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First session free · Home court: Svanemøllehallen, Østerbro

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Talata Academy · Ages 13-19

Serious about basketball?
This is where you come.

Four days a week on court, with league games most weekends and trips abroad every year. Academy is for the players who want to build something around this sport. It asks a lot of them.

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri Wed is rest day, no mandatory Saturday training
DBBF + EYBL Domestic & international games
Ages 13-19 Application required
What is Talata Academy?

Most kids play basketball once or twice a week. Academy kids play almost every day. Monday through Friday mornings and afternoons, games on the weekend. We build real players here.

There is more to it than court time. James runs the strength and conditioning. We sit down and watch film so players actually understand what they did rather than repeating it blind. And we travel, because playing teams you would never meet in Denmark is the fastest way to find out where you really are.

The whole thing is built around one idea. Basketball is the tool we use to prepare kids for whatever life throws at them next. Discipline, teamwork, showing up when it's hard, handling losses, handling wins. That's the real curriculum.

Daily training

Four team sessions a week at Svanemøllehallen. 8 hours of basketball education.

Real competition

DBBF league games in Denmark, plus EYBL international stages in Europe. We confirm host cities stage by stage.

Strength and mental work

Built into the week rather than bolted on. Players finish the season physically better than they started it.

Real coaching

Coaches who played and coached at a high level. Players get feedback that actually helps them get better.

30+ games a season

Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden and more. Players come back different.

Pathway beyond Denmark

Academy alumni have moved on to play abroad. The connections and exposure are there for players who earn them.


It's already working

The proof is the players who came through.

Academy Alumni

Malthe Mikkelsen committed to Orangeville Prep in Canada at 15.

One of the top prep programs in North America for players chasing a professional career. Malthe came up through Talata. Trained here, competed here, grew his game here in Copenhagen. His commitment is proof that the work done in this gym translates at the highest level.

Read the full story →

Academy Alumni

Johan Lyager Joensen left for Ohio at 15.

Johan is one of the originals. He was on the floor in the first season, when Talata was twenty kids and one team, and he is still ours in the season the club has six teams in the Danish league. This year he plays for the Purple Riders at Martins Ferry High School, and American high school is the most common route into the NCAA. His family ran the move. The two years in this gym are what made him ready for it.

Read the full story →


What the week looks like

Four team sessions a week, all at Svanemøllehallen: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri, 16:00-18:00 (U13/U15) or 17:00-19:00 (U17/U19). Tuesday is off-court (lift, film, mental training). Games on the weekends.


Academy games

The next fixtures for our U13, U15 and U19 squads. See the full season →


Who's coaching

Four coaches, decades of experience between them. Played professionally. Coached across multiple countries. This is who your kid will be working with every day.

Head Coach & Founder

Deng Awak

Played college basketball in Canada and professional ball in Canada, Lithuania, and Denmark. Coached in Canada, Lithuania, Indonesia, and Denmark. Runs Talata Academy.

Head Coach · U17 and U19

Jordan Naughton

6'9" forward from California. Played NCAA Division 1 at the University of Wyoming, then professional in Denmark with BK Amager in the Basketligaen. Runs the Academy day to day and is lead assistant coach on U15.

Head of Youth

Georg Jespersen

Head coach of U15, U13 and U9, and runs Mini and Junior. Film study, defensive systems and game prep. If there is tape from the last game, Georg has already broken it down twice.

Strength & Conditioning

James Young

American from North Carolina. Played college ball at Chowan University and pro in Denmark for eight years with Stevnsgade, SISU, BK Amager, and Hvidovre. Runs the off-court work: lifting, movement and return from injury.


What it costs

Academy fees cover the season here at home. Training, games, uniforms, referees, gym rentals and the DBBF fees that come with real competition.

3,300 DKK
per half season · paid twice a year

We played our first EYBL stage in Budapest in 2024, and travel to stages is billed separately per trip. We confirm dates, destinations and costs before anyone commits, so you can plan.


Think your kid is ready?

Spots are limited. Tell us about your player and we'll set up a trial session so we can see them on the court.

Age groups run from 1 October, so the date decides the team.
Got it. We will be in touch within a couple of days.

The Talata Way

Want to understand how we actually develop players?

Read our coaching philosophy