The document discusses the increasing popularity of basketball in Africa and efforts to promote the sport continent-wide. It summarizes the inaugural season of the new African Basketball League (ABL), which featured clubs from Nigeria, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Gabon playing games in Lagos and Abidjan for the first time. The ABL aims to create a sustainable basketball league and bring continental club competition closer to local fans. It also discusses the continued popularity of the NBA in Africa through youth programs and television broadcasts, as different organizations work to grow basketball across the continent.

1. August 1, 2016 THE BBALLNAIJA® NEWSLETTER
The BballNaija® Newsletter – August 2016
INCREASING APPETITE FOR BASKETBALL – WHO
CONQUERS AFRICA?
The conversation about a particular sport is loudest
during its competitions, events or tournaments. The
excitement and anticipation that builds up before the
tournament as well as the celebration or
disappointment – as the case might be – afterwards
makes sports one of the most efficient connections to
people’s emotions.
Basketball conversation in Nigeria was loudest last year
when the male National basketball team – DTigers –
became African champions for the first time in the
history of the Tournament. The conversation is still on
as we countdown to the 2016 Summer Olympics.
As expected, the female senior team received similar
attention during AfrobasketWomen Competition and
the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
It is obvious that we need more tournaments to keep
the conversation going and to keep the interest of the
sport in the heart of the fans. I strongly believe this is
the main reason behind the new FIBA Competition
System and Calendar. The new system increases the
number of games played by national teams in their
home countries. It will also address the threatened
economic viability as other sports improve their
positions.
This a good idea. However, there a limit to the number
of national team games that can be played in one year.
So the most ideal type of
tournament needed to
promote basketball in
any territory are the
leagues.
The largest basketball organization in the continent is
FIBA Africa and they are responsible for organizing the
FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup and the FIBA Africa
Women’s Clubs Champions Cup. These competitions
are the highest level of club basketball and they feature
top teams from the professional leagues of member
federations.
Teams from Nigeria that have featured in the male
tournament include Kano Pillars, Mark Mentors, Dodan
Warriors (now Lagos Warriors), Ebun Comets, Niger
Potters, Plateau Peaks, Royal Hoopers (now Rivers
Hoopers) and Union Bank. Only Lagos Warriors and
Kano Pillars have medals to show for it.
Female clubs include Bini Queens (once in 1987),
Dolphins (5x), First Bank (14x), First Deepwater (4x)
and Nigeria Customs (once in 2001). First Bank and
First Deepwater are the only clubs with podium finish.
These participating teams play in a zonal qualifiers in
the last quarter of the year. The zonal qualifiers usually
span for about a week while the Clubs Championships
run for 10-14 days.
Because of the format, frequency and the timing for the
competition, there is a major disconnect between the
basketball fans in African and these continental
tournament. Also since the qualifiers and the
championship are played in selected host countries,
fans of participating clubs do not get to see their team
play against other African teams on home court.
The African Basketball League (ABL) is a private
basketball league which aims to bridge the gap in
continental basketball; and in the process, create a
system that will support the creation of viable and
valuable basketball franchises.
The maiden season of the ABL tipped off early this year
with 6 teams from 4 countries – Nigeria, Senegal, Cote
D’Ivoire and Gabon. Games were played in Lagos and
Abidjan. For the first time in a very long time, fans of
Lagos teams – Lagos Warriors, Lagos Islanders and
Stallions (former Union Bank Basketball Team) and
Nigerian basketball fans generally witnessed these clubs

2. August 1, 2016 THE BBALLNAIJA® NEWSLETTER
The BballNaija® Newsletter – August 2016
take on other African clubs right here in Lagos. I am
sure this is how the Abidjan fans also during the ABL
Final Four in Abidjan.
This is great development for basketball in Africa and
considering that the ABL plans to expand to 30 teams
from 15 different countries, continental basketball will
be closer to the hearts of the fans than ever.
However, regardless of the existence and improvement
of continental basketball in Africa, the NBA still remain
the most popular basketball league in the world and as
expected, its reach covers the entire continent.
Basketball fans here know more about the NBA teams
and their players than they do the clubs in their
respective countries.
Asides the general popularity of the league, the fact that
well above 30 players with African descent have played
in the NBA at different times including Hall of Famers
Dikembe Mutombo and Hakeen Olajuwon has
endeared the league more to fans in the continent.
The league has not rested on its oars. It has also
invested in African through various youth development
programmes including Basketball without Borders,
Power Forward, NBA Jnr etc. The NBA also gave the
fans a first-hand experience with an exhibition
basketball game between Team World and Team Africa
in Johannesburg last year.
The latest effort from the league to harness the
relationship with Africa was the multiyear partnership
with Econet media for the delivery of live NBA games
and programming across TV, internet and mobile to
fans in sub-saharan Africa via Kwese Sports.
Based on the followership of this elite sport in Africa, it
is safe to conclude that basketball is full of potentials
that is yet to be fully optimised in the continent.
So, as the appetite for basketball increase, who
conquers the African market – FIBA, ABL or NBA?
_________________________________________________________________________________
DSTV PREMIER BASKETBALL LEAGUE – THE 2016 FINALS
Kwara Falcons’ Best Finish in franchise history!
Not only did the Kwara Falcons finished overall fourth –
their best finish in franchise history, they also won
fairplay team of the year and we witnessed a stellar
performance from their star player Wilfred Romeo.
Their target was to qualify for the continental
tournaments. They aimed for the moon and fell on the
stars. What would they aim for next season?
Mark Mentors’ “tanked”!
Mark Mentors failed to qualify for the PBL Final Four
Playoffs. The first time they won’t qualify since they
joined the league 4 seasons ago. They are rumoured to
have financial problems which lead to some of their key
players leaving the club at the beginning of the season.

3. August 1, 2016 THE BBALLNAIJA® NEWSLETTER
The BballNaija® Newsletter – August 2016
Is this the end of the road for Mark Mentors or will they
come back bigger and better?
The Return of the Hoopers!
The Rivers Hoopers returned to the league with the
objective of becoming champions again but they fell short.
They couldn’t get past Kano Pillars at the semis of the
Final Four playoffs.
Regardless, they did well. Will 2017 season be better for
them?
Kano Pillars Crowned Again
Kano Pillars were again crowned champions of the DSTV
Premier Basketball League making it their fifth title in the
new era. The won in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014.
Are the Pillars truly unstoppable? Who can stop them?
Customs made Lagos proud
For the first time in the history of the Customs basketball
Club, they made it to the finals of the DSTV Premier
Basketball League and will represent the country at the
continental club tournaments. Being the only club from
Lagos in the 2016 season, they made Lagos fans proud.
Would they have achieved this feat if the other three
teams from Lagos weren’t banned from the league? Are
they prepared for basketball outside Nigeria?
__________________________________________________________________________
ABL SEASON 2 TIPS OFF IN OCTOBER 2016
ARE YOU READY???
More Teams!! More Countries!! More Excitement!!
#MORETHANAGAME
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