South Australian Alexander Dickeson was a standout, being crowned Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, as the 14th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia drew to a close in Perth on Sunday.

Dickeson, who was also the camp’s 3-point champion, was not the only Australian rising star to impress, with Mading Kuany winning the Defensive MVP award.

Both Dickeson and Kuany were named along with five other Australians (Ajak Nyuon, Henry Sewell, Sa Pilimai, Jade Crook, Zara Russel) in the All-Star team.

Dickeson and Kuany combined with strong showings on both ends of the floor to lead their team, mentored by former NBA head coach Terry Porter, to a 38-29 victory in the final.

Boomers legend Aron Baynes, a now two-time BWB Asia coach, said he always appreciates the opportunity to pass on lessons he learned during his career to aspiring basketball players.

“The NBA always do things exceptionally well, so from the on court to the off court everything’s fun and enjoyable and nothing more so than getting out on the court of wisdom or at least let them know where I failed and where not to fail again for them,” he told foxsports.com.au.

The BWB Asia camp was just one part of a busy weekend in Perth, which became the epicentre for both established and emerging basketball talent, also hosting the inaugural NBL and WNBL HoopsFest along with the U18 Australian Club Championships.

Former NBA greats Carmelo Anthony and Kenny Smith were both in town for HoopsFest and also dropped in to surprise the campers.

“It’s great for a game being able to be out here and it’s pretty rare that the NBA have a footprint down here in Australia such as this so anytime there’s that it’s great to be a part of, let alone when the NBL and FIBA have put in the resources as well and created a weekend like HoopsFest, it is amazing to be a part of,” Baynes added.

“Everyone in basketball in Australia right now is here and it’s fun to be able to work out with these kids in the daytime at the camp and go watch some of my mates playing in the NBL at night time and everything else in between. Meeting people that are pushing the game of basketball ahead here in Australia and having the NBA supporting that as well, it’s awesome to see.”

This year’s BWB camp featured 60 of the top high-school aged male and female basketball prospects from over 15 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and for Baynes, it is exciting to see the pathways available to young Australian talent like Dickeson and Kuany.

“It’s been one of those things that there weren’t many pathways for Australian kids to get to the NBA when I was first coming up,” Baynes added.

“We had Luc Longley and Bogut who were then kind of the exception to that group. It was hard to come out of Australia and get to the NBA but now you’ve seen from the number of athletes that have come from BWB and the number of athletes that are coming through the NBL, thanks in large part to what Larry’s done since taking over the NBL and giving freedom back to the clubs and just supporting the youth in Australia as well.

“It’s great to have seen that evolution and having watched mates that started at the same time as me and seeing them still playing as well, it’s cool to see.”