NBA Project Expanding in the African Continent
Basketball Without Borders is following the concept of Doctors Without Borders but using sports and not medicine. The concept is to use education and basketball with boys and girls to grow the next generation of African leaders.
NBA African managing director, Amadou Gallo Fall, is optimistic that the popularity of basketball in Africa will increase the number of players in the local leagues and connect with the African community on all levels.
NBA Project Africa: Everybody knows Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeen Olajiuwan and Luol Deng and their African roots.
The NBA opened the season with 10% of its 114 international players from African countries. Not only players, but the president of the Toronto Raptors is Masai Ujiri from Africa. Other executives from Africa are making a mark on the NBA business including Mr Gallo Fall and his impressive resume with the NBA project Basketball Without Borders.
“It shows our young people that there are different avenues to grow in the game. Agent, coaching and being an elite-level general manager. There are so many other walks of life in sports. We talk to our people about not only playing the game, but more importantly being somebody that wants to be successful. Success can mean different things to different people. They work hard, they are dedicated and disciplined ” stated director Gallo Fall.
At the NBA All Star game, Mr Fall and the NBA announced there will be a 2017 NBA African game on August 5th in Johannesburg.
The NBA is expected to build a training center for boys and girls ages 16 to 18 in Senegal. The NBA signed a new deal to broadcast over 500 live NBA and WNBA games, playoffs and finals on African broadcaster Econet Media.
The NBA has selected 60 African children to participate in a Basket Without Borders camp in select African cities. Growing the business of the NBA and making it successful to young people has been spreading the African continent since 2010.
Director Fall explained how the NBA plan to help young kids across Africa has a great impact on the community. Basketball Without Borders has playing camps working to expand the NBA family. A player gains confidence and talent and can reach NBA status like Luc aMoute, Gorgui Dieng and Joel Embiid.
Using basketball as a tool to inspire young people is the main goal explained Fall. With the value of the game, young people are learning discipline, sportsmanship and competition to influence their growth and maturity in their young lives.
Probably the best example of this NBA African expansion goes back to Hakeen. There was a coach who visited his school in Nigeria to introduce the game of basketball. Six months later, Hakeen was in Houston and the Rockets became NBA champions with Hakeen as the all star center and one of the greats to play the game. All the potential great athletes from Africa play soccer in their youth like Hakeen but their talent and hard work ethic does carry over to another sport like basketball. They just need the opportunity and support.
The concept of bringing the NBA brand to a large undeveloped area is a message of hope and unity. Kudos to the NBA and the Players Association for their support to bring a “game” to help others across the world.
