For 60 high school students from across Asia and the Pacific, this was the chance of a lifetime.
The teens, all talented basketballers, came to Canberra for four days of intense training this week, hoping to leap into the world's top leagues.
The NBA is one of the richest and most-watched competitions on the planet, and it's holding this year's Basketball Without Borders camps worldwide for the first since the pandemic began.
This year's camp for the Asia region was at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in the ACT, where the NBA has one of its global academies. The camp involved girls and boys from 15 countries.
Victorian Carlin Briggs was among them, relishing the chance to play with and against some of the world's best young players.
The 17-year-old said having four NBA players at the camp as mentors and coaches was invaluable.
"All these guys are where I want to be in the future, so I was trying to ask a lot of questions, pick their brains," he said.
Carlin, a Yorta-Yorta and Wurundjeri man, said one of his key motivations was to be a role model in his community.
"It's a big thing for me: representing my people, my culture," he said.
"I just want to continue to open up pathways for young Indigenous kids."
Carlin already had a link to the AIS before the camp.
His father Tony Briggs — who created the musical The Sapphires — won a track-and-field scholarship in his youth.
"He always talked about it growing up, and it's amazing to be able to follow in his footsteps and come here myself — it's really an honour," Carlin said.
Australia's elite gaining momentum
Josh Green is one of few Australian players who have managed to make it in the NBA.
The 21-year-old guard, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, attended one of the NBA's Without Borders camps in 2018.
He said the camp was a pivotal moment in his career.
"I went into [that] camp not really knowing what to expect — I was a younger guy, really loved basketball, and it was awesome," he said.
"It was able to bring a lot of these international kids together and play the game that we all love."
He joined this year's Canberra camp — now as a coach — with three other NBA stars: Cleveland Cavaliers all-star centre Jarret Allen, Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson and Chicago Bulls guard Coby White.
Green said it was surreal to be guiding the next generation of talent having only recently been a camper himself.
"I used to dream of being in the AIS when I was a kid, so it's cool being here now coaching."
The campers were an even mix of males and females.
Queenslander Lulu Laditan, 17, won the women's most valuable player award.
She said playing with athletes from so many countries presented hurdles, but was an exciting experience.
"It's been good to learn how to communicate in other ways when we play," she said.
"But when we play, it's really good to learn about how other people play from different countries — like their styles, if they want to play quick or if they want to slow it down."
Several former WNBA and national women's team players coached at the camp, which Lulu said left a lasting impression.
"It's an amazing opportunity, learning so much from top athletes in Australia that played at the international level overseas."
Canberra academy already paying off
Chris Ebersole, the NBA's head of elite basketball, oversaw the creation of Canberra's global academy in 2017.
He said the NBA had drafted several academy graduates in recent years, putting it well ahead of schedule for developing world-class players.
"To have Josh Giddey be our first NBA draft pick two years ago and then this year have two, with Ben Mathurin and Dyson Daniels in this year's lottery, it's a sign that things are working and hopefully a sign that things will continue to grow."
So far, 105 Without Borders campers have made it to either the NBA or its women's affiliate, the WNBA.
But while most campers won't, Mr Ebersole said everyone who took part improved, raising the bar for the game internationally.
"We've had over 3,800 campers over the history of this program, and so many more of those players will go on to represent their national teams, return to their home countries and play in their domestic leagues," he said.
"It's really about the overall international basketball ecosystem."
