The NBA also staged Africa Games in '15 and '17.GETTY IMAGES
NBA players will return to South Africa in August to participate in the third NBA Africa Game, officials said, according to Gene Cherry of REUTERS. The game, scheduled for Aug. 4, will match Team Africa against a world team. It will honor the centenary of the birth of former South Africa President and anti-apartheid fighter Nelson Mandela, who died in '13. Officials said that it will be played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The contest, a partnership of the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, follows "successful Africa Games" in '15 and '17 (REUTERS, 2/17). IOL's Jermaine Craig reported NBA Africa VP Amadou Gallo Fall said, "Hosting the third NBA Africa Game in Johannesburg gives us the chance to celebrate Africa and to celebrate the energy these role models bring for our youth. It's not just about the game being played on the court, we have a whole week where we engage with the community." NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said "in no uncertain terms" that the NBA saw the African continent as a "major growth opportunity" for the organization from a playing and commercial perspective. Silver: "Africa is one of the fastest-growing continents in the world and the NBA and the sport of basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. The NBA Africa game is not just about sport, but it's also about business" (IOL, 2/19).
