JERSEY Basketball Association president Paul Milbank said he was “delighted” to welcome back former European basketball legend turned coach, Kristaps Valters, to the Island for the second instalment of his basketball academy training camp.
Coaching is taking place throughout the week and is set to conclude on Friday at Beaulieu’s state-of-the-art sports facility.
Following a highly successful first edition in October 2023, the return of Valters and members of his Latvian-based coaching academy, was highly anticipated by young basketball enthusiasts in Jersey.
Now 42, Valters enjoyed an incredibly successful 19-year playing career between 1998-2017 as a point guard, across the top leagues in Europe, the Latvian national team and even an NBA summer season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, alongside none other than LeBron James.
Upon retirement from playing in 2017, the Latvian star founded the Kristaps Valters Basketball Academy, aimed at developing promising coaches and delivering training to clubs across Europe.
JBBA president Milbank said: “It’s fantastic to welcome Kristaps and his team back for a second time.
“We had an incredibly successful first camp in October last year and this year we have 42 juniors aged between nine and 17 taking part.
“It’s massive for them to receive this level of training from some of the best in the business.
“Basketball on the Island has seen a real surge over the last couple of years.
“Events like these are pivotal for the advancement of the sport within our Island’s community.
“By welcoming coaches from Latvia, we’re not only introducing different styles of play and perspectives, but also fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for the sport.
“The interest is there and we want to make sure we can offer our players the chance to improve and learn from the very best and gain valuable exposure to what professional standards are like.”
JBBA academy lead coach Aigars Skrivelis, originally hailing from Valters’ homeland of Latvia, has helped develop the budding relationship.
Milbank continued: “We are lucky that we have Aigars in our ranks and he has been instrumental in forming this connection.
“We have a wide European community on the Island and basketball is massive across the continent.
“Where the sport might not be as popular yet in the UK, opportunities like this are a great way to spread the message here in Jersey and offer our players something very unique.
“We have our under 15 and 17 squads travelling to Brittany next month to take on a club we have made a link with down there.
“Opportunities like this to train at a top level and then compete abroad will be invaluable for them.”
As well as the junior training camp running this week, Valters’ team will also be training with Jersey’s senior squads.
For those interested in learning more about JBBA and what they have on offer, information can be found via the JBBA social media channels.