The NBA Academy Africa is a basketball team and academy operated by the National Basketball Association (NBA), located in Saly, Senegal.[1] Opened in 2017,[2] the academy offers both education and basketball trainings.[1] Several alumni of the program have played in professional leagues. The academy is a shared program between the NBA and SEED Academy. The academy has two indoor training courts, as well as dormitories and educational facilities.[3]
| NBA Academy Africa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | Road to BAL |
| Founded | 2017 |
| History | NBA Academy Africa 2017–present |
| Location | Saly, Senegal |
| Head coach | Alfred Aboya |
Since 2022, the academy has a program called BAL Elevate with the Basketball Africa League (BAL), that allows each BAL team to select an academy player to feature on its roster during the season.[4] A year earlier, in 2021, Mohab Yasser became the first academy player to play in the BAL and also the first player to win the league championship.
For the following 2023 season, the NBA Academy enrolled its own team in the Road to BAL qualifiers where they played against professional teams.[5] Despite being ineligible to qualify for the BAL, they finished with a successful 2–1 record, after beating Burundian champions Urunani and Kenyan champions KPA.[6][7]
Players
edit2022 roster
editIn November 2022, the NBA Academy Africa fielded the following roster playing in the 2023 BAL qualification.[8]
| NBA Academy Africa roster | |
|---|---|
| Players | Coaches |
Updated: 29 October 2022 | |
Notable alumni
editThe following list features players who have played for a professional club or have played in their country's national team:
- Ibou Badji (2018) – signed with FC Barcelona B in Spain; later became the first NBA Academy Africa graduate to play in the NBA properly due to him playing for the Portland Trail Blazers on December 26, 2023.
- Kurt-Curry Wegscheider (2019) – plays for the Central African Republic national team and NCAA college basketball.
- Mohab Yasser (2020) – first academy player to play in the BAL and to win the championship during his time with Zamalek. Yasser also plays for the Egypt national team.
- Babacar Sané (2022) – plays for the Senegal national team and was the first academy player to sign in the NBA G League in 2022.[3]
- Ugonna Onyenso (2022) – youngest player ever to debut for the Nigerian national team and a commit for Kentucky in 2022.
- Thierry Serge Darlan (2022) – starter for the Central African national team.
- Ulrich Chomche (2024) – became the first NBA Academy Africa graduate student and the first Basketball Africa League player to get selected in an NBA draft by being selected 57th in the 2024 NBA draft. Chomche was traded to the Toronto Raptors via the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Games in the Road to BAL
editThe NBA Academy Africa has faced off against several national champions in the Road to BAL. They enter in the Elite 16 round, and as a wild card, are not eligible to advance to the semi-finals or to qualify for the main league season.
2022
edit| 22 November 2022 | Cape Town Tigers | 85–60 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
| 23 November 2022 | NBA Academy Africa | 79–69 | Urunani | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
| 24 November 2022 | KPA | 69–84 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
2023
edit| 21 November 2023 | NBA Academy Africa | 84–57 | Pazi | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
| 22 November 2023 | Dynamo | 71–76 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
| 23 November 2023 | Cape Town Tigers | 69–61 | NBA Academy Africa | Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boxscore | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b "NBA Academy Africa". NBA: Academy. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ "Inside the NBA Academy and what it means for the future of basketball". ESPN.com. 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ a b Spears, Marc J. (2022-10-26). "Meet Babacar Sane, who 'represents something a little bit different' with the NBA's G League Ignite". Andscape. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ "BAL teams to field one NBA Academy player each in 2022". ESPN.com. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
- ^ "Draw results in for Elite 16 Round of Season 3 of Basketball Africa League". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2022-11-08.
- ^ "NBA Academy Africa shock Urunani in tense battle". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- ^ "Players that grabbed the spotlight ahead of the Road to BAL East Division's Semi-Finals". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved 2022-11-26.
- ^ "NBA Academy Africa at the Africa Champions Clubs ROAD TO B.A.L. 2023 2022".
