Child abuse, lack of schooling at NBA’s China basketball academies, says report – ‘sweat camp for athletes’

ESPN investigation details allegations of physical punishment at an NBA camp in the Xinjiang region among others

One former coach said he saw a Chinese counterpart hurl a ball into a young player’s face and ‘kick him in the gut’

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A new report by ESPN details alleged child abuse at NBA camps in China. Photo: AP

Published: 11:21pm, 30 Jul 2020Updated: 10:49pm, 31 Jul 2020

Young players have been physically abused and left without schooling at NBA basketball academies in China, which were described as “sweat camp[s] for athletes”, an ESPN report said.

Multiple coaches have complained about physical punishment at the academies including a facility in Xinjiang, the region where China is accused of holding more than a million members of ethnic minorities in internment camps.

The NBA says it cut ties last year with Xinjiang, but the world’s most popular basketball league continues to operate academies in Shandong and Zhejiang provinces, in sports facilities run by the Chinese government.

One former coach said he saw a Chinese counterpart hurl a ball into a young player’s face and “kick him in the gut” according to the ESPN investigation.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has dealt with a number of issues with China over the past year. Photo: THS

“Imagine you have a kid who’s 13, 14 years old, and you’ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid,” the coach was quoted as saying. “We’re part of that. The NBA is part of that.”