{"id":6610,"date":"2026-10-02T09:49:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T09:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6610"},"modified":"2026-10-02T09:49:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T09:49:45","slug":"nba-closes-sole-africa-training-academy-in-blow-to-young-players-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=6610","title":{"rendered":"NBA closes sole Africa training academy in blow to young players | Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NBA says its focus is on new global academy opening in Abu Dhabi as Africa, Mexico and Australia hit by closures.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 2 Oct 2026<\/span>2 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, less than a decade after it was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players for professional leagues in the United States and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The decision to close NBA Academy Africa was a blow to students and young players across the continent, two former employees said.<\/p>\n

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Michel Chikwanine, who had been the academy\u2019s performance and lifestyle adviser, said late Thursday that the news discouraged African players just beginning to build confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Michael Abbott, former head of academic planning at the academy, said it showed a lack of commitment to the students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey weren\u2019t invested in them as kids as much as they were invested in the business model,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

In response to questions from the Reuters news agency, the NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy. It has previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia. All training will be run out of a new global academy to open soon in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, it said.<\/p>\n

In its statement, the NBA added that it is continuing to invest in African talent through other programmes and closing the academy does not signal a diminished commitment to the continent.<\/p>\n

It cited examples such as the creation of a Basketball Africa League, which has concluded six seasons, and Basketball Without Borders, which organises elite training camps for young people worldwide, including in Africa.<\/p>\n

NBA success in Africa followed by closure<\/h2>\n

NBA Academy Africa has trained about 110 students since launching in Senegal in 2018, Abbott said, and many have moved on to elite schools and universities in the US. The most successful students were drafted into the NBA.<\/p>\n

Graduate Ulrich Kamka Chomche of Cameroon became the first player to be drafted into the NBA in 2024 and played for the Toronto Raptors. Former academy student Khaman Maluach of South Sudan plays for the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n

Chikwanine said closing the academy will limit opportunities for African players, who often come from challenging backgrounds and need specific support. All African prospects will have to compete globally for spots in the UAE.<\/p>\n

He said the NBA\u2019s decision reinforced a message felt by many Africans that big companies come to the continent claiming to want to invest in people but in reality just want to make money.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey come in with an extraction mindset,\u201d he said. \u201cThat has always been a reality on the continent of Africa. \u2026 There is a huge mistrust that has been built.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NBA denied that closing the academy would limit opportunities for young African players. It said training all young players at a single location would give them greater exposure to professional coaches and scouts worldwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re incredibly proud of the impact that NBA Academy Africa has had and remain committed to developing the next generation of African players,\u201d Troy Justice, NBA senior vice president, said in a statement, adding that several other youth development initiatives still operate on the continent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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NBA says its focus is on new global academy opening in Abu Dhabi as Africa, Mexico and Australia hit by closures. Published On 2 Oct 20262 Oct 2026 The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, less than a decade after it was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6611,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6610","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t