NBA Academy Africa | |
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League | Road to BAL |
Founded | 2017 |
History | NBA Academy Africa 2017–present |
Location | Saly, Senegal |
Head coach | Alfred Aboya |
The NBA Academy Africa is a basketball team and academy operated by the National Basketball Association (NBA), located in Saly, Senegal. [1] Opened in 2017, [2] the academy offers both education and basketball trainings. [1] Several alumni of the program have played in professional leagues. The academy is a shared program between the NBA and SEED Academy. The academy has two indoor training courts, as well as dormitories and educational facilities. [3]
Since 2022, the academy has a program called BAL Elevate with the Basketball Africa League (BAL), that allows each BAL team to select an academy player to feature on its roster during the season. [4] A year earlier, in 2021, Mohab Yasser became the first academy player to play in the BAL and also the first player to win the league championship.
For the following 2023 season, the NBA Academy enrolled its own team in the Road to BAL qualifiers where they played against professional teams. [5] Despite being ineligible to qualify for the BAL, they finished with a successful 2–1 record, after beating Burundian champions Urunani and Kenyan champions KPA. [6] [7]
In November 2022, the NBA Academy Africa fielded the following roster playing in the 2023 BAL qualification. [8]
NBA Academy Africa roster | |
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Players | Coaches |
Updated: 29 October 2022 |
The following list features players who have played for a professional club or have played in their country's national team:
The NBA Academy Africa has faced off against several national champions in the Road to BAL. They enter in the Elite 16 round, and as a wild card, are not eligible to advance to the semi-finals or to qualify for the main league season.
22 November 2022 | Cape Town Tigers | 85–60 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
23 November 2022 | NBA Academy Africa | 79–69 | Urunani | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
24 November 2022 | KPA | 69–84 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
21 November 2023 | NBA Academy Africa | 84–57 | Pazi | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
22 November 2023 | Dynamo | 71–76 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
23 November 2023 | Cape Town Tigers | 69–61 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
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Boxscore |
Zamalek Basketball Club also known as Zamalek B.C. or simply as Zamalek SC, is a men's professional basketball club that is based in Giza, Egypt. The basketball team is a part of the Zamalek SC multi-sports club. The club is a founding member and shareholder of the Egyptian Basketball Federation, and competes in the Egyptian Basketball Super League (ESL).
Marcus Christopher Crawford is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Urunani. He played college basketball for the University of Memphis. Crawford has had an extensive career with teams in Europe and Africa. He is a two-time All-BAL First Team selection.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is the premier men's basketball league in Africa. Founded in 2019, the league was established and is co-organized by NBA Africa and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Rwanda Energy Group BBC, commonly known as REG, is a Rwandan basketball club based in Kigali. It is owned and named after the company Rwanda Energy Group Limited. It plays in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), the highest tier of basketball in Rwanda. REG has won the national championship thrice, in 2017, 2021 and 2022.
Kenya Ports Authority, commonly known as KPA, is a basketball club based in Mombasa, Kenya. Owned by the Kenya Ports Authority corporation, the team is nicknamed the "Dockers", and is the most decorated team in basketball as it has won a record nine KBF Premier League championships.
Dakar Université Club Basketball, also known simply as DUC or DUC Dakar, is a Senegalese basketball club based in Dakar. It is the basketball team of the Cheikh Anta Diop University. The team plays in the Nationale 1 and has won the league five times, its last being in 2021. Established in 1956, the team was founded as a basketball club and later became a multisports club, including football, athletics and more.
The Road to BAL, also known as the BAL Qualifying Tournaments, are the qualifying tournaments of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). While the main tournament is co-organised by FIBA and the NBA, the organization of the qualifiers is completely done by FIBA. The first qualifying rounds began on 16 October 2019 during the 2021 BAL qualification.
Joe Guibert Nijimbere is a Burundian basketball player for Kepler and the Burundi national basketball team.
Mohab Yasser Abdalatif is an Egyptian basketball player for Zamalek of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), as well as for the Egypt national basketball team. Standing at 1.96 m, he plays as shooting guard or point guard.
Landry Ndikumana Dukure is a Burundian basketball player for Pazi and the Burundi national team. He is a 1.98 m tall small forward and has played professionally in Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania. Ndikumana was the NBL Uganda MVP and Playoffs MVP in the 2019 season.
Urunani BBC is a Burundian basketball club based in Bujumbura. Nicknamed "Sisi Wenyewe", the team plays in the Viva Basketball League (VBL).
The Burundian Basketball Championship, for sponsorship reason the Viva Basketball League, is a semi-professional basketball league that is the highest level of the sport in Burundi. The league is organised by the Fédération de Basketball du Burundi (FEBABU).
This page lists the rosters of the 2022 BAL season, the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Each team features 13 players. On the rosters, a maximum of four foreign players is allowed including maximum two non-African players. One player from the BAL Elevate program, a cooperation with the NBA Academy Africa, is placed on each team.
The qualification for the 2023 BAL season, also known as Road to BAL 2023, was the 3rd edition of the qualifying tournaments for the Basketball Africa League. The tournaments were organised by FIBA Africa and are held from 10 October to 27 November 2022. The format was similar to the previous two seasons, with a group phase and an elite 16 being held.
Babacar Sané also known as Younq Ossoko is a Senegalese professional basketball player for the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League. Internationally, he plays for the Senegal national team. Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), he plays as small forward.
Mamadou "Pabi" Guèye is a Senegalese professional basketball coach and former player who is the current head coach of Urunani and as an assistant for Senegal men's national team.
Ulrich Kamka Chomche is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. At 6 ft 11 in, he plays the center and power forward positions.
Jean Jacques Boissy is a Senegalese basketball player who last played for Urunani BBC of the Burundian Basketball Championship and the Senegal national team. Playing at point guard, he is a graduate of the NBA Academy Africa and has played professionally since 2021. Boissy was an All-BAL First Team selection in 2023.
In the 2023–24 seasonDynamo BBC plays internationally in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and domestically in the Burundian Basketball Championship.
The qualification for the 2025 BAL season, also known as "Road to BAL 2025", were the qualifying tournaments for the 5th season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The tournaments were organised by FIBA Africa and began on 8 October and finished on 4 December 2024.