Basketball
Basketball Without Borders producing world class talent from Africa
Since 2003, Basketball Without Borders has had a strong presence on the continent; and, every year, the NBA hosts a basketball camp held in Johannesburg.
“What a blessing! I started playing basketball in 2011 and it was here in South Africa that I got a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
This was Joel Embiid’s post on his social media pages after participating in the NBA Africa Game. The annual exhibition contest serves part of Basketball Without Borders (BWB), an NBA and FIBA initiative which aims to promote basketball and ignite social change through outreach. The NBA brings young adolescents from all across the continent to South Africa where they learn the fundamentals under the guidance and mentorship of NBA players and coaches. The three day camps are also used to teach life and leadership skills.
It wasn’t long ago that Embiid was one of the campers, with dreams of becoming an NBA player. Fast forward seven years later and he’s on the other side.
“It feels good to be here. Back then I was 16 years old and I was kind of shy. I wasn't as good because that was the year when I started playing basketball. I didn’t expect it but it was my dream [to play in the NBA] and I’m glad I made it,” the Cameroonian center recalls.
The big man’s athleticism and physicality shined through despite being a late bloomer in the sport. His raw talent was enough to capture the attention of American scouts who would offer him a scholarship to finish high school in the United States. After completing his secondary education, Embiid was recruited to play for the University of Kansas – a prestigious NCAA Division I school. What was once an abstract dream for the young boy from Yaoundé was becoming a reality right before his eyes.
Embiid was an immediate stud at Kansas, cementing himself as one of the best centers in college basketball. By the end of his freshman year, he declared for the 2015 NBA Draft and was selected as the third overall pick in the first round by the Philadelphia Sixers.
Last campaign was the first time the dynamic center played a full season for the Sixers. He was one out of six players in the NBA to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, ranking fourth in blocks, sixth in rebounding and 12th in points per game. His excellent season earned his first NBA All Star team appearance and All-NBA Second Team honours while following behind Rudy Gobert in voting for the 2017-18 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
But Embiid is not the only Cameroonian from the BWB camps to making some noise in the league.
A year after Embiid went through the camps; a lanky Pascal Siakam would undergo a similar journey. But unlike his counterpart, he initially didn’t have a strong interest in basketball.
The swingman first participated in the Luc Mbah a Moute camps in Cameroon, “just for fun” and got an invitation to go to Johannesburg. He initially wanted to decline but his sister, Victoria was living in the city so he thought it would be a good opportunity to come see her. Little did he know that it would alter the course of his life.
When asked if he ever thought he would play in the NBA back then, the 24 year old immediately responds, “No. Never.” For him, BWB was just a good learning experience.
Javale McGee
© NBA
“Basketball wise I definitely learned a lot from all the coaches that were here and the players when I was here. In terms of life, I learned about being a leader in the community,” the 24 year old told Red Bull reporters.
After the camps, Siakam was recruited by God’s Academy, a small prep school located in Lewisville, Texas. The prospect was exciting and daunting for the young teenager who couldn’t speak English and had never left the continent before. After graduation, Siakam played for the New Mexico State University before being selected by the Toronto Raptors as the 27th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Siakam and Embiid are just two of many campers that have gotten the opportunity to study overseas and to play professional basketball in America and Europe.
“We are proud of these players from Africa increasingly making their mark in the league. We see the impact of what we’re doing year in and year out,” stated Amadou Gallo Fall, vice president of and managing director of NBA Africa as well as founder of SEED project.
He continues, “But it’s not just about the fundamental skills they can learn on the court, it’s really about how basketball can be used as a conduit to self-realization and we try to instil a sense of responsibility and a sense of community.”
And that has been the approach the NBA has used to develop the sport on the continent. The first step is to empower the kids that come through their camps and then encourage them to pay it forward.
“What we always say to every player that comes is to share the knowledge that you have gained and help grow the game in your country,” said Kim Bohuny, NBA Senior Vice President of International Basketball Operations.
BWB alumni Luc Mbah a Moute has been a perfect example of the NBA’s mission. The Cameroonian combo-forward was one of the first BWB campers and went onto have a 00 career in the league. In 2010, he formed his Mbah a Moute camps in order help the youth from his nation develop their basketball skills. For the past two years, the camps have been held in Zimbabwe where 50 young players from across the country are invited to participate.
Other players of African heritage (current and retired) like Dikembe Mutombo, Luol Deng, Bismack Biyombo and Gorgui Dieng have had strong philanthropic efforts on the continent which include but are not limited to developing basketball as well as assisting in funding and promoting education, healthcare and agriculture.
“The proudest accomplishment of BWB is not just the NBA players that have come out of the programme, but the players who have gone to college and gotten an education. We’re [also] creating citizens of the world through the game of basketball who continue to give back and contribute to the continent,” stated Mark Tatum, deputy vice president of the NBA.
The collective effort will continue to fortify the sport in Africa and bear more fruits in the near future.
“I think basketball in Africa is evolving and we’re going in the right direction. A lot of kids have talent and it will be great to watch them,” said Siakam.