)
Kenya's City Thunder will take on Africa's elite basketball teams in the Basketball Africa League set to go down in Nairobi.
Kenya is set to make history as it hosts the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16, which kicks off on November 28.
The event will be held at two iconic venues in Nairobi, the Kasarani Indoor Arena and the Nyayo Gymnasium, running until December 3.
Among the teams slated to compete are Kenya's own City Thunder, who will face formidable opponents such as Uganda's City Oilers, Burundi's Ururani, the NBA Academy, and South Africa's M.B.B.
The tourney marks a significant moment for Kenyan basketball and the broader African basketball ecosystem.
In the lead-up to the event, NBA Kenya's Head of Country Operations, Mike Finley, emphasised the transformative potential of such tournaments for basketball on the continent.
"African kids, 10 years ago if you wanted to play high-level basketball, you only thought about how to get out, how to go overseas to Europe or the United States. Now, young African children across the continent can grow up saying, 'I can play in televised, big-time arenas.' It's hugely aspirational," Finley via Citizen TV.
He highlighted the role of the BAL in creating a robust basketball ecosystem in Africa.
"To build the future of the game, we must open up opportunities for the most talented young people to become elite. The only way they can achieve that is by being placed in elite systems and given elite opportunities."
The BAL Elite aligns with NBA Africa's ambitious project announced in October, which aims to revolutionize basketball across the continent.
Over the next decade, the NBA plans to build 1,000 basketball courts in Africa, including 100 in Kenya.
)
16:40 - 08.10.2024
NBA Africa to undertake monumental basketball project in Kenya and Africa
The non-profit organisation alongside Opportunity International is looking to carry out a decade-long project in Kenya and Africa aimed at nurturing basketball on the continent.
Set to commence in 2025, the first phase of this project will focus on Nairobi, Kenya, and Kigali, Rwanda, featuring the development of outdoor basketball courts and youth clinics.
This initiative underscores the NBA’s commitment to nurturing grassroots talent and providing young Africans with opportunities to shine on the global stage.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)