NBA, FIBA bringing pro league to Africa

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The NBA is bringing a pro league to Africa.

The Basketball Africa League, a collaboration between the NBA and the sport’s global governing body FIBA, was announced Saturday. The initial plan is for the 12-team league to begin play in January.

It’s yet to be determined which existing club teams will be part of the league. Qualification tournaments will be held later this year to determine those clubs, with teams from Angola, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia expected to be among those taking part. No nation will have more than two teams in the league.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says the league is “an important next step in our continued development of the game of basketball in Africa.”