National Basketball Association

Utah Jazz Asst. Coach Johnnie Bryant Headed to Angola

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Basketball Without Borders will be holding a camp in Angola and Utah Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant is among those participating.

Utah Jazz basketball is nearing its return. Just this week, Rudy Gobert returned to Salt Lake City, tweeting “Back in Utah, let’s get ready for a BIG season!” However, Jazz assistant coach Johnnie Bryant is currently taking part in an entirely different endeavor, halfway around the world.

Basketball Without Borders is currently in Angola, running its first ever Africa Camp in the country from August 31 to September Sept. 3 at Pavilhão Multiusos do Kilamba in Luanda and Bryant is there, helping to conduct the camp.

The Jazz assistant joins a group of current and former NBA players and coaches in running camps for more than 100 of the best male and female players born in 1999 from across the African continent. Basketball Without Borders is also providing schools in the area with refurbishments, donations and player visits.

NBA Cares partners UNICEF and Hoops 4 Hope will also be in Angola, organizing a variety of community outreach efforts.

Some of the players joining Bryant with BWB include Eric Bledsoe, Bismack Biyombo, Luc Mbah a Moute, Salah Mejri, Thabo Sefolosha and Cody Zeller. NBA legend and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is also particpating.

For Bryant. According to a press release from the Jazz, he enjoys community service and youth outreach, and has mentored more than 125 athletes.

He’s also not the only Jazzman to participate in BWB camps this summer. Dante Exum, Joe Ingles and the team’s manager of basketball strategy/technology Zach Guthrie were a part of BWB’s Asia Camp held in Melbourne, Australia in June.

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While the Jazz have had an impressive offseason in free agency and the trade market, they’ve also made their mark with these kinds of outreach efforts.

From the BWB camps to Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors appearing at the University of Utah’s Be Well Utah Health Fair or Favors donating his time for autistic kids at the Heritage School in Provo last week, the team is having a pretty good summer.