Seven things to know about the Basketball Africa League 2021
The jersey of AS Douanes, one of the twelve teams that will participate in the Basketball Africa League 2021. © Courtesy of The BAL
Text by: David Kalfa Follow
5 mins
The first season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), a pan-African basketball league, takes place from May 16 to 30 in Kigali, after several postponements linked to Covid.
Here are seven things to know about this unique competition, created by the NBA and the International Federation (FIBA).
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This is the first experience of its kind for the NBA
Since its inception in the 1940s, the North American Basketball League (NBA) has grown into one of the largest sports structures in the world.
In particular, it launched a North American Women's League (WNBA) in 1996 and a sort of second division or anteroom of the NBA in 2001, the current Gatorade League.
On the other hand, with the
Basketball Africa League
(BAL), this is the first time that the NBA has created a senior competition outside the United States.
The birth of BAL is part
of NBA Africa's strategy to promote basketball
on this continent.
It relies on the support of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
There used to be a Pan-African basketball league
The Basketball Africa League is not quite the first competition of its kind on the continent. In 2016, private entrepreneurs
launched the African Basketball League (ABL)
with a fairly similar system. Except that this closed league brought together teams created for the occasion in Nigeria, Gabon, Senegal and Ivory Coast. Teams automatically qualified for each ABL season. However, the project did not obtain the blessing of the African Confederation (FIBA Africa) and it stopped after a season.
The BAL, a semi-closed league, brings together clubs that already existed.
Champions from six countries are automatically qualified: Petro Atletico (Angola), Zamalek (Egypt), AS Salé (Morocco), Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria), AS Douanes (Senegal) and US Monastir (Tunisia).
Six others won their tickets for this first edition during qualifiers organized by FIBA Africa: GC Pétroliers (Algeria), FAP (Cameroon), AS Police (Mali), Patriots (Rwanda), GNBC (Madagascar), Ferrovario de Maputo ( Mozambique).
The BAL was launched with great fanfare, with Michael Jordan
It was on February 16, 2019 in Charlotte (South-East of the United States), on the sidelines of the annual gala match that brings together the best NBA (All Star Game) players that the creation of the
Basketball Africa League
was announced
.
A ceremony with great pomp with several African stars like Dikembe Mutombo or Bismack Biyombo.
Above all, basketball legend Michael Jordan was present during this launch.
And for good reason: his brand (Jordan Brand) will dress half of the teams that will compete in the BAL while the other half will be equipped by Nike.
Barack Obama was to play a role in the BAL
During the same ceremony, the NBA boss created a surprise by announcing that the former President of the United States Barack
Obama, a big basketball fan, was planning to invest in the Basketball Africa League
.
"
Barack Obama declared:"
I want to be directly involved in these activities in Africa ", assured Adam Silver.
So while we are still discussing with him what exactly his role will be, we know that he will be directly involved in our activities there as well
”.
Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic has passed through there and the presence of the former head of state no longer seems quite relevant.
American rapper J Cole will participate
On the other hand, there will be a surprise guest on the floors of the Kigali Arena, during this first edition.
This is the rap superstar J Cole whose new album ("
The Off-Season
") has just been released.
The one who has won several prestigious Grammy Awards is preparing with the BBC Patriots, the home team.
With his tens of millions of fans around the world, J Cole will provide additional exposure to a competition that will be broadcast by big media outlets like ESPN, Canal Plus and beIN.
There will be audiences in the stands
For its first edition, the Basketball Africa League will be able to count on a thousand spectators
in the stands of the Kigali Arena (10,000 seats)
.
As of May 13, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 340 deaths linked to Covid and nearly 26,000 cases in Rwanda.
For more than a year, local authorities have not hesitated to cancel several sporting events and / or to ban the travel of their athletes, to prevent the health situation from worsening.
For example, there was no public on the routes of the Tour du Rwanda cycliste (May 2-8).
The BAL would like to quickly organize the second edition
The first season was to begin in March 2020 and take place in the form of mini-tournaments in different cities of the continent, before a final phase in Kigali in May 2020. But, due to the health situation, the BAL has revised its ambitions downwards, with a two-week competition and 26 matches.
After having considered organizing a second edition at the end of 2021, the leaders of the Basketball Africa League have changed their minds.
They are now aiming for a second season in March-April 2022.
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