NBA AFRICA HONORS NELSON MANDELA THROUGH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY SERVICE
The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) conducted a series of youth development, community service and business events in the week leading up to the NBA Africa Game 2018. The NBA’s third game in Africa took place Saturday August 4 at Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria.
The week of activities, which embodied Nelson Mandela’s legacy and his belief that sports have the power to inspire and change the world, included the 16th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, a Habitat for Humanity service project, a training camp for the boys and girls teams that represented Africa & Middle East at the first Jr. NBA World Championship, a youth leadership program hosted by the NBPA Foundation for eight students to learn about Nelson Mandela’s legacy and participate in the week’s activities, and the second NBA Africa Innovation Summit.
In the lead up to the week’s festivities, NBA vice president and managing director for Africa, Amadou Gallo Fall said “We are excited that the week of activities leading up to the third NBA Africa Game in four years will honor Nelson Mandela’s centenary and his belief that sport has the power to change the world,”
“Our youth development and community outreach programs as well as the second NBA Africa Innovation Summit will demonstrate our commitment to growing basketball across the continent while using the transformative power of our game to foster positive social change. We are grateful to all the players, our partners and our fans for their continued support.”
Basketball Without Borders Africa:
The NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) conducted the 16th edition of BWB Africa, which brought together 78 of the top boys and girls from 29 African countries to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches.
NBA Cares and NBPA Foundation Events in the Community:
As part of NBA Africa Game 2018 and BWB Africa efforts, NBA Cares – the league’s global social responsibility program – hosted a series of events to leave a lasting legacy in the community. Hoops 4 Hope, a partner on the BWB camp for more than 12 years, also conducted a life skills seminar for all BWB campers, as well as NBA and WNBA players, coaches and legends, using interactive basketball activities to focus on leadership and character development. In partnership with the NBPA Foundation, NBA and WNBA players, coaches, legends, executives and guests volunteered to build 10 homes in Lawley Extension, Gauteng with Habitat for Humanity South Africa. At the completion of this project, the NBA has created 87 places to live, learn and play in seven countries in Africa.
Throughout the week, the NBPA Foundation hsoted “More Than a Game”, a youth leadership program for eight students from Chicago and Johannesburg to learn about Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy and participate in the week’s activities. The program focused on exploring the intersection between basketball and social justice through learning about Nelson Mandela’s life as an activist, statesman and philanthropist. Additionally, NBA players, coaches and guests visited the Nelson Mandela Centre for Memory on Friday and Saturday to learn more about the legacy left by Mandela and his profound influence on sport and society. In honor of the centenary of Nelson Mandela, the NBA Africa Game 2018 was played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
NBA Africa Innovation Summit:
The second NBA Africa Innovation Summit, was hosted at The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Houghton, Johannesburg on Aug. 3 in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Econet and SAP, once again brought together leaders from business, entertainment, philanthropy, sports, social entrepreneurship, technology and youth development to share and discuss innovative ways of empowering and inspiring youth to drive positive social change in Africa.
NBA Sports Medicine Symposium:
The NBA and NBA Physicians Association hosted a sports medicine symposium at the Holiday Inn Johannesburg – Rosebank on Friday which brought together international leaders in orthopedics, sports medicine and performance to highlight best practices in player health and wellness. The symposium provided an opportunity for participants, including NBA team physicians and athletic trainers, to exchange ideas and develop relationships between the NBA and international experts, with the goal of improving player health and wellness in basketball and across sports.