Khris Middleton is forthright when asked about the visible sense of fun and enjoyment among the NBA players on the opening day of the 2018 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

"It's not just a job. We have to have fun with it, and we definitely do."

Indeed, the smiles of the NBA players at the American International School in Midrand were every bit as broad as those of the boys and girls they had traveled all this way to coach and mentor.

The Milwaukee Bucks swingman has been involved previously in international coaching programs, in the Philippines and Australia, where he headlined the Basketball Without Borders Asia camp in Melbourne three years ago. He says NBA players recognize the need to give back to the game that makes them headline attractions.

"This isn't a job for us," Middleton says of his attendance of the program that officially "embodies Nelson Mandela's' legacy and belief that sport can inspire and change the world."

The 16th Basketball Without Borders Africa camp showcases 78 of the top boys and girls from 29 African countries.