NBA star and Olympic gold medallist inspires Laureus kids in central London

London, August 8, 2012

A group of lucky young basketball lovers were treated to an unforgettable training session this morning from Team USA Olympic champion Dwyane Wade.

Youngsters from the Laureus-supported Urban Stars project were at NBA House in London’s Covent Garden where they took part in a range of drills on a specially made indoor court. There they learnt about everything from the most effective defence stances to ‘triple-threat’ positions from the Miami Heat superstar himself

Also there to give some (very wise) words of inspiration to the young group, was the US Ambassador to the UK, Louis Susman.

After welcoming Dwyane and the young people, Susman, who has been in London for the past three years as ambassador, told Laureus.com: “Sports are one of the greatest elements that can bring people together from all places around the world… I don’t know anything that’s better to create the kind of relationships we want between people and nations than sport.”

And as a full-time resident of the UK, what did the ambassador make of this special summer of sport for the capital so far?

He said: “[The Games] have been spectacular, they couldn’t be going better. And even the weather is cooperating!”

Not just an NBA hero, Wade is himself a two-time Olympic medallist courtesy of the bronze medal he received in Athens 2004 and the gold he won with Team USA in 2008.

And having trained side by side with the two-time NBA champion, one of the Urban Stars basketball lovers told us about how special this day really was.

“It’s amazing and really inspirational that he’s come down himself… It kind of [offers] hope to see a celebrity, someone who has made it to that position, so that you can be inspired yourself to achieve that.”