BASKETBALL - The African Mirror

Jul

09

2024

South Africa set to host Basketball Without Borders camp

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THE National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have settled on South Africa as the host of this year’s Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa edition event. The meet, in its 20th edition this year, will be held at the American International School of Johannesburg from Saturday 3rd to Tuesday 6th August 2024, marking the 16th time that the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in South Africa. According to NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi BWB Africa, this year’s edition will bring together 30 boys and 30 girls from more than…

Jul

01

2024

By OLIVER OCHIENG, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Cameroon’s Chomche breaks new ground in the NBA

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CAMEROON’S Ulrich Chomche from NBA Academy Africa has become the first prospect across all three of the league’s NBA Academies to be drafted directly out of an NBA Academy after he was selected 57th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2024 NBA draft. He also becomes the first player to be drafted after participating in the Basketball Africa League (BAL). According to Silalei Shani, former captain of Kenya’s women's national basketball team and sports director at IMG Kenya, enlisting Ulrich Chomche means something positive is happening in basketball courts in Cameroon, which other African countries must take notice of…

Jun

29

2024

By SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

bird basketball roundup: Safaricom, NBA Africa partner up, Uganda dominates FIBA U-18, Petro de Luanda are 2024 BAL champs

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THE NBA Africa and leading East African telecommunication company, Safaricom last month forged a multi-year partnership aimed at impacting over 10,000 Kenyan youth. The collaboration includes Jr. NBA tournaments, coaching clinics, and an elite camp for top high school talents, all designed to ignite the basketball dreams of boys and girls under 16 across the region.“Our collaboration with Safaricom builds on the NBA’s ongoing efforts to grow basketball in Kenya and across the continent of Africa,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to creating more opportunities for young people to engage in physical activity and learn the values…

Jun

25

2024

By SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Safaricom, NBA Africa partner up, Uganda dominates FIBA U-18, Petro de Luanda are 2024 BAL champs

BASKETBALL

THE NBA Africa and leading East African telecommunication company, Safaricom last month forged a multi-year partnership aimed at impacting over 10,000 Kenyan youth. The collaboration includes Jr. NBA tournaments, coaching clinics, and an elite camp for top high school talents, all designed to ignite the basketball dreams of boys and girls under 16 across the region. “Our collaboration with Safaricom builds on the NBA’s ongoing efforts to grow basketball in Kenya and across the continent of Africa,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We look forward to creating more opportunities for young people to engage in physical activity and learn the…

Jun

06

2024

By GIULIA PARAVICINI

Somaliland’s first all-girls basketball team shoot for recognition

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WRAPPED in the tricolour flag of her homeland, 21-year-old captain Hafsa Omer bounces the basketball between her legs, dribbles lays it up off the backboard, and watches it clatter into the hoop. Her dream is to one day play for her nation, but there is a catch - Somaliland is not a country. The breakaway territory has struggled to gain international recognition from any foreign government, despite governing itself and enjoying comparative peace and stability since declaring independence in 1991. Omer and her two sisters, who also play for Hargeisa Girls Basketball, the first all-girls team in the incipient country,…

Jun

04

2024

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

Angola’s Petro de Luanda wins 2024 Basketball Africa League Championship

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ANGOLA’S Petro de Luanda clinched the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, becoming the first team outside of North Africa to win the BAL finals after overpowering Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 in the finals. The Angolans, who are also the 2022 BAL runners-up and one of only two teams to compete in all four BAL seasons, have broken a streak of previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia. Past BAL champions include Egypt’s Zamalek, the 2021 champions, US Monastir of Tunisia, crowned champions in 2022, and Al Ahly of Egypt, the latest champions as of 2023. According to Sandrine Nzeukou,…

May

11

2024

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

How BAL’S Sahara conference action is unfolding in Dakar

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AS BAL’s Sahara Conference gets underway at the Dakar Arena in Senegal, the first round saw professional basketball clubs from Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, and Tunisia vying for direct playoff berths. Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers are topping conference standings with a commanding third consecutive victory in the group stage. Their latest triumph, an 84-63 win over Tunisia’s US Monastir, follows a hard-fought 86-82 triumph against Rwanda’s Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) and a 77-68 victory against hosts AS Douanes in the tipoff match. With an unbeaten record in hand, the Hoopers head into the second half of the group stage with confidence beginning…

Apr

27

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

NBA Africa ‘hoops’ into African tech with a startup accelerator

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THE NBA, through its business franchise in Africa, NBA Africa, has stepped onto Africa's tech startup scene, launching an accelerator tailored for early-stage startups in sports and creative industries. In a statement, NBA Africa explained that the initiative, known as the Triple-Double: NBA Africa Startup Accelerator, will support Africa’s tech ecosystem and the next generation of African tech entrepreneurs by providing them with access to mentorship and capital that will help drive growth in the sports and creative industries. “We are thrilled to launch an accelerator program based on the continent and focused on early-stage African startups,” said Clare Akamanzi,…

Apr

24

2024

By SILALEI SHANI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Petro de Luanda fires head coach Jose Neto, African players continue to shine at the annual Nike Hoop Summit, and Rwandese national Bella Murekatete is named to the 2024 Women’s College All-Star game

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AFTER disappointing results in the conference stage of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Angolan side Petro de Luanda have fired head coach Jose Neto. The Brazilian head coach has been with Petro for four seasons and is a former BAL Coach of the Year. However, he experienced tensions with Petro de Luanda’s front office and multiple players on the squad leading up to their most recent outing in the Kalahari Conference. While the decision to part ways with Neto may have surprised some fans, the latest outcome following a fourth-place finish in the 2023 season and a second-place finish in…

Apr

22

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Basketball’s influence in Africa is growing, latest NBA data shows

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FROM growing live game viewerships to a surge in social media numbers and an increase in merchandise sales, a new NBA Africa report shows a growth in the number of Africans interested in basketball. According to Silalei Shani, a basketball commentator and former Kenya basketball team captain, “What is happening now is that the basketball audience is connecting more and can be measured because of central areas of interest and at large scale basketball events that have come up in recent years, such as the BAL.” “Credit has to go to social media, marketing and content creators. Basketball content is…