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Everything was planned for the great launch in Dakar of the Basketball Africa League (BAL). The twelve teams were ready, the employees recruited, the stadium reserved, the artists booked. "We were on the verge of starting to sell tickets", even reminds the Senegalese Amadou Gallo Fall, president of this new tournament which was to start on March 13. But the coronavirus has arrived, sweeping everything in its path and postponing, like all sporting events, the kick-off of the matches to a next day. "But we are ready, assures Mr. Fall. We continue to work behind the scenes, we haven't slowed down. "
The BAL is a pan-African competition organized and subsidized by the NBA and supervised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The NBA? For several decades now, the prestigious body of the American championship has been very interested in Africa. Besides, some icons of this discipline come from this continent: the Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon and the Congolese Dikembe Mutombo (DRC) are respectively first and second best blockers in the history of the NBA. "They fell into basketball by chance: these two monsters of our sport could have missed out", says Mr. Fall, who is also vice president of the NBA and director of the NBA Africa.
"Our product speaks to youth"
This league, bringing together teams from twelve countries (Senegal, Mali, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Cameroon, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tunisia, Madagascar, Angola and Nigeria), is the last step in a long journey that the NBA has operated in this part of the world for almost twenty years. It comes to close a strategy of conquering the brand in Africa.
There was first the organization of camps for young people (2003), then the opening of an office in Johannesburg (2010), the organization of exhibition matches (NBA Africa Games) in South Africa with stars from the continent playing in major American clubs, the launch of an NBA-stamped academy in Saly, Senegal, with twenty young aspirants, or the construction of a hundred basketball courts in different countries.
Africa, new "playground" for the American giant? The pun is easy, but for its leaders, the economic and sporting spinoffs seem limitless. "It’s the youngest continent in the world, it has an affinity for the product we offer, recognizes Mr. Fall. Our product combines music, fashion, technology and entertainment: it speaks to this youth. And it’s a continent that also has a lot of athletic talent. That's why we chose Africa. This is where we see the greatest potential and opportunities to attract fans. "
To maximize this “potential”, basketball must be made more professional in Africa. For this, the NBA brings all its expertise and its financial power: organization and marketing of the tournament, audiovisual production, training of coaches and referees, subsidizing teams to allow them to travel, pay players, recruit others or to hire medical staff … And its partnership with FIBA - a first – will help the national federations to better structure their administration.
“We cannot skimp on resources if we want to change the game and train local expertise. The goal of BAL is to create a real basketball industry. It's an entire ecosystem that will professionalizesays Fall. It’s a huge investment on our part. We have a long-term approach, we are here forever. We set milestones by going step by step. "
"An entertainment brand"
The BAL, which will have its offices in Dakar, was able to convince major sponsors, such as Nike or the balloon brand Wilson. Now, when the tournament begins, it will have to attract an audience with two difficulties: the price of the ticket and the filling of the halls. Regarding the price of entry tickets, the NBA Africa ensures that it will "Very affordable". And to prevent the pitches from being spectatorless, as in some African Cup of Nations (CAN) football matches, the organizer has scheduled meetings over several days, accompanied by concerts or fashion shows. "We are building an entertainment brand", insists Mr. Fall.
The vice-president of the NBA also ensures that the BAL will be seen, especially on TV, all over Africa and around the world. The championship, which will be played in Dakar, Monastir, Luanda, Lagos, Cairo, Rabat and Kigali, is "Intended to promote and develop African talents but also to attract talents who will come from the rest of the world", he adds. Create enthusiasm, bring out champions, professionalize the sport, increase the number of fans, make basketball accessible, focus on training, the show… All this to develop the NBA brand in Africa and reach the greatest number of youth.
But with BAL, the idea is not to create a bridge between the United States and Africa, where NBA clubs would recruit local players. "There will be detection, but I don't want to give the impression that we are in Africa to serve as a springboardanswers Mr. Fall. What I want is to develop heroes from the continent who will inspire the youngest. When these young people see these stars playing, they will think that one day they can join the BAL. It’s more realistic than the NBA. If you are talented, you have a path that allows you to evolve. " The BAL should trace its furrow across the continent and, as its president says, "In any case, the best will always arrive in the NBA".
