USA TODAY International Edition
NBA will launch league in Africa in 2020
Obama expected to have a key role
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The NBA and FIBA plan to launch a professional basketball league in Africa called the Basketball Africa League featuring 12 teams from the continent.
The league is scheduled for launch next January and will be the NBA’s first collaboration to run a pro sports league outside of North America. Former President Barack Obama, an avid basketball fan, is expected to have a hands-on role.
“The Basketball Africa League is an important next step in our continued development of the game of basketball in Africa,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Combined with our other programs on the continent, we are committed to using basketball as an economic engine to create new opportunities in sports, media and technology across Africa.”
A qualifying event in Africa will determine the 12-team league. No more than two teams from one country can qualify. While the NBA is invested in China and India, it also believes there remains undiscovered talent in Africa.
❚ Slam-dunk winner: Props were the name of the game in this year’s Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend.
Atlanta’s John Collins brought creativity with a homage to the Wright brothers in North Carolina by leaping over a small replica of a plane. New York’s Dennis Smith Jr. came with gravity-defying leaping ability over J. Cole.
Oklahoma City’s Hamidou Diallo brought the biggest man in the building — Shaquille O’Neal — onto the court and jumped over him and dunked the ball, putting his entire arm through the basket a la Vince Carter, then flashed a Superman shirt he was wearing underneath his Thunder jersey.
Diallo and Smith Jr. advanced to the final round, and Diallo won the event scoring 45 points on his final dunk, a two-handed slam after jumping over and grabbing the basketball from rapper Quavo of Migos.
Diallo worked with Chuck Millan of Team Flight Brothers to come up with his dunks.
“My guy Chuck, he really helped me out, and he knows what I could do. I know what I could do,” Diallo said. “So it was all about being creative. We knew from Day One that this was going to be what was going to happen.”
Diallo’s dunk over O’Neal earned a 50 from the judges, as did Smith’s dunk with J. Cole. Collins’ tribute to aviation received a 42.
❚ 3-point contest: The Steph CurrySeth Curry showdown didn’t materialize.
Of the two brothers, only Steph advanced to the final round, and not even the player considered the best shooter in NBA history could win his second 3-Point Contest.
Brooklyn’s Joe Harris, who is 16th in the league in 3-pointers made and second in 3-point percentage this season, won the event for the first time with a stellar performance in the final round with 26 points.
Competing in his first 3-Point Contest, Harris hit all five money-ball shots on the final rack in the final round.
“Steph is the greatest shooter of all time,” Harris said. “But again, shooting off of the rack for a minute is not indicative of being a better shooter than Steph Curry. I don’t want anybody to get it twisted at all. He is coming in, and he’s won this thing. He’s participated a number of times. For me to come in my first time and to win, it’s a surreal experience.”
Curry, who won the event in 2015, made a run at Harris. He made his first nine shots in the final round, struggled with the third and fourth racks and then hit four of five on the final rack, coming up just short. Had he made his final shot, he would’ve tied Harris.
The Nets put together a campaign to get Harris into the competition, and he delivered.
“Obviously, I was all for it,” Harris said. “I think to experience All-Star is quite unique, and we were in a position this first half of the season where percentage-wise they thought that I might have a chance to shoot in the 3-Point Contest.”
Harris was also strong in the first round with 25 points, second to Steph’s 27. Sacramento’s Buddy Hield made the final round, finishing third.