The National Basketball Association and the International Basketball Federation are to launch a professional league in Africa in January 2020.

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) will feature 12 teams from at least six African countries.

Fiba Africa's executive director, Alphonse Bile, said the league will help players compete in the "best possible environment".


Charlotte Hornets' Bismack Biyombo is one of 13 African players in the NBA.


Bile said: "The implementation of this league is vital to our young up-and-coming players in Africa as it gives them something to take aim at."

Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis added: "It's a huge joy to see our partnership with the NBA enter unchartered territory as we work together for the first time to maximise the potential of professional basketball in Africa."

Former US president Barack Obama has backed the plans, while NBA legend Michael Jordan, who is now the Charlotte Hornets chairman, was at the launch event in North Carolina.


Former US president Barack Obama tweeted his support for the new league


How will the league work?

The NBA and Fiba will conduct qualification tournaments to identify which teams from several African countries, including Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia, can compete in the league.

No more than two teams from the same country will be eligible to play in the league.

The NBA has seen 80 current and former players from Africa or with family links to the continent compete, including Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria and Dikembe Mutombo from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/basketball/47272427

Like a champions league for basketballers, that's nice.

Young Jordans, y'all better start working on those hoops. Una time don come

Go Nigeria and win again!


Rewire your business, company, ideas, etc today and give it 21st century audience. Get your website/blog/software now. Check my signature for contacts.

Pls someone should help me with a car to drive on Uber/Taxify,
I can deliver 100k monthly & also maintain the car when due for service.

Pls help me be independent.

These oyibos keeps bringing up ideas on things that concerns us..That goes on to show that an average African man only thinks about his stomach and tribalism wont let us grow..The idea is a good one..I hope it can be sustained...


The thread is talking about NBA coming to Africa..Why are you ranting about people who doesnt know you exist?

dataking:
If it those iPob youths now and Abdul Hakeem Olajuwon was an Igbo name. We for no hear word. You for dey hear Igbo Amaka up and down. As if other tribes no get talented sons. Anthony Joshua na another one. We no dey too boast. We get them plenty.

If it those iPob youths now and Abdul Hakeem Olajuwon was an Igbo name. We for no hear word. You for dey hear Igbo Amaka up and down. As if other tribes no get talented sons. Anthony Joshua na another one. We no dey too boast. We get them plenty.

Good development


check my siggy..

I LOVE THIS . ANYWAY DUKE AND NBA HERE I COME!

Backward continent

Chaii my time don go,I no fit play basketball again after I don born two kid...my height don waste...

Yeah brah

demolinka:
Young Jordans, y'all better start working on those hoops. Una time don come

Leonardoreel:
Pls someone should help me with a car to drive on Uber/Taxify,
I can deliver 100k monthly & also maintain the car when due for service.

Pls help me be independent.

100k monthly bros easy na

I'm a basketball fan but as an African, I still don't know why Africa cannot run a good and efficient basketball league and why the NBA needs to come to Africa to run a basketball league.

Okay

Basket ball the big boys and fine boys game


Wait o

Una nor dey fix this problem?

dominique:
Like a champions league for basketballers, that's nice.

happy birthday.....

Ok

Barack Obama has backed plans for a new basketball league in Africa and is set to take up a role with the project.

The former US president shared his support for the collaboration between the NBA and the basketball’s global governing body FIBA to create an elite competition involving several African countries.

shine12:
I'm a basketball fan but as an African, I still don't know why Africa cannot run a good and efficient basketball league and why the NBA needs to come to Africa to run a basketball league.

Same reason our leaders can't do anything right. Corruption.

dataking:
If it those iPob youths now and Abdul Hakeem Olajuwon was an Igbo name. We for no hear word. You for dey hear Igbo Amaka up and down. As if other tribes no get talented sons. Anthony Joshua na another one. We no dey too boast. We get them plenty.

The vast majority of the Nigerian basket ball players in both male and female category are igbos.
They have won laurels for Nigeria.

Hakeem alone cannot make a team.
What would it profit you to have one Hakeem and the rest are mediocre?