2023-09-08 17:54:14
One of the most famous international athletes and the all-time leading scorer in the NBA, LeBron James, made his first visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he participated in two training sessions with the players of the Saudi junior basketball team and some players of the women’s first team.
Dr. Ghassan Tashkendi, President of the Saudi Basketball Federation, expressed his happiness at the visit of the star LeBron James, and said: “We are honored to welcome LeBron James to Saudi Arabia. We all felt great joy when seeing the reactions of the male and female players and the smiles on their faces when he entered the hall,” adding: “I would like to thank him for the passion he showed during the training session and for allowing his time to inspire the new generation of male and female players in our sport in the Kingdom.”
Tashkendi added: “LeBron is more than just an athlete and his influence on young men and women extends far beyond the world of sports only. I am certain that his visit and interaction with male and female players created lifelong memories and fulfilled their dreams,” explaining: “The sports stars who come to the Kingdom are of great importance.” “By inspiring, uniting and exciting the new generation of male and female athletes in Saudi Arabia, I believe that the superstar LeBron is one of the best people capable of achieving this.”
A training session for male and female players with James (Asharq Al-Awsat)
As part of his three-day stay in the Kingdom, participants in the training session organized by the Saudi Basketball Federation at Al Azm Academy in Riyadh had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to benefit from LeBron’s various tips and experiences in dribbling and shooting, and the player nicknamed “King James” began his career in the American League. For the professionals 20 years ago, he broke many distinguished records. He won four league championships, the Most Valuable Player award four times, the Finals MVP award four times, two Olympic gold medals, and won the All-Star Game title 13 times.
LeBron James during the training session (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Kingdom has become one of the most prominent main destinations for hosting the most prominent international sporting events, and the international events held in the Kingdom include the “3×3 Basketball World Tour Championship,” which was hosted in the city of Jeddah twice and as part of the Diriyah Season activities last year.
Male and female players expressed their joy and surprise at LeBron James’ visit to Riyadh, where 16-year-old player Ibrahim Kattan said: “LeBron played a major role in my life. I cannot describe my happiness today. “My ambitions since childhood were to become like him.” His colleague Abdullah Pasha added: “Since my childhood, I have been watching LeBron constantly on television and mobile phones, so seeing him here today playing basketball is a very wonderful thing.” “I thought I was in a dream and wanted to wake up.”
Al Azm Academy player Aseel Fallata said: “We women have had many opportunities to practice various sports in the Kingdom. Today’s experience makes us feel more like we are in a dream and not reality. “I learned a lot from him and his skills.”
LeBron James shakes hands with basketball players at Al Azm Academy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sports in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are witnessing a major transformation at all levels, as the percentage of sports federations has increased to 50 percent over the past four years, and the percentage of sports participation and physical activity among adults has increased to 48 percent after the percentage was only 13 percent in 2015. .
Basketball in particular has seen significant developments over the past few years, with participation in the Kingdom rising by 54 percent since 2018 thanks to dedicated programs across the Kingdom, while the first generation of Saudi female basketball players includes 240 players. The number of registered teams has increased significantly from 45 teams in 2018 to 105 teams this year, including 28 women’s teams. Six national teams for men and women also represent the Kingdom in regional and global championships.
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