Africa: The Future of Basketball?

Africa: The Future of Basketball?

The NBA is growing beyond North America. The world is now at your fingertips. This has led to new exposure to different cultures and backgrounds. Talent is being showcased on a grand scale. This draft shows that the NBA is also changing. With the first two draft picks being from France. The stigma of foreign players being soft is gone. The Olympics have shown that this year. South Sudan almost had an impressive game against Team USA. LeBron James, one of the greatest basketball players ever, had to hit the game-winner. The world saw the future of basketball. With Africa becoming the forefront of it all!

The NBA has taken a serious approach to Africa. Seeing it as the future of the league. Building the infrastructure to ensure that future talents come out of the continent. Masai Ujiri is from Nigeria, Luol Deng is from South Sudan, and Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is from Congo. They have been big voices for their respective countries and Africa as a whole. Along with the NBA, it celebrates athletes from that part of the world and promotes that the NBA is a global sport.

Africa is notorious for its history of conflict and war. If you ask any average person on the streets of America what they know about Africa, they will say: war and hunger. It is devastating. These nations have diverse cultures and peoples. A negative stereotype relegates them. You look at soccer; all the players are from Africa. For example, Mbappé is African. His dad is from Cameroon, and his mom is Algerian. But he's credited as French. Or Sadio Mané, who is one of the most famous players in the world. These players bring a positive image. They do so not only to the sport but to the continent known for "Hotel Rwanda."

Now, we are seeing that with the NBA. A few African players were there: Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, and Manute Bol. Since then, the talent pool has gotten better. With notable All-Star Africans like Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam. Like many basketball players, they have backgrounds that trace back to their homelands. This is true for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. They have exposed that the league isn't an American sport. Fans are seeing that during the Team South Sudan and USA games. American exceptionalism is dying. Basketball is becoming global like soccer. The days of the Dream Team dominating are gone. It is becoming a sport that anyone can play.

South Sudan is a recently formed country that gained its independence in 2011. The country is still trying to form its economy as it seceded from mainland Sudan. The NBA has had its eyes there since getting Manute Bol in the NBA. There have been many talents in the past few years from that nation. Luol Deng, JT Thor, Thon Maker, and Bol Bol have been the most notable players from South Sudan. The NBA is watching a new country because it has the tallest tribe. The Dinkas are the name of the tribe. The average height is 6 feet tall, which attracts the league to take a look. That nation has a lot of potential to produce a ton of superstars. Africa has some of the tallest people in the world.

The world is changing. It has become more accessible. We encounter people from various cultures and backgrounds. We are seeing that with the NBA. Fans have access to European and African cultures due to the stars being from those parts of the world. The globalization of the league has been the best thing for the sport. No one would have thought that a sport from Massachusetts would reach the globe. A continent that is misunderstood could become the hub of future basketball players.

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