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 Mutombo took charge of a practice for aspirants to the Cuban women's
national team and Nash showed off his shooting, passing and
ballhandling skills in the first day of a four-day workshop that
will include playing street ball with kids.
The National Basketball Association conducts such workshops around
the globe but this was the first in Cuba, which had been cut off for
more than half a century by the antagonism between Washington and
Havana.
That changed on Dec. 17 when U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban
President Raul Castro announced they would restore diplomatic
relations. The two leaders met earlier this month at a summit in
Panama, auguring a new era in bilateral relations.
The NBA was quick to take advantage. Though baseball remains the
national sport, Cubans are also big hoop fans. Cuba has a long
basketball history with the high point being a bronze medal at the
1972 Olympics in Munich.
"Basketball is a sport that can connect people," Mutombo, recently
selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame, told reporters before the
first workout at a Cuban sports institute.
"As an athlete, I'm not a politician. It's more about the cultural
exchange. It's more about the future of our young men and young
women, how we want them to develop the game of basketball," said
Mutombo, 48, a 2.18-metre (7-foot-2) center who played 18 seasons
with six teams.
Nash, 41, who retired last year after 18 seasons as a point guard
with three teams, is the NBA record-holder with a career free-throw
percentage of 90.4.
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The retired players were joined by NBA coaches James Borrego of the
Orlando Magic and Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz.
They will all get a close look at how the game is played in Cuba,
often in the streets on improvised courts.
Together with the international basketball federation FIBA, the NBA
is restoring three courts in Cuba and will conduct special courses
for children, junior players and referees.
Two players and a coach will be chosen for Basketball Without
Borders, a camp operated by the NBA and FIBA to develop
international talent.
(Reporting by Nelson Acosta; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Andrew
Hay)
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