Basketball Africa League
On the 16th of February 2019, Adam Silver stood before a packed press conference at NBA All-Star weekend to announce plans for a new continental professional basketball league. He declared that twelve teams would eventually compete after qualification tournaments later that year. The countries potentially hosting franchises included Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. Silver hinted that former U.S. president Barack Obama might join in an unspecified role. By May 2019, Amadou Gallo Fall was assigned as the first president of the Basketball Africa League. In September 2019, organizers announced venues for the inaugural season, including a Final Four played in Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
The qualifying tournaments began on the 15th of October 2019 with teams from thirty-two African countries participating. The start of the BAL was postponed twice due to the disruptive COVID-19 pandemic. The first game finally took place on the 16th of May 2021 inside the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. That entire tournament occurred within a bio-secure bubble allowing only limited attendance. On the 30th of May, Zamalek from Egypt won the first-ever championship by defeating US Monastir in the final match. The following season expanded the format with five-team conferences held in Dakar and Cairo before playoffs returned to Kigali.
Each current season features twelve teams divided into three conferences known as the Sahara Conference, Nile Conference, and Kalahari Conference. Teams play each other in a round-robin format within their respective groups. The two highest-placed teams from each conference plus the two best third-ranked teams advance to single-elimination playoffs. The fourth league season in 2024 introduced the Kalahari Conference alongside existing structures. Petro de Luanda became the first team from Sub-Saharan Africa to win the championship that year. By September 2025, Adam Silver announced intentions to transition to a closed league with permanent franchises instead of rotating qualification spots.
Ahead of the 2022 season, the BAL launched the Elevate program in cooperation with the NBA Academy Africa. This initiative places academy players on team rosters while preserving amateur status through exclusion from prize money sharing. Ulrich Chomche from Cameroon became the first former BAL player drafted into the National Basketball Association during the second round of the 2024 draft. On the 25th of June 2025, Khaman Maluach was selected tenth overall in the 2025 NBA draft, marking the highest selection for any former BAL player. Chris Crawford remains the all-time scoring leader after accumulating three hundred forty-one points across three seasons.
NBA Africa operates as a sub-entity established in May 2021 to own and run the Basketball Africa League. Strategic investors included a consortium led by Babatunde Folawiyo and Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation. Former players such as Dikembe Mutombo, Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng, Grant Hill, Joakim Noah and Ian Mahinmi purchased stakes in the organization. Two months later, Barack Obama joined as a strategic partner while buying a minority stake. Adam Silver stated that NBA Africa held a valuation of one billion dollars at establishment. Since its inception, sponsors have included Air Jordan, Flutterwave, French Development Agency, Hennessy, New Fortress Energy, Nike, RwandAir, Visit Rwanda and Wilson.
The Human Rights Foundation criticized the league for maintaining close relations with Paul Kagame and his Rwandan authoritarian government. They sent an official letter to the NBA regarding these concerns. Other newspapers including The Guardian and Bloomberg News described the league as a tool for sportswashing linked to repression and involvement in the Rwandan Civil War. President Paul Kagame appeared at ceremonies for the unveiling of the BAL logo in Kigali during 2018. Despite these criticisms, the league continues operations with games broadcast across two hundred fifteen countries in fourteen languages through partners like ESPN Africa and beIN Sports.
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Common questions
When was the Basketball Africa League officially announced?
Adam Silver announced plans for the Basketball Africa League on the 16th of February 2019 during NBA All-Star weekend. The league initially planned to have twelve teams compete after qualification tournaments later that year.
Who won the first championship of the Basketball Africa League?
Zamalek from Egypt won the first-ever Basketball Africa League championship on the 30th of May 2021 by defeating US Monastir in the final match. This victory occurred within a bio-secure bubble at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda.
What are the three conferences in the current Basketball Africa League format?
Each season features twelve teams divided into three conferences known as the Sahara Conference, Nile Conference, and Kalahari Conference. The fourth league season in 2024 introduced the Kalahari Conference alongside existing structures.
Which former Basketball Africa League player had the highest draft selection in the 2025 NBA draft?
Khaman Maluach was selected tenth overall in the 2025 NBA draft marking the highest selection for any former Basketball Africa League player. Ulrich Chomche from Cameroon became the first former BAL player drafted into the National Basketball Association during the second round of the 2024 draft.
When did Adam Silver announce plans to transition the Basketball Africa League to a closed league model?
Adam Silver announced intentions to transition to a closed league with permanent franchises instead of rotating qualification spots by September 2025. NBA Africa operates as a sub-entity established in May 2021 to own and run the Basketball Africa League.