NBA Africa Game 2015

NBA Africa Game 2015

Team Africa Team World 97 101
1 2 3 4 Total Team World 17 21 24 39 101 Team Africa 30 26 22 19 97
Date	August 1, 2015
Venue	Ellis Park Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
MVP	Luol Deng Chris Paul

The National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa Game 2015 was an exhibition basketball game played on August 1, 2015 in Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the first NBA game, and the first game involving any major North American professional sports league, to take place on the continent of Africa. It was contested between Team Africa (NBA players and alumni that were born in or had parents born in Africa), and Team World (NBA players from the rest of the world).^[1]

Team World won the exhibition game by a score of 101-97.

Rosters

Team Africa[2] Pos. Origin Player Team F  Nigeria[lower-alpha 1] Al-Farouq Aminu Portland Trail Blazers F  Nigeria[lower-alpha 2] Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks F  Cameroon[lower-alpha 3] Nicolas Batum Charlotte Hornets F  DR Congo Bismack Biyombo Toronto Raptors F/C  Senegal[lower-alpha 4] Boris Diaw San Antonio Spurs F/C  Senegal Gorgui Dieng Minnesota Timberwolves F  South Sudan[lower-alpha 5] Luol Deng^CAP Miami Heat C  Nigeria Festus Ezeli Golden State Warriors F/C  Congo[lower-alpha 6] Serge Ibaka^INJ Oklahoma City Thunder C  Ghana[lower-alpha 7] Nazr Mohammed Chicago Bulls F  Cameroon Luc Mbah a Moute Los Angeles Clippers C  DR Congo Dikembe Mutombo retired NBA alumnus[3] C  Nigeria Hakeem Olajuwon retired NBA alumnus[3] Head Coach: Gregg Popovich (San Antonio Spurs)

Team World[2] Pos. Nat. Player Team G  U.S. Bradley Beal Washington Wizards G  U.S. Trey Burke Utah Jazz F  U.S. Kenneth Faried Denver Nuggets C  Spain Marc Gasol Memphis Grizzlies F  Spain Pau Gasol Chicago Bulls F  U.S. Jeff Green Memphis Grizzlies G  U.S. Chris Paul^CAP Los Angeles Clippers G  U.S. Marcus Smart Boston Celtics G/F  U.S. Evan Turner Boston Celtics F/C  Montenegro Nikola Vučević Orlando Magic Head Coach: Lionel Hollins (Brooklyn Nets)

• CAP^ Deng was the captain for Team Africa.^[1]
• CAP^ Paul was the captain for Team World.^[4]
• INJ^ Ibaka was unable to participate because of injury.^[1]

Coaches and managers

San Antonio Spurs head coach, three-time NBA Coach of the Year, and five time NBA champion Gregg Popovich coached Team Africa, including his team's Boris Diaw. Mike Budenholzer, who was named Coach of the Year for the prior NBA season, and Monty Williams served as assistant coaches for the African side. Billy King, general manager for the Brooklyn Nets, held that position for Africa along with former NBA Executive of the Year and Nigerian native Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors.

Team World was coached by Lionel Hollins and assistant Brad Stevens. They were managed by Spurs' general manager R. C. Buford.^[4]

Notes

1. Aminu was born in the United States, but his parents are from Nigeria.^[2]
2. Antetokounmpo holds Greek nationality, but his parents are from Nigeria.^[2]
3. Batum holds French nationality, but his father is from Cameroon.^[2]
4. Diaw holds French nationality, but his father is from Senegal.^[2]
5. Deng holds British nationality, but he was born in what is now South Sudan.^[2]
6. Ibaka represents Spain in international competition, but he was born in the Republic of the Congo.^[2]
7. Mohammed was born in the United States, but his parents were born in Ghana.^[2]

References

1. Daniels, Tim. "NBA Africa Game 2015: Date, Venue, Rosters and More". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
2. "Paul, Deng, Gasol brothers headline first NBA game in Africa". NBA. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
3. http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2015-08-01/dikembe-mutombo-hakeem-olajuwon-play-nba-africa-game-2015
4. Mahoney, Brian. "Popovich to coach, Gasols to play in NBA's 1st Africa game". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 19 July 2015.