NBA’S FIRST EVER GAME IN AFRICA WILL BE IN SOUTH AFRICA ON AUGUST 1

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced that they will play its first ever game in Africa on August the first. The game will take place at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.  

The game, which will be a Team Africa versus Team world format, will be played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, S.O.S Children’s Villages South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.  Team Africa will be comprised of players from Africa and second-generation African players and Team World will be comprised of players from the rest of the world. The game will be shown live in Africa on Supersport.

The 8 Time NBA All Star, Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers will be the captain of the Team World, while Luol Deng of the Miami Clippers, who was born in Sudan will captain Team Africa.

“The NBA has worked hard to grow the game of basketball in Africa, and I am excited to take this next step of playing our first game on the continent,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.  “Our players have been tremendous partners in this effort, and all of us look forward to sharing the authentic NBA experience and the values of our game with fans in Africa.”

“The NBA Africa Game marks a major milestone in our efforts on the continent, which began more than 30 years ago,” said NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa Amadou Gallo Fall.  “It is a pivotal moment for the growth of basketball on the continent, and we are grateful to the Players Association, players and team personnel who have committed to be part of this historic event.”