The final score in the first ever NBA Africa Game might not have gone Team Africa’s way, Team World won 101-97, but the African continent and African basketball was the real winner.
Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg was buzzing on Saturday before tip-off of the main attraction. A Basketball without Borders (BWB) All-Star game between the campers was the feature curtain-raiser.
It was a chance for many of the young boys to get an opportunity to showcase their skills. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was courtside casting an eye over a few players who he could be welcoming into the league in a few years.
By the time the main event began the crowd were ready and so were the players as months of preparation culminated in a superb game of free-flowing basketball. It might not have had much edge or real tempo in the opening exchanges, but towards the end the players on both teams showed a real desire to win.
This was the one that every African NBA fan had been waiting for and they weren’t disappointed. Dunks, spin moves, sharp eye-of-the-needle passes and lots of showboating kept those in attendance entertained.
