Africa dey provide 'ogbonge talent' for NBA

Nigeria Hakeem Olajuwon bin open doors for Africans to enta di National Basketball Association (NBA) forty years ago. Dis season, three oda young centres dey prepare to follow im footsteps dis season.

Cameroon international Ulrich Chomche na di youngest player wey dem pick during di NBA Draft for June. Dem also pick Yves Missi wey grow for di Central African nation and Adem Bona wey dem born for Lagos, Nigeria.

Di three of dem wey go play for Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers. Dem dey join 10% of current NBA players wey dem born for Africa or wey one of dia parent wey dem born for d continent.

NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum tell BBC Sport Africa say, "You go see ogbonge amount of talent wey dey comot from di continent.

"Two of di last three Most Valuable Players na Joel Embiid, from Cameroon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo wey get Nigerian roots.

"Victor Wembanyama, wey be di number one draft pick and di Rookie of di Year, dis past year too get African roots."

As di 2024-25 season dey start, five-time NBA champion, Derek Fisher believe say Embiid wey decide to represent di US fit help di 76ers win dia first title since 1983.

Fisher tell BBC Sport Africa, "Joel don tok about how e wan dey healthy for di NA play-off gan-gan.

"We neva see wia Joel dey healthy for di play-off bifor. If e happun, I tink say e go make di 76ers turn to team to watch for di Eastern Conference."

Eyes dey torchlight Celtics and James family

Fisher, wey win all im titles wit di LA Lakers for im 18-year career believe say defending Champions, Boston Celtics still be di team to beat.

E tok say, "No reason dey to believe say Celtics no get beta chance to comot from di East again. I sha tink say di 76ers go challenge dem.

"For di West, e dey harder to pick. Plenti ogbonge teams dey so e dey hard to pick one.

"I go say make you torchlight di Oklahoma City Thunder. And I tink say di Denver Nuggets fit get back to di top."

Apart from di gbas-gbos of basketball, Fisher dey interested in di tori of Lebron and Bronny James, wey be di first papa and pikin duo for NBA history and how e fit affect di development of future talent.

Di former point-guard tok say, "Lebron and Bronny na two different pipo, wey obviously get one name so e dey exciting.

"I know we dey see am based on basketball but I tink say we need to look am as men wey get pikin or young boy for our lives for any business or work we dey do.

"If we get opportunity to build sometin for ova 20 years and dem open di door make dem enta am, e dey set example for plenti pipo.

"Wetin we dey try do na to just drop ladder so di pipo wey dey come tomorrow go get beta access and opportunities."

Talent development

Fisher dey also help future basketball players im way, dis na as di 50 year old recently organize clinic for Kenya to take share im love of di game.

E tok say, "I tink e dey important say no be only say dem go export talent go oda places, but also say we dey develop young talent for id continent.

"Evri great player no suppose comot bifor dem see am as ogbonge."

Fisher bin spend di afternoon wit 80 young pipo and coaches from different schools across Nairobi. Na NBA Africa arrange di event.

"E dey important to show young pipo say we care. For me gan-gan na through basketball. Dis na wia e start."

For many of di young pipo na di Basketball Africa League (BAL) wey NBA dey back na im dem fit show dia talents.

Tatun tok say, "For NBA, na only 450 jobs dey but plenti talent dey di continent so we tink say we fit build beta league for African players."

Growing di BAL

Di BAL dey enta im fourth year but neva make profit even though di pipo wey dey attend don increase and e get beta media visibility.

Clare Akamanzi wey dem appoint as chief executive of NBA Africa last December no dey worried.

She tell BBC Sport Africa say, "Wit BAL we dey wia we dey hope say we go reach wen we bin start four years ago."

"Success for us mean say one, dem go recognize us as league. Two na to make more kontris to follow join.

"We don get ova 25 kontris to participate for di road to BAL. Wetin we don see be say kontris don dey gingered to start teams. Central African Republic na one of those kontris."

Akamanzi say di BAL "go make money" but to delevop well-well dey important.

She add say, "We wan make money? Bicos las-las dis na business.

"But we dey in year four and we expect to dey here, to invest in all di tins wey grow am in sustainable way ova a long time. We know say di game of basketball go just grow."

Part of NBA investment for Africa na to build 1,000 basketball courts across di continent ova di next ten years wey include 100 for Kenya.

Di aim na to provide proper facilities and equal opportunities for girls.

Akamanzi tok say, "evri clinic wey we get, we make sure say na 50% girls, 50% boys.

"We dey see di potential, and di potential for us mean say we go get girls wey dey pay basketball professionally."