With the new NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, comes the expansion of the league to a global atmosphere. We have seen NBA games played in venues like Mexico and London; and now, the growth of the league continues. This coming summer, an Exhibition Game will be played in Johannesburg, South Africa and it will feature some of the NBA’s elite players.
It’s only right that an African player help with the push of this Exhibition Game and in good fashion, the Miami Heat’s Luol Deng will be captain of Team Africa. He will be joined by other African players like the Thunder’s Serge Ibaka and the Timberwolves’ Gorgui Dieng. The NBA is doing great work with expanding the league across the world and giving people the opportunity to be able to watch and interact with the American league.
“Alot of people in Africa have always been passionate about it. And Growing up, they never had the chance to watch basketball…I’m glad the NBA is doing its part to get the people in Africa engaged,” Luol Deng commented. Families in South Africa now have the opportunity to watch a live game and the kids that dream of playing in the league can actually see that it is a possibility. Chris Paul was selected to lead Team World and we can expect the full roster to be released in the coming months.
A major move by the NBA to hold this game on the continent of Africa but only a small staple in the expansion process of the league. The NBA has also agreed to hold a training camp in the country of Cuba and it will host both the men’s and women’s national teams. More opportunities for international viewership and its very likely that this is just the beginning steps of what seems to be a global take over of the NBA.
