The NBA "put on a show" in its first exhibition game in Africa on Saturday -- starting with a dunk straight from the tipoff by Luc Mbah a Moute. That had the crowd "roaring early at Ellis Park Arena in downtown Johannesburg." It got even louder when African NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo "stripped off their business suits to don their old team uniforms again and play for a little while in the second quarter." Olajuwon, in a Houston No. 34 jersey, pulled off a turnaround jumper -- the "Dream Shake" -- that had the current NBA stars "leaping off the benches with their arms in the air." Chris Paul of the L.A. Clippers said, "That's one of the most memorable experiences ever. I told Dream, if he's still moving like that at his age now, I couldn't imagine him in his day." The game was "largely about the entertainment factor, with cheerleaders and several NBA team mascots mixing it up with the South African crowd" (AP, 8/1). In London, David Smith wrote Luol Deng of the Miami Heat has "been a child refugee, played on the biggest stages of the NBA and met Barack Obama at the White House." And on Sunday he headed to "war-torn South Sudan to visit his family." Yet it was "the prospect of appearing before a few thousand people that gave him butterflies." Deng said, "It's the first time I've played in front of the continent of Africa." Deng captained "Team Africa" against "Team World" in the NBA’s first exhibition game in Africa. It was "an experiment, and statement of intent, on a continent where you are never more than six feet" from someone wearing an English or Spanish football shirt. Asked if basketball could compete with football and other sports in Africa, Deng replied, "Of course it can. Even if you have 30 sports in Africa, it's never enough when you have so many people here and so many talents." Al-Farouq Aminu of the Portland Trail Blazers and Nigeria said, "It was special. I think the fans really got into it, especially in the second half, and I know the players enjoyed it. You can see the potential is there in Africa." Not everything "hit the right note." The game was played at the "scruffy 4,000-seat Ellis Park arena, much smaller than NBA stars are accustomed to." Tickets had reportedly sold out within two hours of becoming available, "but dozens of empty seats were visible in the stand -- possibly reflecting competition from the Soweto football derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates," which sold all 94,000 tickets. Entertainment before the game, and during timeouts, "lacked the razzmatazz of an American sporting spectacle." And some were "puzzled that the players wore the shirts of their home teams instead of ones specifically designed for the contest." One local radio commentator said, "I'm disappointed they're wearing their own teams' shirts. If you've never seen basketball before, you're going to be very confused" (GUARDIAN, 8/1).
LIVING THE DREAM: The AFP reported Olajuwon raised "one of the loudest roars with a two-pointer before retiring breathless." He said, "This is an incredible day -- a dream come true. I am so proud to be part of this historic, wonderful occasion." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who attended the match, said "it was only a matter of time before a pre-season game was staged in Africa." A mainly "young, multiracial, multi-gender and smartly dressed crowd" turned up to cheer their sporting idols. Silver: "This match was an experiment." Silver's guests included South African Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula. Mbalula: "Among the reasons I am here is to investigate new facilities. We would want a larger, modern arena before staging a pre-season or regular season NBA match" (AFP, 8/2).
