By Angu Lesley
Teenage Cameroonian prospect Franck Belibi emerged as one of the standout performers at the 10th Annual Basketball Without Borders All-Star Camp held in Los Angeles, California, underscoring Cameroon’s growing influence on the global basketball stage.
Belibi was among seven of Africa’s top young talents selected to attend the prestigious camp, which brought together 40 elite prospects from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
Representing Cameroon with pride, Belibi showcased his athleticism, versatility and high basketball IQ across four days of intense competition and development at the UCLA Health Training Center, the training facility of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The camp featured athletic testing, movement efficiency drills, skill-development stations, 3-on-3 competitions, life-skills seminars and full 5-on-5 games.
Participants were mentored by current and former NBA and FIBA players and coaches, including Italy’s Danilo Gallinari and American forward James Gist, offering Belibi invaluable exposure to high-level instruction.
Belibi shared the African spotlight with other promising prospects such as Peter Julius (Nigeria), Noah El Baze (Morocco) and Ramsey Guessagba-Sato of the Central African Republic, a BWB Africa 2025 Boys All-Star and NBA Academy Africa prospect.
The continent was also represented by Obinna Ekezie Jr., son of former Nigerian NBA player Obinna Ekezie.
Ekezie Jr. had a remarkable showing, earning Defensive MVP honours and a place on the 2026 All-Star Team alongside Cheickh Niang (Italy; ties to Senegal) and Caleb Ourigou (Cameroon).
His defensive dominance highlighted the depth of African talent on display throughout the camp.
The event also served as a platform for coaching development, with members of the NBA Coaching Development Program mentoring the young athletes.
Former NBA players Scotty Hopson, Khalid El-Amin and Craig Smith, along with former WNBA player Meighan Simmons, were among those guiding participants through the four-day experience.
For Belibi, however, the camp represented more than competition — it was a statement. Competing against the world’s best young prospects and holding his own, the teenage Cameroonian demonstrated that he is a name to watch in the next generation of African basketball stars.
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