The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players
Association (NBPA) announced today the full roster of players and coaches who
will participate in the NBA Africa Game 2018, the NBA’s third game in Africa,
which will take place Saturday, Aug. 4 at 5 p.m. CAT (10 a.m. CT) at Sun Arena
at Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Garrett Temple will attend the game along with NBPA
Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Global Ambassador
Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Patrick Hunt (President of
the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia), Jerryd Bayless (76ers),
and former WNBA players Swin Cash, Astou N’Diaye (Senegal), Allison Feaster,
Clarisse Machanguana (Mozambique) and Ruth Riley.
The NBA Africa Game 2018 will once again feature a Team Africa vs. Team World
format. Team Africa will be composed of players born in Africa or with direct
family ties to the continent, and Team World will be composed of players from
the rest of the world. Tickets are available by visiting Computicket.com or
Computicket’s retail outlets in South Africa.
Luol Deng (Los Angeles Lakers; South Sudan) and Ian Mahinmi (Washington Wizards;
France; parent from Benin) join Team Africa, which already includes Al-Farouq
Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.; parents from Nigeria), Bismack Biyombo
(Charlotte Hornets; Democratic Republic of the Congo)*, Cheick Diallo (New
Orleans Pelicans; Mali), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa
2011)*, Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic; France; parent from Algeria), Serge Ibaka
(Toronto Raptors; Republic of the Congo), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Oklahoma City
Thunder; France; parent from Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Pascal
Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012). Team Africa will be coached by
Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.
John Collins (Atlanta Hawks; U.S.), JaVale McGee (Lakers; U.S.), Dennis Smith
Jr. (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.) and Marvin Williams (Hornets; U.S.) join Team
World, which already includes Harrison Barnes (Mavericks; U.S.), Danilo
Gallinari (LA Clippers; Italy; BWB Europe 2003), Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs;
U.S.)*, Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks; U.S.)*, and Hassan Whiteside (Heat;
U.S.). Team World will be coached by Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina
(Italy).
Also participating in the game will be NBA assistant coaches Bill Bayno (Indiana
Pacers), Harold Ellis (New York Knicks), Adrian Griffin (Raptors), Mark Hughes
(Clippers), B.J. Johnson (Houston Rockets), Patrick Mutombo (Raptors; Democratic
Republic of the Congo) and David Vanterpool (Trail Blazers), Raptors President
Masai Ujiri (Nigeria), Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka, Magic Director of
Player Development and Quality Control Becky Bonner, Magic scout Prosper
Karangwa (Rwanda), athletic trainers Will Sevening (Spurs) and Stanford Williams
(Phoenix Suns), as well as NBA referees Tony Brothers and Derrick Stafford.
The NBA Africa Game 2018 will take place following the 16th edition of
Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa. In honor of the centenary of Nelson
Mandela, the game will be played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The NBA Africa Game 2018 will air live in sub-Saharan Africa on Kwese Free
Sports, Kwese Sports 1, the Kwese TV app, as well as Kwese’s partner pay-TV and
free-to-air channels.
The NBA has held two sold-out Africa Games, in Johannesburg in 2015 and 2017, in
support of charities including the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Boys and Girls
Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA) and
UNICEF. There are more than 80 current and former NBA players from Africa or
with direct family ties to the continent, including Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) and Dikembe Mutombo.
For more information, fans can register at www.NBA.com/AfricaGame, visit
www.NBA.com/Africa, and follow the NBA on Facebook (NBA Africa) and Twitter
(@NBA_Africa).
*Team Co-Captain
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional
sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National
Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League. The NBA has
established a major international presence with games and programming in 215
countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than
125,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA rosters at the start of
the 2017-18 season featured 108 international players from a record 42 countries
and territories. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and
NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities
in the world, with 1.5 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.
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.
Elliot Steinbaum, NBA, +1 (212) 407-8657, esteinbaum@nba.com
Pawel Weszka, NBA Africa, +27 10 007 2666, pweszka@nba.com
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