What began as a bold experiment between the NBA and FIBA has evolved into a professional league that reflects the basketball ambitions of the continent.
Bonface Orucho, bird story agency
The ongoing 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season has been marked by fast-paced games, sold-out crowds, and a dazzling new standard for infrastructure.
With its high-definition screens, state-of-the-art court, and seating for over 15,000, the Dakar Arena in Senegal was the latest host of the Sahara conference from April 26th to May 4th, 2025, drawing 47,000 fans across match days.
US Monastir’s Patrick Hardy Jr. described their closing match against hosts ASC Ville de Dakar as “a big challenge.”
“The crowd always brings them back and gives them an extra boost,” he is quoted by the BAL news team after their conference closer.
However, the Tunisians silenced the home crowd with a commanding 77–68 win, punching their ticket to the highly anticipated playoffs at Pretoria’s SunBet Arena, set to tip off from June 6 to 14.
Monastir’s, the 2022 BAL champions, victory crowned them Sahara Conference champions with a 4-2 record, led by a red-hot Osiris Eldridge, who sank six threes en route to 22 points. Eldridge received a solid backup from Babacar Sane, Deng Acuoth, and Hardy Jr.
In perhaps the most stunning moment of the conference, BAL newcomers Kriol Star (Cape Verde) outlasted defending champions Petro de Luanda (Angola) in an overtime showdown, winning 71–69 and booking their playoff debut.
Veteran Ivan Almeida and rising NBA Academy Africa star Lewis Uvwo led the charge.
Kriol Star’s rise is a decade-long dream come true.
“Kriol Star started as a foundation between my brother and me back in 2015,” Ivan Almeida shared. “Now, in 2025, exactly ten years later, we’re in the BAL. It’s a historic moment—not just for Cape Verdean basketball, but for our country.”
His brother Joel echoed the pride and pressure of the journey.
“When I heard the buzzer and realized we qualified—we were in the BAL—I can’t even describe the feeling. All the sleepless nights, the thousands of hours on the phone, making this happen—it all paid off.”
Despite the loss, Petro de Luanda also advanced to the playoffs with a 3–3 record.
“We just have to be more focused… and stick to what we’re doing,” said team captain Yanick Moreira.
“We’re doing a great job defensively. We just have to rebound the ball better and keep playing together, sacrificing everything for one another.”
What is perhaps most outstanding is the sight of the gleaming interiors of Dakar Arena, brought to life by passionate Senegalese fans dancing courtside.
From the electric energy in the packed stands to the high-stakes action on the court, BAL 2025 is proving that African basketball is thriving in some of the continent’s most modern, professionally run venues.
Whether it’s a roaring crowd behind ASC Ville de Dakar or heartfelt post-game embraces, BAL continues to deliver a sports entertainment experience that’s global in feel but deeply African at its core.
And it’s not just in flagship arenas like Dakar Arena—new playing grounds are emerging, thanks to robust partnerships between the NBA and public-private actors.
Just a few kilometers away in Yoff, BAL and the City of Dakar unveiled a newly renovated community court on May 4, coinciding with the close of the Sahara Conference.
Now a vibrant hub serving over 5,000 locals, the court is part of NBA Africa’s ambitious plan to build 1,000 basketball spaces across the continent over the next decade.
“Today’s court unveiling, basketball clinic and malaria prevention workshop reflect our commitment to giving back to the communities where we operate,” said BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall.
This investment in infrastructure—both grand and grassroots—promises to uplift the sport and its players continent-wide.
Thierno Niang of ASC Ville de Dakar captured the passion and the behind-the-scenes impact tournaments such as the BAL league are having on players.
“We played a great game but came up short. Still, we woke up today with a good mindset. The crowd was unbelievable… their energy was amazing. We want the whole of Senegal to come out and support us so we can finish the job.”
Makhtar Gueye, a standout both in stats and spirit, added, “Everybody’s tired, but we all showed up. This is bigger than basketball—it means so much to us. We’re giving our all… Inshallah, we will win.”
The presence of global icons like Khaby Lame courtside—alongside local stars seizing their moment—underscores how BAL is crafting a pan-African spectacle where sport, culture, and ambition converge.
After Dakar, the action moves to Kigali’s BK Arena, where the Nile Conference will tip off from May 17–25.
Four teams—Made By Basketball (South Africa), Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya), Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya), and APR (Rwanda)—will battle for the final three playoff spots.
They’ll join five already-qualified squads: US Monastir, Kriol Star, Petro de Luanda, Al Ittihad (Egypt), and Rivers Hoopers (Nigeria).
Launched in partnership with FIBA, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) has become the NBA’s flagship in Africa — a league that’s raising the sport’s profile, attracting investment, and building a new generation of talent across the continent.
Driving this momentum is NBA Africa, the NBA’s business franchise in Africa, which has been spearheading grassroots development, elite competition, and bold infrastructure projects — all fueling the continent’s rapidly growing basketball ecosystem.
bird story agency
