The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coach Budenholzer jumped at chance to visit Africa,
Coach says he’d welcome return visit with Hawks.
This might not be Mike Budenholzer’s only trip to South Africa.
The Hawks coach will serve as an assistant for the NBA Africa 2015 game in Johannesburg on Saturday, the culmination of this year’s Basketball Without Borders event on the continent. It’s the first NBA game of any kind in Africa.
Budenholzer is serving under his mentor Gregg Popovich for Team Africa’s exhibition against Team World that features 20 NBA players.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday that the league will likely be back to Africa with a preseason contest and then, perhaps, a regular-season game.
“Stay tuned,” Silver told reporters in Johannesburg. “This is an experiment of sorts. Part of why I’m here is to continue to investigate new facilities. We would want a larger, more modern arena for a regular or preseason game here. And it’s also to test the response here.
“These things just take time, but I’m very confident that in the not-too-distant future, we will be playing, to begin with, a preseason game on the continent of Africa.”
Could being a part of this year’s event clear the way for Budenholzer and the Hawks to be one of those future participants?
“The NBA is always looking to grow our sport and have games in different parts of the world,” Budenholzer said. “Having a preseason game in South Africa or somewhere on the continent would be great for everybody involved. Hopefully, it’s a win-win if something like that happens. We are always interested in having life experiences and cultural experiences with the Hawks. I think it’s something we would consider, but it’s not something that has been shared or discussed with us as of now.”
Budenholzer said he took part in a Basketball Without Borders trip to Argentina and Brazil 12 years ago. When presented with the opportunity to travel to Africa, he and his family jumped at the chance. He, his wife and four children spent three days in Cape Town acting as tourists with a visit to Table Mountain, watching penguins and riding horses on the beach. He did not get a chance to visit Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, or swim with sharks in steel cages.
“My kids are pretty anxious to do it but I’m not,” Budenholzer said of an underwater shark excursion.
Following the game, the family will travel to Zimbabwe for a safari.
The game, which will be televised by ESPN at 9 a.m., will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Basketball Without Borders is the NBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.
NBA global ambassador Dikembe Mutombo and NBA Africa ambassador Hakeem Olajuwon are also a part of the event.
Budenholzer said the game will be more than an exhibition.
“I think they want to show the fans here a good game and an entertaining game,” he said. “I think it will be somewhere between an All-Star Game and a real competitive game. The players want to show everybody here how the game is played but put on a show at the same time.”