The NBA continues to expand its horizons, as the league goes more and more global with every passing year. With a spike in the influx of foreign players from every corner in the world, it’s crucial for the league to branch out and continue to increase its prominence in countries outside the United States.
The NBA has had a long-standing relationship with China for years now, as their fanbase is as passionate about hoops as anywhere else. Even this year, the NBA has set up an academy in India which 21 young international players will attend, an academy that will be joined by Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant.
One of the biggest foreign producers of NBA talent is the beautiful country of Africa. Recently, the NBA and NBA Africa made a great move, holding its inaugural game in Africa in a matchup between Team World and Team Africa. The game consisted of current NBA stars like Chris Paul and Giannis Antetokounmpo and also some legends participated such as Dikembe Mutombo and Hakeem Olajuwon. After 2015’s successful game, the NBA has decided to continue the new tradition and will hold another exhibition game with a similar Team World vs. Team Africa format. Following from an official NBA press release:
Orlando Magic’s Bismack Biyombo, Portland Trail Blazers’ CJ McCollum and Denver Nuggets’ Emmanuel Mudiay will headline the second NBA Africa Game scheduled to take place at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa on 5 August this year.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) officially announced the game today at the annual NBA Africa All-Star Luncheon in New Orleans…
“Basketball is witnessing explosive growth in Africa. Our return to Johannesburg this summer is part of the league’s continued commitment to bring the authentic NBA experience to fans around the world. I would like to thank the NBPA for their participation and for being terrific partners on this game and surrounding events,” said Silver.
While NBA Africa continues to grow, it’s good to see the league making a conscious effort to take the association to places it’s never been before. With the NBA’s international prominence continuing to rise, so should the stream of foreign talent in the coming years.
