America’s National Basketball Association (NBA) has opened an office in Nairobi located in Westlands to support the development of the sport in the country.
The renowned organization has announced plans to implement grassroots programmes to nurture talent in Kenya and will partner with the ministry of sports, the ministry of education, and the Kenya Basketball Federation to develop a comprehensive basketball ecosystem in the nation.
Through his X account, a thrilled President William Ruto has said, “This is a result of an MOU we signed with the NBA in September in New York.
Ruto held a meeting in State House, Nairobi with NBA officials, including NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams and NBA Kenya Senior Director and Country Operations Lead Micheal Finley along with the five-time NBA champion Ron Harper. The Cabinet Secretary for Sport Ababu Namwamba was also present and the US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman.
As NBA Africa reports, to celebrate the office opening, NBA Africa held a Jr. NBA clinic for 70 boys and girls ages 16 and under in Nairobi, where five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams, Basketball Africa League President Amadou Gallo Fall, and Finley attended.
“The launch of our office in Nairobi reflects the enormous potential for basketball and the NBA in Kenya and across East Africa,” said Williams.
He added, “Basketball is one of the most popular team sports among Kenyan youth, and having a year-round presence on the ground will allow us to work more closely with local stakeholders to further grow the game here and make it more accessible to fans and players across the country.”
Kenya joins Egypt, Senegal, South Africa, and Nigeria as the only African countries with NBA offices.
About NBA Africa
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization that aims to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball.
NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; and Lagos, Nigeria. The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010.
The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, an NBA Store, the BAL, and more.
Last year, NBA Africa reached more than eight million youth across the continent through basketball development, life-skills programming, and social media engagement.
The NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that will tip off its fourth season in March 2024.
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