uring a basketball clinic that took place in Riyadh, NBA superstar LeBron James fulfilled the wishes of a large number of Saudi basketball fans by interacting with young players.
During James’ first trip to Saudi Arabia, he played basketball with a group of Saudi students and many up-and-coming players from the Saudi women’s national team.
In the course of James’s stay in the country, the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation hosted a unique clinic at Alazem Academy, which he directed as the clinic’s head instructor.
His trip is in line with Saudi Arabia’s goal of developing itself into a leading destination for sporting events on a worldwide scale.
After the clinic, the head of the Saudi Basketball Federation, Dr. Ghassan Tashkandi, stated, “We are tremendously thrilled to bring LeBron James to Riyadh. It was absolutely priceless to watch all of the players’ expressions, particularly their reactions and smiles. The fact that he is so enthusiastic about the sport and is prepared to put in the effort to train with our athletes is a tremendous boon for the development of our sport in Saudi Arabia.
As was to be expected, the children who had conversations with James found it difficult to control their excitement.
“LeBron James was a significant influence on me throughout my life. To say that I am thrilled to be here would be an understatement of the highest order. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve spent every single day working toward the goal of becoming just like him,” said Ibrahim Qattan, who is now 16 years old.
A similar sentiment was echoed by a member of the opposing team, Abdullah Basha, who said, “Growing up as a kid, you just see him on TV or on your phone screen, so to see him here today doing his thing is just amazing.” I couldn’t believe it was real and I really needed someone to wake me up!
A total of 240 players now make up the first generation of female basketball players in Saudi Arabia. Basketball has seen substantial development over the past few years, with participation in the kingdom increasing by 54 percent since 2018, thanks to a wide range of grassroots programs.
