On the heels of All-Star Weekend, the NBA made a pretty headline-worthy announcement: it’s going global.
Commissioner Adam Silver announced that, alongside the International Basketball Federation, the NBA is planning on starting a new league in Africa. It will be referred to as the Basketball Africa League.
On a landmark day for the NBA in Africa, a powerful video on how sports make a difference. @NBA_Africa pic.twitter.com/Uu6jn8Su8D
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2019
Currently, the plan is to have 12 teams representing the countries of Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. A tournament will be held for chosen teams to compete for one of the spots in the league.
NBA and @FIBA announce their plan to launch the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a new professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa. @NBA_Africa #NBAAllStar https://t.co/mhnp0bgNX4 pic.twitter.com/S5NjSf4ksP
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2019
The Basketball Africa League marks the NBA’s first ever attempt at establishing an international arm, and is seen as a natural extension to the NBA’s recent efforts to increase its global presence.
Barack Obama, who is heavily featured in the NBA’s announcement video for the league, appears to be an early fan. Here’s what he said:
I’ve always loved basketball because it’s about building a team that’s equal to more than the sum of its parts. Glad to see this expansion into Africa because for a rising continent, this can be about a lot more than what happens on the court. https://t.co/lghcLaUN9a
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) February 16, 2019
The former President has also expressed interest in playing a part in the league, though his official role is yet to be determined.
We’ll have to wait and see, but we’re excited to see Barack sitting courtside when the Basketball Africa League officially launches in January 2020.
Cover image via Twitter @Sortiwa.
