Sons of Africa
by Julio Chitunda 24 July 2015, 21:08
The clock is ticking fast for the inaugural NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 1, and supersport.com brings you individual profiles of Team Africa players.
The exhibition game will feature Team Africa - composed of Africa-born and second-generation players - against a Team World select.
Three-time NBA head coach of the Year Gregg Popovich will be at helm of Team Africa, while the World Team will be coached by Brooklyn's Lionel Hollins.
Luol Deng (PF, 6'9", Miami Heat)
- Team Africa captain
- Born in South Sudan, 16 April 1985
- As a child Deng lived in Egypt, but moved to the United Kingdom during his boyhood years. Internationally he represents Great Britain and he led them at the 2012 London Olympics.
"Coming from South Sudan and having participated in the Basketball without Borders Africa camps in Johannesburg previously, I am truly honoured to be part of this historic event.”
Gorgui Dieng (C, 6'11", Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Born in Senegal, 18 January 1990
- Gorgui Dieng attended SEEDS Academy in his native Senegal and was named MVP of the 2009 Basketball Without Borders Africa camp in Johannesburg.
- He is a 2013 NCAA champion with the Louisville University.
- In that summer Dieng was drafted 21st by the Utah Jazz, but was later traded to Minnesota.
- Dieng had a breakout season this year, averaging a career-high 9.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 30 minutes per game.
Festus Ezeli (C, 6'11", Golden State Warriors)
- Born in Nigeria, 21 October 1989
- Newly crowned NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, Ezeli was drafted 30th in 2012 by the Warriors.
- He has missed out the entire 2013-14 NBA season due to a knee injury, but came back with timely contributions to help the Warriors win their second Larry O’Brian trophy since 1975.
Bismack Biyombo (PF/C, 6'9", Toronto Raptors)
- Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 28 August 1992
- Biyombo was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft after raising eyebrows at the Nike Summit in which he recorded the first-ever triple double, with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks in the event.
- His journey to stardom took him to Yemen, before he had a breakout season with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada of the Spanish ACB league in 2011.
- In 4 seasons with Charlotte Hornets (287 games), the Lubumbashi native with a terrific ability to protect the rim, averaged 4.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Luc Mbah a Moute (SF, 6'7", formerly Philadelphia 76ers)
- Born in Cameroon, 9 September 1986
- Before Mbah a Moute starred for the UCLA in the USA college ranks, the Cameroonian showed his talent at the 2003 Basketball Without Borders Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- The 27-year-old, who last played for the Philadelphia 76ers, was selected in the second round of the 2008 pick by the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that he played for 5 seasons.
- This past season, the Cameroonian averaged a career-high 9.9 points per game.
- A prominent member of Cameroon’s national team, Mbah a Moute is expected to represent his country at AfroBasket (August 19-30) in Tunisia.
Serge Ibaka (PF, 6'10", Oklahoma City Thunder)
- Born in Republic of Congo,
- Ibaka grabbed the international public’s attention with dominant performances at the 2006 FIBA Africa U18 Championship held in Durban, South Africa, averaging a tournament-high 18.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game although his country finished fourth.
- The Congolese moved to Spain, and later represented the country internationally.
- Ibaka was selected in the first-round (24th) by the Seattle Supersonics - the team later relocated to Oklahoma City (OKC).
- He went on to become a player of the OKC.
Boris Diaw (PF, 6'9", San Antonio Spurs)
- Born in France, 16 April 1982 to a Senegalese father and a French mother
- NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs, big man Diaw has a great passing ability.
- He is a regular member of the French national team, and has helped his country win the 2013 edition of the EuroBasket held in Slovenia.
- Earlier this year, the Boris Diaw’s Foundation Babac’ards teamed up with Dakar-based SEED Project to launch Senegal’s only girl’s high-school elite academy and basketball project.
Nicolas Batum (SF, 6'8", Charlotte Hornets)
- Born in France, 14 December 1988, to French mother and Cameroonian father
- Batum has recently joined the Charlotte Hornets after spending the previous seven seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers (481 games, 428 starts).
- Similarly to Diaw, Batum, who was selected in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by the Houston before being traded to Portland, is a regular member of the French national team.
- An athletic small forward with a decent jump shooting, Batum is equally regarded as a quality defender.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF, 6'11", Milwaukee Bucks)
- Born in Greece, 6 December 1994 to Nigerian parents
- The youngest member of Team Africa, Antetokounmpo, who was drafted 15th overall by Milwaukee in 2013, is a superstar in the making.
- Highly athletic, the 20-year-old continues to play a crucial role in the rebuilding of the Bucks.
- Early this year, Giannis starred at the 2015 NBA All-Star Rising Stars, taking part in the Slam Dunk contest. He didn’t win, but his athleticism could not go unnoticed.
Al-Farouq Aminu (SF, 6'9", Portland Trail Blazers)
- Born in the USA (Atlanta, GA, 21 September 1990 to Nigerian parents
- A regular member of the Nigerian national team, Aminu was selected with eighth pick in the 2010 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Aminu is a super athletic small forward, who rose to the occasion in the last season’s playoffs while playing for the Dallas Mavericks.
Nazr Mohamed (C, 6'10", formerly Chicago Bulls)
- Born in the USA, 5 September 1977
- Mohamed has become the latest addition to Team Africa for the upcoming NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 1 August.
- The American of Ghanaian heritage becomes the third element in the Team Africa with an NBA title ring (other than Boris Diaw and Festus Ezeli).
- The 37-year-old, whose 17-season NBA career has taken him to several teams, has helped San Antonio beat the Detroit Pistons in Game 7 of the 2004-05 Finals to clinch his silverware.
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