NEW YORK AND JOHANNESBURG – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that NBA Africa Game 2017, the NBA’s second game in Africa, will take place Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The announcement was made at the annual NBA Africa All-Star Luncheon in New Orleans by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall, who were joined by NBA Africa Game 2017 players Bismack Biyombo (Orlando Magic; Democratic Republic of the Congo), CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.) and Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets; Democratic Republic of the Congo).
The game, which will take place following the 15th edition of Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa, will once again feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format and will be played in support of UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA). Team Africa will be comprised of players from Africa and second generation African players, and Team World will be comprised of players from the rest of the world. The game will air live in sub-Saharan Africa on Kwesé’s TV, Internet and mobile platforms, including Kwesé Free Sports, Kwesé Sports, select free-to-air channels, Kwesesports.com, and the Kwesé app.
Biyombo, the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and a member of Team Africa in NBA Africa Game 2015, will join 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Mudiay on Team Africa. McCollum, the 2015-16 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, will play for Team World.
Full rosters of players, coaches and legends, along with ticket information will be announced at a later date.
The sold-out NBA Africa Game 2015, the first NBA game on the continent, took place Aug. 1, 2015 at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg and was played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOSCVSA.
For more information, fans can visit www.NBA.com/Africa, the league’s official online destination in Africa, and follow the NBA on Facebook (NBA Africa) and Twitter (@NBA_Africa).
Executive and Player Quotes:
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver:
“Basketball is witnessing explosive growth in Africa. Our return to Johannesburg this summer is part of the league’s continued commitment to bring the authentic NBA experience to fans around the world. I would like to thank the NBPA for their participation and for being terrific partners on this game and surrounding events.”
NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts:
“NBA players are among the most popular athletes in the world, and we’re excited to continue the game’s global growth with this second game in Africa. Our players remain committed to growing the game on the continent, and this showcase will continue to build on the positive momentum we generated with the historic first game in 2015.”
NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall:
“NBA Africa Game 2015 was a resounding success, and we are grateful for the support of the players and team personnel who participated. While we are investing more than ever in grassroots programming and in delivering locally relevant content to our fans across the continent, there is no substitute for live NBA games. I hope fans from throughout Africa will join us in Johannesburg or on Kwesé’s platforms on August 5 to see some of the NBA’s best players compete on African soil.”
Econet Founder and Executive Chairman Strive Masiyiwa:
“Kwesé is fast becoming the destination of choice for sports fanatics across sub-Saharan Africa, and the ability to exclusively carry NBA content, including NBA Africa Game 2017, on all Kwesé platforms is indicative of the strides we are making in the sports and broadcast industries.”
Orlando Magic forward/center Bismack Biyombo:
“It was an honor and privilege to play in the first NBA game in Africa in 2015. I’m looking forward to another great game in August.”
Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum:
“I’ve heard so many great things from players around the league who traveled to South Africa in 2015 for the first NBA Africa Game and Basketball without Borders. I can’t wait to suit up for Team World in Johannesburg this summer.”
Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay:
“Returning to Africa to play in the second NBA game on the continent is a dream come true. I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate and look forward to leading Team Africa to a win on August 5.”
About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the NBA Development League. The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com and the NBA App, which achieved record viewership and traffic during the 2015-16 season. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than one billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
About the NBPA
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals — on and off the court.
The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interest of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities.
In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities — from executive leadership roles, to team representative positions, global community outreach initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.
