For the second time, the NBA will have its stars playing basketball on African soil.
The stage is set in Johanesburg, South Africa for the second NBA Africa game where a select team (Team World) will face off with players with African roots featuring in the NBA.
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced the full rosters for NBA Africa Game 2017.
The game will be played at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa. NBA Africa Game 2017 comes after the 15th edition of Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa.
Uganda is represented by youngster Fayed Bbale. The game will be played in support of UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA).
Team Africa will be led by team captains Luol Deng (Los Angeles Lakers; South Sudan) and Thabo Sefolosha (most recently with the Atlanta Hawks; Switzerland; parent from South Africa).
Deng and Sefolosha will be joined by Bismack Biyombo (Orlando Magic; Democratic Republic of the Congo), Clint Capela (Houston Rockets; Switzerland; parents from Angola and Congo), Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves; Senegal; BWB Africa 2009), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Serge Ibaka (Toronto Raptors; Congo), Luc Mbah a Moute (most recently with the LA Clippers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2003), Salah Mejri (Dallas Mavericks; Tunisia), Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets; Democratic Republic of the Congo), Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers; U.S.; parent from Nigeria) and Dennis Schroder (Hawks; Germany; parent from The Gambia).
Team World, comprised of players from the rest of the world, will be led by team captains Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks; Germany) and Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets; U.S.).
Nowitzki and Walker will be joined by Leandro Barbosa (most recently with the Phoenix Suns; Brazil), Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics; U.S.), Wilson Chandler (Nuggets; U.S.), DeMarcus Cousins (New Orleans Pelicans; U.S.), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons; U.S.), Courtney Lee (New York Knicks; U.S.), Kyle Lowry (Raptors; U.S.), CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.) and Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks; Latvia).
Also participating in the game will be NBA head coaches Alvin Gentry (Pelicans), Michael Malone (Nuggets) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), assistant coaches David Adelman (Magic), Pat Delany (Hornets), BJ Johnson (Rockets), Sidney Lowe (Washington Wizards), Jamahl Mosley (Mavericks), Patrick Mutombo (Raptors) and Lloyd Pierce (76ers), Heat assistant GM Adam Simon, Raptors President Masai Ujiri (Nigeria), athletic trainers Keith Jones (Rockets) and Ed Lacerte (Celtics), as well as NBA referees James Capers and Zach Zarba.
Uganda Live Screening
In Uganda, the live screening of the game will be held at the Lugogo Indoor stadium. There will be a 3 X 3 challenge for the local fans.
Fans will have the opportunity to challenge for freebies including NBA merchandise like caps, t-shirts and others.
Team World came from behind to defeat Team Africa last year.
Grace Kwizera, the NBA Junior League project manager will represent the country at the event.