Aminu, Ezeli, line up for NBA Africa showdown

In from Nifemi Daniel…

National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have listed Nigeria’s Al-Farouq Aminu and Festus Ezeli for the first NBA game in Africa, which will take place August 1 at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aminu, who recently moved from the Dallas Mavericks to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Ezeli, who won an NBA title this past season with the Golden State Warriors, will both feature for Team Africa against Team World in the NBA Africa Game 2015 which will be played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Team Africa, comprised of players born in Africa and second-generation African players, will also feature ‘Greek Freak’ Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, whose parents hail from Nigeria; French star Nicolas Batum, whose parents are from Cameroon; DR Congo-born Bismack Biyombo of the Toronto Raptors, Senegalese-born Boris Diaw, who plays for France; Congo-born Serge Ibaka, and Cameroon-born Luc Mbah a Moute. Two-time NBA All-Star Luol Deng of the Miami Heat, who was born in South Sudan, will captain Team Africa.

Five-time NBA Champion Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs will coach Team Africa, while former Nigerian international, Masai Ujiri, will act as the General Manager of the team. Ujiri is currently the General Manager of the Toronto Raptors.

Team World, comprised of players from the rest of the world, will feature team captain, NBPA President and eight-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers; U.S.), Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards; U.S.), Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets; U.S.), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies; Spain), Pau Gasol (Chicago Bulls; Spain), Jeff Green (Memphis Grizzlies; U.S.), Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics; U.S.), Evan Turner (Boston Celtics; U.S.) and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).

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They will be coached by Brooklyn Nets coach Lionel Hollins, while San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the Team World general manager.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will attend the game along with NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and NBA Africa Ambassador Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).

The NBA has a long history in Africa with more than 35 players from the continent featuring on NBA rosters since Olajuwon was drafted in 1984.

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