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Olajuwon, Mutombo Steal The Show At NBA's First-Ever Exhibition In Africa

The NBA "put on a show in its first exhibition game in Africa on Saturday," culminating when Basketball HOFers and native Africans Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo "stripped off their business suits to don their old team uniforms again and play for a little while," according to Gerald Imray of the AP. The 52-year-old Olajuwon, in a No. 34 Rockets jersey, "pulled off a turn-around jumper -- the 'Dream Shake' -- that had the current NBA stars leaping off the benches with their arms in the air." Clippers G Chris Paul said, "That's one of the most memorable experiences ever." Imray wrote the game was "largely about the entertainment factor, with cheerleaders and several NBA team mascots mixing it up with the South African crowd." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that the exhibition in downtown Johannesburg "was the NBA's biggest step into Africa so far, and could be the pre-cursor to a preseason and maybe even a regular season game on the continent" (AP, 8/1). In DC, Marissa Payne wrote Olajuwon and Mutombo, 49, "didn't just stand around looking awesome in their throwback uniforms." Rather, they "balled" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 8/1). In Houston, Jonathan Feigen wrote Olajuwon's 59 seconds in the game were "an expected thrill." Team World defeated Team Africa in the exhibition 101-97 (CHRON.com, 8/1).

BASKETBALL DIPLOMACY: Heat F Luol Deng, a native of South Sudan, said, "As a kid growing up, I could never watch the NBA or meet NBA players. For me to be back on the continent and representing it, I can't describe it. ... I think the high point has been just seeing the kids." He added, "The NBA has been taking steps forward (in Africa), and this is a huge step forward" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/2). Nets coach Lionel Hollins, who coached Team World, said, "It's a life-changing experience when you come over here. ... I think more players should get out of their comfort zone, travel around the world and see how other people live. You find that people are the same everywhere -- that they have the same goals, the same aspirations, the same dreams. Everybody goes about getting them a bit differently, but they still do it." ESPN N.Y.'s Mike Mazzeo noted Hollins was "quite busy during the trip, visiting places like the Cape of Hope, Robben Island and a Johannesburg orphanage" (ESPNNY.com, 7/31). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt wrote the NBA "increased its effort this season bringing several high-profile NBA players and coaches to Johannesburg" for three days of "basketball and life instruction for nearly 60 of Africa best players" born in '98 (USATODAY.com, 8/1).

UJIRI'S PART: The NATIONAL POST's Eric Koreen noted Raptors President of Basketball Operations & GM Masai Ujiri is "spending a week in August with kids at a basketball camp, building the next generation of players." What "started as one camp in Nigeria 12 years ago expands to four countries this month," as Ujiri’s Giants of Africa program "will now run in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda in addition to Ujiri’s home country." One hundred of the kids who have attended the program "have moved to the United States to play in high school or college, with about 20 developing into professional basketball players in Europe." The camps also "have the backing of Nestle and Nike" (NATIONAL POST, 8/1).

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