A New Era for Norwegian Basketball And Transforming Basketball
What Does This Mean?
The landscape of basketball coaching is shifting. It is moving towards a dynamic, player-centered approach that prioritizes decision-making and adaptability. Today, we are incredibly proud to announce a landmark moment in this movement: Transforming Basketball is officially partnering with the Norwegian Basketball Federation (NBBF).
This agreement marks a significant milestone for both organizations. It formalizes a relationship that has been growing since 2024, built on mutual respect, shared values, and a common vision for the future of the sport in Norway.
Under this new partnership, Transforming Basketball will take on the responsibility of delivering the NBBF’s Coaches Education Programme. Our shared goal is ambitious but essential: to modernize the coaching ecosystem across the entire country, equipping Norwegian coaches with the tools they need to develop the next generation of creative, skilled, and autonomous players.
Building on Strong Foundations
This partnership is not a sudden development; it is the natural evolution of a successful ongoing collaboration. Since 2024, members of the Transforming Basketball team have been working closely with the NBBF, delivering clinics and sharing methodology in Oslo.
The response from the Norwegian coaching community during these initial collaborations was overwhelming. Finding a way to coach where players enjoy the game and want to keep playing AND coaches can continually challenge the players and themselves to be better was essential in Norway’s vision for coach education. We realized that to truly impact the system, we needed to move beyond isolated workshops and establish a structured, long-term educational pathway.
Going ALL IN on The CLA
So, what does this partnership mean practically for a coach in Norway? It means a fundamental shift in how the game is taught.
Through the NBBF Education Programme, Transforming Basketball will introduce the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) and Conceptual Offense principles as the bedrock of the curriculum.
Instead of focusing on memorizing set plays, repeating patterns, or perfecting techniques in isolation, Norwegian coaches will learn how to design practice sessions that are representative of a real game. They will learn to manipulate constraints to guide players toward discovering functional movement solutions to solve the problems in their environment.
We are moving toward teaching players how to play, not just how to run plays. This approach fosters higher basketball IQ, better decision-making under pressure, and a deeper enjoyment of the game for players at all levels.
What Can NBBF Expect From The Partnership
Modern coach education cannot be limited to a single weekend clinic. True development requires continuous engagement, reflection, and community support.
Therefore, our delivery model for the NBBF is designed as a hybrid experience. While in-person practical events will remain crucial for on-court demonstration, Transforming Basketball will also be supplying a suite of digital products and educational materials.
Crucially, all participating coaches will gain access to the Transforming Basketball online community for ongoing learning. This platform will serve as a hub for continued mentorship, Q&A sessions with Alex Sarama, monthly masterclasses from professional coaches that use the CLA in their environment, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing among Norwegian coaches. We believe this continuous feedback loop is vital for translating theoretical knowledge into practical application on the court.
Kicking Off: February 2026 in Oslo & Bergen
We are hitting the ground running. The new education pathway officially commences in February 2026 with two major in-person events designed for Level 1 Coaches.
We are excited to announce that these initial clinics in Oslo and Bergen will be led by Transforming Basketball’s Kerri Kuzbyt. Kerri brings a wealth of experience in applying contemporary methodologies to youth development and is the perfect leader to launch this new chapter for Norway’s grassroots coaches. You can listen to both Kerri and Alex in the podcast episode below.
These events will serve as the practical introduction to the CLA and Conceptual Offense, setting the standard for the new Level 1 certification.
Leadership Perspectives
The significance of this long-term commitment is felt deeply by leadership on both sides.
Alex Sarama had this to say, “I’m so proud to be partnering with the Norwegian Federation. This is a really important step for Transforming, as we start to rethink how coaches can learn about a CLA through a CLA approach to coach education! I’m so grateful to Kevin and the Federation for their trust and support in Transforming Basketball’s ideas.”
And Kevin Juhl-Thomsen, Sports Director, Norwegian Basketball Federation was also excited and proud of what is to come:
“At the heart of this cooperation is our belief that basketball should be fun, inclusive, and constantly developing. Together with Transforming Basketball, we want to create environments where everyone feels welcome, passion is encouraged, and players are given the opportunity to grow — both on and off the court. Through our cooperation with Transforming Basketball, we are strengthening our commitment to fun, inclusion, and development — values that will guide how the sport grows and how future generations experience basketball in Norway. We are investing in a future where Norwegian basketball is accessible to all and built on long-term development”.
A Vision for the Future: From Grassroots to National Teams
While our immediate focus is launching the Level 1 program in February 2026, this partnership is designed for scale.
Our agreement with the NBBF includes a clear roadmap to expand our collaboration through the coaching pyramid. In the near future, Transforming Basketball will be developing and delivering curriculum for advanced coaching levels, eventually encompassing the methodologies used by Norway’s National Teams. We are building a unified language and philosophy that connects the youngest grassroots players to the country’s elite athletes.
To get a sense of the energy and philosophy we are bringing to this partnership, check out this mini-documentary from our time in Oslo in 2025:
The future of Norwegian basketball is bright, and it is being built on the practice courts. We look forward to seeing many of you in Oslo and Bergen this February as we begin this transformative journey together.
Stay tuned to Transforming Basketball and NBBF social media channels for registration details for the February 2026 events.
