NBA Africa Means Everyone is a Winner
- Aug 3, 2015
- 2 min read
Two days ago the NBA hosted it's first ever game in the continent of Africa, with Team World beating the African natives 101-97. The game was never about competition however, providing entertainment beyond the normal daily lives of the local South African people of Johannesburg.
Team Africa was comprised of players born in Africa or those with African heritage, led by South Sudan's Luol Deng. The Miami Heat small-forward fled the country when he was five years old and has made it clear that after his NBA career, he wants to return to Sudan to help improve the overall quality of life.
The NBA has been visiting Africa on a yearly basis for the past thirteen years through Basketball Without Borders (BWB) and recently Grantland filmed a documentary on Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka and his connection to his home in the Congo. The African continent has always been of significant importance for NBA players and journalists alike due to their majority of current NBA players being African-American.
The game had a handful of shenanigans from the NBA mascots but the highlight came midway through the second quarter as NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo stepped onto the court in their retro jerseys from the 90s.
The 52 year old Rockets legend blocked one shot and made a basket, including a signature post move from almost three decades ago. Mutombo on the other hand failed to score but secured three rebounds in the 3:39 minutes played. But in the end, the game was always an ancillary aspect of a much bigger picture that the NBA has been addressing for the past 13 years. The game of basketball surpasses normal borders, and with such rich African heritage across the league, it would be remiss of Adam Silver not to return to Africa... maybe even for a preseason game.
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