What I love about the NBA is how influential it is across the globe. It’s the second most popular sport in the world and you can see that coming through toady and the past few days. Watching the NBA players going to Africa, participating in the ‘Basketball Without Borders’ program that has been a regular event for over a decade. It’s great to see and the stories that come out of it are amazing.
A good story was how newly crowned NBA Champion Festus Ezeli hasn’t actually been to Africa since he left when he was 14, what a time to go back to your home continent. How Luc Richard Mbah A Moute was an alum of the ‘Basketball Without Borders’. It’s been a great few days that culminated in the inaugural NBA Africa Game between Team World and Team Africa (players born in Africa or has parents born in Africa). The game was very much like an All-Star Game. Flashy passes, relaxed atmosphere, at times 0 defence.
But when Dikembe Mutombo and Hakeem Olajuwon came onto the court, you can’t help but watch. Dikembe grabbing boards, Hakeem hitting the silky fade away! What?! Try and get that in an All-Star Game! And of course seeing the crowd wag the finger in unison, beautiful sight.
Onto the game itself, you got Giannis Antetokounmpo nearly getting a double double, Bradley Beal dropping threes to get Team World back in the game after Team Africa led for most of the 1st Half. In the end, Team World took over the game with their superior squad and won the game 101-97. Luol Deng and Chris Paul took Co-MVP honours.
But it wasn’t about the game people. It was about the three days before that, watching native Africans going back to teach the potential future of basketball in Africa. Teaching the children, watching Gregg Popovich being human for once! This has been a landmark couple of days for the NBA and the continent of Africa and hopefully, in time. We might have NBA Regular Season games in Africa like I have in London. It’s only a matter of time.
