Basketball Without Borders
Sixers-Raptors highlight Africa’s NBA influence
When Philadelphia and Toronto played Monday night, it was more than a matchup of two of the better NBA teams in the Eastern Conference. And it was more than a rematch of last season’s thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference semifinals series.
The game will spotlight Africa’s steady contribution to the NBA.
The Sixers-Raptors game featured two stars, the Sixers’ Joel Embiid and the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam, who were born in Cameroon, illustrating how important Africa is to the NBA.
Both players were discovered at Basketball Without Borders, played college basketball in the USA and developed into All-Stars.
“Just to have two guys who are on separate teams but at the top of their teams means everything,” Siakam told USA TODAY Sports. “It just shows the amount of talent we have on the continent, and for Cameroon, it’s a blessing and we’re excited about it. To represent our country at such a high level, it’s amazing.”
While the NBA has made significant inroads into China and India, Africa remains a focal point because of the talent on the court and potential for audience growth.
❚ Twelve players from Africa were on opening-day rosters and nearly 10% of NBA players were born in Africa or had a parent born on the continent, including Embiid, Siakam and 2018-19 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
❚ In March, the Basketball Africa League will commence with 12 teams playing in seven cities with significant backing from the NBA, FIBA and Hornets owner Michael Jordan’s Jordan Brand.
❚ In July, the NBA traveled to Dakar, Senegal, for its Basketball Without Borders camp that included 20 girls and 40 boys who were coached by Embiid, Chris Bosh, Malcolm Brogdon, Luol Deng, Gorgui Deng, Luc Mbah a Moute, Tacko Fall, Kenny Atkinson and Doc Rivers, among others.
❚ Raptors president Masai Ujiri, who grew up in Nigeria, is a regular at BWB and has a separate camp, Giants of Africa, that provides opportunities for male and female players 15-19 across Africa.
❚ NBA commissioner Adam Silver told an audience in July that he wants the NBA to become the No. 1 lifestyle brand in Africa by 2030.
❚ If the NBA decides to play a preseason game in Africa, Toronto and Philadelphia, with its connections to Africa, want to be involved, and the game likely would be played at Dakar Arena in Senegal.
“It’s one of the places we’re looking in the world where we see enormous opportunity,” Silver said before Game 1 of this year’s NBA Finals. “Ultimately, it’s because of (the) transformational nature of digital media where in Africa, a continent of over a billion people, where there are something like 700 million cellphones, 400 million of which are smartphones.
“So it’s been revolutionary in terms of the people of Africa’s ability to watch our games in real time on handheld devices. So we see enormous growth opportunities both in terms of players and for participation and ultimately an interest for the league.”
Siakam was 17 when he attended Basketball Without Borders in South Africa. At the time, basketball wasn’t his motivation for going. His sister, who he hadn’t seen in five years, lived in South Africa.
“I didn’t really expect anything,” Siakam said. “When I get there, I saw NBA players and coaches. It opened my eyes, and I saw how big of (a) deal it was. It gave me a little bit of perspective.”
Siakam played college basketball at New Mexico State, and the Raptors drafted him with the No. 27 pick in 2016. Raptors executives would be telling lies if they said they knew Siakam would turn into an All-Star-caliber, two-way player by his fourth season in the league. In October, he signed a fouryear, $130 million extension.
He returned to Africa as a Basketball Without Borders coach in 2018 and plans to go back and help teach talented players who might end up in the NBA.
“I feel it’s definitely my job to make sure I go back and help,” Siakam said. “I don’t know if there are other Pascal Siakams, but there is definitely endless talent over there.”