The NBA realized the potential of Africa as a hotbed for talent before other sports leagues, with players like Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, Manute Bol, Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo all hailing from the continent.
So to keep the pipeline open and full, the NBA launched NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) three years ago during the pandemic, and its continued its gradual growth ever since.
“If we think about growing the game of basketball in Africa an important element in that is ensuring that young people who are interested in the game, and want to invest in developing their skills, they need to see a pathway where there is a future for them in playing basketball at a really high level on the continent,” said NBA Africa CEO, Victor Williams.
The league, run by NBA Africa, launched with 12 teams from 12 countries, and the games were televised in 215 countries and territories.
The potential was so great that in its second season President Obama, whose father was Kenyan, joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner.
“The NBA has always been a great ambassador for the United States—using the game to create deeper connections around the world, and in Africa, basketball has the power to promote opportunity, wellness, equality, and empowerment across the continent,” said President Barack Obama in a statement at the time. “By investing in communities, promoting gender equality, and cultivating the love of the game of basketball, I believe that NBA Africa can make a difference for so many of Africa’s young people.”
In its inaugural season, games were played in a bubble. But since then, games were played in Senegal, Egypt and Rwanda. This year they’re expanding to include Dakar.
The BAL can establish a base of operations to develop local talent who can showcase their talents in a league that aims to promote and produce high-level basketball.
Building the foundation from the ground up is something NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum feels strongly about.
“We’ve got that level of presence of African players or players of African descent playing in our league with no infrastructure,” said Tatum. “Once we build that infrastructure and people start investing in that infrastructure to create these pathways, we think that that number is going to continue to grow and grow and grow significantly.”
And with Africa growing quickly in terms of population and business, the country’s outlook is bright. And the NBA is hoping to capitalize on that upward trajectory with its emerging league.
“We actually see an opportunity to use sports, but specifically basketball, as a driver of economic growth on the continent,” Tatum said. “I would say historically in Africa, sports is just that. It’s sports, it’s a competition. It’s not necessarily viewed as a business. But because you got this continent with over a billion people. A young, fast-growing population — I think half the population of Africa is under 24 years old — and that young population is going to need to have jobs and things to do.”
And the main thing for these young, hungry players to do is ball out in the BAL.
