The Northgate Dome in Johannesburg will host the second edition of the NBA Africa Game on August 5, it was announced here on Saturday.
The NBA’s commissioner, Adam Silver made the announcement at a special luncheon in the city, which this weekend is hosting one of the pinnacle events on the NBA calendar, the All Star Weekend.
“Basketball is witnessing explosive growth in Africa,” said Silver. “Our return to Johannesburg is part of the league’s continued commitment to bring the authentic NBA experience to fans around the world.”
The inaugural Africa Game was held at Ellis Park Arena in 2015 and the 4 500 tickets made available on that occasion were snapped up by the public in a few hours.
The big boss of the NBA - no not LeBron - commissioner Adam Silver announces the return of the NBA Africa Game in New Orleans on Saturday pic.twitter.com/I7UA0asBDM
— stuart hess (@shockerhess) February 18, 2017
The Northgate Dome can hold up to 20 000 people for concerts, but reconfiguring it for a basketball game will most likely mean at least 10 000 tickets can be made available.
The 2015 game featured the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luol Deng and Bismack Biyombo playing for Team Africa, while Chris Paul, Pau Gasol and Bradley Beal represented Team World.
The legendary duo of Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo both made appearances late in the game two years ago, nearly bringing the house down as they rekindled their playing days.
While full squads for this year’s tie will only be released in the coming months, the NBA confirmed that Congolese pair Biyombo and Emmanuel Mudiay would be among the participants for Team Africa, while CJ McCollum of the Portland Trailblazers is the first to commit for Team World.
“Returning to Africa to play in the second NBA game on the continent is a dream come true,” said Mudiay. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to participate and look forward to leading Team Africa to a win on August 5.”
LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers getting in some court time during the NBA All-Star practice in New Orleans on Saturday. Photo: Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
Biyombo, who joined up with Hollywood star Ben Affleck to start a charity and small business initiative in his native Congo, is also excited about returning for another Africa Game.
“It was an honour and privilege to play in the first NBA game in Africa in 2015. I’m looking forward to another great game in August,” said Biyombo, who is currently on the books of the Orlando Magic.
Amadou Gallo Fall, the NBA Vice President and Managing Director for Africa, said the game formed an important part of the organisation’s development initiatives throughout the continent.
“NBA Africa Game 2015 was a resounding success, and we are grateful for the support of the players and team personnel who participated,” said Fall.
“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.”
Ticket details for the August 5 event will be announced in due course.