NBA superstar LeBron James made the dreams of many Saudi basketball fans come true as he spent time with youngsters during a clinic in Riyadh.
James, on his first visit to Saudi Arabia, played alongside Saudi students and a number of emerging players from the women’s national team.
As part of his visit to the kingdom, James led a special clinic organised by the Saudi Arabian Basketball Federation at Alazem Academy.
His visit aligns with Saudi Arabia’s commitment to becoming a global sports destination.
Following the clinic, Dr. Ghassan Tashkandi, president of the Saudi Basketball Federation, said: “We are incredibly honored to welcome LeBron James to Riyadh. Seeing the reactions and smiles on the faces of all the players was priceless. His passion for the game, and willingness to take time to train with our players is a massive boost for our sport in Saudi.”
As expected, the youngsters who interacted with James struggled to contain their excitement.
“LeBron played an immense role in my life. I can't even begin to explain how happy I am to be here. I've aspired to be like him every single day growing up,” said 16-year-old Ibrahim Qattan.
Teammate Abdullah Basha expressed similar feelings, saying: "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 thought I was dreaming and wanted someone to pinch me!"
Basketball has witnessed significant growth in the past years with participation in the kingdom increasing 54 per cent since 2018 thanks to a wide range of grassroots programmes, while a total of 240 players now make up the first generation of female basketball players in Saudi.
