-African professional league that the NBA has operated in collaboration with FIBA since the league’s launch in 2021. The hope is to provide a vehicle for athletes to develop from a young age — and continue to have the tools to advance — and maybe — just maybe, one day they might even make the NBA. There could be a chance to even become the next Hakeem Olajuwon, who wasn’t able to get his start until age 17, lacking the opportunities that young kids of today — such as former BWB participant Joel Embiid — can now take advantage of.
It’s been an astounding investment. These camps and academies around the world have led to record numbers of international players on NBA rosters: this season alone, a record 135 international players from record-tying 43 countries across six continents. Four international players have won the last seven Kia NBA MVP Awards.
But the NBA sees an opportunity to expand even more; to develop talent in other major hubs around the world — such as the UAE region — that haven’t historically had as much representation.
The NBA recently extended its partnership with DCT Abu Dhabi to bring more preseason NBA games and youth development activities to the UAE, including the planned launch of an NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi. The NBA Global Academy, which was previously based in Canberra, Australia, will serve as the global hub of the program for top prospects from the region and around the world.
“With the launch of this new NBA Global Academy in Abu Dhabi, we feel we have the perfect location that’s central to Africa, Europe and Asia where we can really identify and attract highly talented prospects into our academy,” says Brendan McKillop, NBA associate vice president, head of elite basketball. “And we believe in our development system, and we think we can utilize that to put kids in position to achieve basketball success.”
It’s certainly increased interest. Since 2022, basketball participation has grown by a whopping 400 percent in Abu Dhabi, and an additional 60 percent throughout the UAE and 50 percent in the Middle East overall, according to YouGov. “We see Abu Dhabi as a major hub for the region in terms of development of youth talent,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in October 2025.
There are 12 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Leagues in the Middle East (two in Israel, six in the UAE, two in Lebanon and two in Qatar) that reach more than roughly 6,000 youth annually. “I mean, the growth in youth basketball here, boys and girls,” Silver continued, “has gone up many multiples, beyond what we were predicting when we first got here.”
Mousa catches up with former NBA player Danilo Gallinari, a coach at this year’s camp who participated in BWB 2003 at age 15. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Sweet)
There have been more than 25 NBA players from the Middle East and North Africa, including two this season: Avdija and Ben Saraf (Nets; Israel). “In the Middle East, specifically, there’s a really exciting opportunity there,” says Henry Utku, NBA Europe and Middle East Associate Vice President, Head of Basketball Business Operations. “Basketball is the fastest-growing sport in the Middle East. … There’s great opportunity to grow, and I think we’ll see that over the next few years.”
Mousa’s own family story is emblematic of that growth. His brother, Hamad Mousa, a 6-8 guard, graduated from the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. He became the second player from Qatar to ever reach NCAA Division I basketball. Hamad was an All-Star at the 2024 BWB Global camp at NBA All-Star 2024 in Indianapolis. He now plays for Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. He became the second player from Qatar to ever reach NCAA Division I basketball.
Their younger brother, Ahmed, participated in the Jr. NBA program in Qatar.
Their father, Yassin Mousa, is a legend in Qatari basketball circles. He was the first player from the Middle East invited to the 2000 Nike Hoop Summit and helped Qatar capture a FIBA 3×3 world title in 2014. He is now the GM of Al Rayyan club in Qatar, and GM of Qatar’s 3 x 3 national teams. Abdulla and Hamad both play for the Qatar National Team.
“Abdulla and Hamad both have incredible futures in basketball,” McKillop says.
“That’s what this platform is about,” McKillop continues, “is providing those pathways and exposure opportunities for kids that may not normally get that type of opportunity.”
“Number 11,” one BWB camp coach calls out, “over there.”
Mousa jogs over as teams are divided. It’s the first day of camp, and one can feel the campers’ nerves even from the stands. Everyone hopes to impress. Some shots fall short; some sail long. That’s the kind of restless energy that spills out when one is trying to find his rhythm; remember his why. Everyone has a different story, a different struggle — their stories, too, worthy of thousands of words. Among them, Peter Julius from Nigeria, who has rainbow-colored sneakers on, which he wrote: “GO BE GREAT!” on the heel.
Some will go on to play at the NCAA level. Others, professionally overseas. And some, the NBA. “No doubt in my mind that one of these kids out here will be on an NBA All-Star roster in five to 10 years,” McKillop says.
With stakes so high, one would think players would tend to ball hog, but that isn’t the case here. Players are eager to set each other up; to make the extra pass for the best shot. They genuinely become friends off the court. Mousa is rooming with Jackson Ball from New Zealand, as the two became good friends at BWB Asia 2025.
Listening to a timeout provides a beautiful medley of languages; most are fluent in at least three to four. And at a time when hoops pundits lament the lack of effort in the NBA All-Star Game, these BWB players are hustling for every loose ball, diving across the hardwood as if their lives depend on it. Some do. Even in a layup drill, in which former NBA player Danilo Gallinari, a coach at this year’s camp who participated in BWB 2003 at age 15, was playing “dummy defense” in the post when multiple players tried to dunk on him. For real.
“It’s great,” Gallinari says, “that’s how it should be. That’s the same thing I did when I was their age. I’m glad they’re doing that.”
A cameraman zooms in on Mousa warming up, shooting 3s. Mousa is caught off guard, and tries to make sure he isn’t in the camera’s way. The camera moves closer to him; Mousa quickly realizes he is the desired target. Maybe this is what it’ll be like if he makes it, makes it. And he acts accordingly, pretending he doesn’t see the lens.
He says he isn’t nervous. “Never,” he says, cracking a big smile. He’s warm, excited — genuinely happy to be doing the monotonous ball-handling and pick-and-roll skills stations that take up the first hour of camp. To be able to compete in the global marketplace that is the NBA, one has to be able to dribble at any time, shoot from anywhere — no matter his size or position.
Mousa has the brightest red shoes in the gym, but in case you miss them, he can always be heard no matter where one is on the floor, clapping for teammates, cheering them on. “YEAHHHHH, BOYYYYYY!” he erupts after dishing to Jayden Anike (Netherlands) for a kickout three. Then, Yu Lyu (China) rose up and dunked. Mousa was so excited, he started jumping up and down as if they had won the championship. Before long, Anike and Cheickh Niang (Italy/Senegal) were jumping up and down, too.
Mousa’s leadership is one of his best attributes, and he stood out to the coaches at both BWB Asia 2025 and BWB All-Star 2026 in Los Angeles for his positivity and sportsmanship. He stands up to greet people out of respect. And on the court, he prides himself on being a tenacious player, bringing energy to both sides of the ball. He’s a spark that never quits on a play. He can hit the 3 from deep, but is also scrappy on defense. Given his size, he has to be.
“Being a smaller guy, we gotta show that being small is not a big problem,” says Khalid El-Amin, camp coach and former professional player. “As a point guard, leading a team, directing guys, you have to be feisty. You have to have that confidence to help and want to direct others. To want to make others better. And I think he has those attributes to be a very good player. Obviously, he’s still young, and he’s still developing, but the sky is the limit for him.”
Mousa learned leadership and fundamentals from his father, Yassin. He taught his sons work ethic and discipline. “He’s the reason I started playing basketball,” Abdulla says.
Growing up in Doha, Abdulla and Hamad would often play every day, challenging each other to be better. “We want to win every day,” Abdulla says. “Sometimes, I win.” He takes it back with a grin. “Most of the time I win,” he says. Sometimes, Yassin even joins. “It’s fun,” Yassin says. “We are a basketball family.”
Abdulla has been practicing against men much older than he, playing with the Qatar senior team since he was 15. He also plays for Al Rayyan. These days, he makes — not takes — 500 shots a day. He thinks about Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving when he shoots, imagining that he is in the NBA, launching from deep.
He’s also inspired by Hamad. “I’m trying to be like him,” Abdulla says. “Or even better than him.” He asked Hamad for some tips about Hamad’s BWB experience before leaving for Los Angeles. “You’ve been playing this game for a long time,” Hamad told Abdulla, telling him to trust himself. He hoped to “give him confidence.”
His parents told him: “Go win MVP!” Abdulla laughs. Truthfully, his parents just want him to pursue his passion and play hard. “Do your best. Whatever happens,” Yassin reminds him often, “happens.”
Back at the camp, Mousa steals the ball and zooms down court. He rises up, higher … higher … higher … and throws down a thunderous dunk. It’s almost a surprise, how high he rises, how natural it seems, given his stature. But what was most impressive was his reaction on the way down. He doesn’t scream. He doesn’t taunt his defender. He has a quiet confidence about him — trusting he could stand out — in his own way.
Yassin, sitting in the stands, holds up his iPhone camera, its orange case visible anywhere Abdulla is. He continues to record, just in case Abdulla makes another play on the defensive end. Yassin is beaming, lost for words.
“I’m so proud of him,” Yassin says.
He looks at his son, loving the same game he has all his life. Chasing the same game that he has, all these years, before few even heard of basketball being popular in Qatar. His son has promise. He has a chance.
And now, he also has NBA mentors.
Vlade Divac, the former Laker hailing from Serbia, watches Mousa shoot after the game. He relates to his experience. “I was born in a small town in Serbia,” Divac says.
Divac, who helped launch BWB in 2001 at the inaugural camp in Italy, had a successful career of his own, playing in the NBA for 16 years. “When I retired,” Divac says, “all my medals from the Olympic Games, all my rings, all my trophies, all of my memorabilia, I gave it to my city. They made a little museum. My intention was to show the kids, not just from the home city, but around the world, that I could do that and make my dreams come true.”
He has a message for Mousa: “It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from, you can make it,” Divac says. “If you believe, if you work hard, everything is possible.”
Vlade Divac, who sees shades of his own journey in Mousa’s story, says “everything is possible” to those who work hard. (Photo courtesy of Nicole Sweet)
Campers head toward the court, taking a seat for a Q&A session with Raptors coach Darko Rajaković and former Warriors player and BWB coach Festus Ezeli. One camper asked Ezeli how he handled adversity in his career. Interestingly enough, in the true spirit of mentorship, he thought of someone else. He thought back to his rookie season in 2012, as he had watched a young Stephen Curry battle severe right ankle issues, sitting out many games. He was far from the superstar of today. It took him hours to prepare for practice, to rehab.
“And in the middle of all of that,” Ezeli tells the campers, “Steph said: I want to be great.”
That, Ezeli says, is what separates players. It’s showing up at 7 a.m. for an 11 a.m. practice, already fully drenched in sweat, before anyone else arrives. “He just continued to show up,” Ezeli says. “Adversity shows you who you are. If he would have quit when adversity hit, we probably wouldn’t know who Steph Curry is.”
Mousa sat, elbows propped on top of his knees, sitting in the first row, rapt. He looked around, knee to knee with players from so many different countries than him; players who have grown up so differently from him. Players who have attended NBA Academies and camps in countries he has never visited. Players who have all worked hard — maybe launched 500 of their own shots each day — in their own city courts. Players from Morocco. Latvia. Japan. Montenegro. Puerto Rico. Trinidad & Tobago. All chasing his same NBA dream.
It’s finally Mousa’s time to shine: the 3-point contest. He’s on fire, hitting 16 shots in the first round, and 19 in the second round. And on the final day of camp, he’s announced the winner of the contest. During the awards ceremony, he’s presented with a plaque.
“Can you hold the award up — like this?” one photographer asks. No longer camera shy, he now knows how to pose. He even lets himself smile. He finally did it: he found a way to stand out. Make a name for himself.
There have been more than 25 NBA players from the Middle East and North Africa, but Mousa, pictured with coach Khalid el Amin, would be the first from Qatar, if he accomplishes his dream. (Courtesy of Nicole Sweet)
But he’s too excited to dwell on the victory, as he heads to the NBA All-Star Game. He and his brother, Hamad, head down to courtside to catch a glimpse of the players up close. The two are sandwiched by people trying to get closer to the court — heckled by security guards asking who they are and where they are going. “Keep moving! Keep moving!” security calls out. “You can’t be here!”
Abdulla is moving forward by a force bigger than he can name. Somehow, one foot moves in front of the other, but he’s in a fantasy, peering out onto the court. Dreaming. Anthony Edwards. Kawhi Leonard. LeBron James. He looks at all of them. The music is blaring, and he can hardly see in front of him. He’s lost in the glitter of it all. A random fan compliments his sweatshirt: “Love the design, bro.”
Now, he’s smiling big — trying to move as fast as he can to avoid security, and slow as he can to soak the moment in. He is close to his dream — just mere inches from the court — but for now, so far.
The two brothers finally head down to the locker room areas, waiting for Team World to emerge. Abdulla is grinning — insisting he isn’t nervous, as celebrities walk by, including USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins. He’s a fan. And then, Wembanyama walks by. Abdulla tries to give him a tiny nod. He is in awe of how tall Wemby is up close; in awe of how he even got here. This close. To him. To any of this.
“Crazy!” he whispers to Hamad. “Crazy.”
Tyrese Maxey walks by. “My favorite player right now,” Abdulla says.
Then, he sees Siakam walk out of the locker room. It is just like the first time, when Siakam walked up to him and shook his hand at camp. It is both familiar and surreal, the distance between them somehow a little less than before. Siakam is focused, too focused to smile. Even in an All-Star Game, he never loses his concentration.
Everything Mousa wants to become is right in front of him. One day, Mousa thinks to himself. One day I’m going to play in the All-Star Game.