The NBA and FIBA are combining to launch a new Basketball Africa League and have enlisted former president Barrack Obama’s help to grow the sport globally.
There are already several pro teams across the continent, but this league will attempt to unify them into one place while providing financial support, resources and training. There will be qualifying tournaments held to determine which teams will make up the league with the nations of Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia likely to be represented. Only two teams from a country will be allowed to participate in the league.
“The Basketball Africa league is an important next step in our continued development of the game of basketball in Africa,’’ NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “Combined with our other programs on the continent, we are committed to using basketball as an economic engine to create new opportunities in sports, media and technology in Africa.’’
The NBA has heavily invested in Africa with programs like Basketball Without Borders and Giants of Africa in addition to having an office in South Africa and an academy in Senegal. Since the end of his presidency in 2017, President Obama– a huge basketball fan– has helped Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri from Nigeria with the Giants of Africa youth program.
“This is a natural extension of what we have done through a joint initiative that is Basketball Without Borders, which finds find, develop and nurture young talented players all around the world, including Africa,’’ FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said in a statement.
The league’s investment has helped raised the number of active NBA players from Africa to 13. That includes NBA All Star center Joel Embiid as well as former first round picks. Al-Farouq Aminu, Bismack Biyombo, Gorgui Dieng, Emmanuel Mudiay and Pascal Siakam.
Africa is seen as the world’s next great incubator for talent.
‘We’re excited to work closely with the NBA to develop and put in a place a pro league like none that we have ever seen in our region before,’’ said FIBA Africa Executive Director Alphonse Bile. “Through the Basketball Africa League, we can provide a great many clubs and players with the best possible environment to compete for the highest stakes.’’
Although this will be the first time the league will be directly involved in a operation outside North America, this will not be viewed as another EuroLeague or China Basketball Association (CBA) but more like a hyper-G League where younger players, coaches and management can be trained for the future. The NBA has already put on three games in Africa in the last five years, the most recent in South Africa last summer with the NBA-Africa game. Team World edged Team Africa, 96-92, despite a game-high 24 points from Embiid.
According to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, several of the NBA’s major sponsors are interested in partnering with the new league. Pepsi and Jordan Brand. Having President Obama involved has played well with team owners.
