NBA Africa says it will build outdoor basketball courts and conduct youth clinics in Nairobi, Kenya, and Rwanda next year, under the organization’s commitment to construct 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade. The development, announced at a press conference in Nairobi on Tuesday, October 8, will see a total of 100 basketball courts built in Kenya. No details on number of courts to be constructed in Rwanda were shared. As part of the collaboration, NBA Africa and Opportunity International will also hold a development program for coaches and teachers in both cities aimed at providing them with skills and best practices in coaching, refereeing, game operations, event management, program administration, according to the announcement. “Our collaboration with Opportunity International reflects our commitment to investing in local basketball ecosystems across Africa and providing youth with the resources and opportunities to develop their leadership and basketball skills,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum. “We look forward to working together to create safe spaces where Kenyan and Rwandan youth can play the game and participate in programs that help develop the next generation of coaches and mentors.” According to Opportunity International CEO Atul Tandon, “This initiative is key to our longstanding commitment to bring more education and more opportunities to the youth of Africa, and we are grateful to NBA Africa, NBA Deputy Commissioner Tatum, and our longtime friend and partner Sam Garvin for coming together to help build a rising Africa.” The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches, and parents. In 2023, Jr. NBA programming directly reached more than 170,000 youth across Africa.
