Brilliant junior Laker, Brad Rathjen, is one of 10 of Australia’s best junior basketball talent, to receive an invitation to attend the third ever Asia Pacific Team Camp presented by NIKE and the National Basketball Association (NBA). This invitation comes on the back of his standout performances in the 2015 Australian Under 18 Championships played in Ballarat last month. Brad led the Championship in average points scored per game.

He is the first player from SA Country to be selected to attend this International Basketball Camp in the three years it has been conducted.

The Camp is scheduled to be held in Nanjing, China, from June 15 – 18 2015. It presents a unique opportunity, bringing together some of the best young talent from Australia, China, Chinese Taipei and New Zealand born in 1998 or later.  The Camp will focus on both skill and fundamental training sessions as well as include team concepts and competitions under the instruction of NBA Coaches and Players.  

SA Country Basketball Development Manager David Ingham will accompany the team as a Coach and participate in the Camp events. Two other invitees, Deng Gak and Harry Froling, were members of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence team, which challenged the Pioneers last Friday night, in one of the best SEABL games seen at the Ice House for some time.

Brad considers this invitation as an opportunity of a lifetime and the chance to be coached by NBA personnel as awesome. He is committed to devoting maximum time to preparing for the Camp in trainings and individual sessions. Several of the listed 10 have the advantage of being involved in basketball programs on a daily basis thus presenting Rathjen with an extra challenge of getting to the expected levels of fitness and elite standards in the skills of basketball.