Former Jazzman Spencer Haywood To Be Inducted To Naismith Hall Of Fame

Former Jazzman Spencer Haywood To Be Inducted To Naismith Hall Of Fame by Ryan Aston

Apr 4, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder talks with players during a timeout against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at US Airways Center. The Suns won 87-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Later this month, the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program will be launching a historic venture, sending a cadre of players, coaches and executives to Cuba for the first time. Among those scheduled to make the trip is Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder.

Q to Cuba: Jazz coach will take part in NBA's first trip there since order to restore relation. http://t.co/43ijcUTA8s (via AP) — Aaron Falk (@tribjazz) April 7, 2015

In addition to Snyder, the recently retired Steve Nash, former WNBA star Ticha Penicheiro, 2015 Hall of Fame inductee Dikembe Mutombo and Orlando Magic interim-coach James Borrego will be making the trip.

The group is expected to be joined by Cuban players and coaches in Havana for a development camp and series of youth clinics. The event will be coordinated through FIBA, the sport’s international governing body.

The NBA’s involvement makes it the first professional sports league in the United States to visit Cuba since the White House announced that it would restore relations between the two nations late last year.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, who will also make the trip, expressed his optimism about the project in an interview with the New York Times:

“We’ve seen the bridges that basketball can build between cultures.”

As a fan of the Utah Jazz and Coach Q, I’m proud to see Snyder’s involvement in such a historic venture. His propensity for teaching the language of basketball has been on full display for the Jazz all season long. Now he brings that knowledge to a brand new classroom as the sport continues its worldwide growth.

The clinics are set to take place from April 23rd through the 26th.