Twenty-eight basketball coaches from 17 African countries have been selected to participate in the NBA 2K24 Summer League (https://www.NBA.com), which will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada from July 7-17, 2023.
The selected coaches form part of the Africa Coaches Program, which builds on NBA Africa’s and Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) commitment to building the capacity and expertise of coaches from across the continent, improving the quality of the on-court product, and contributing to the continued growth of basketball in Africa. Several of the coaches represent teams that have participated in the BAL.
Please see below for some of the notable storylines of these coaches, followed by the full roster of the African coaches who will take part in the Summer League.
Storylines
- Building Continuity: Six teams that took part in the 2023 BAL season will have at least one coach participating – Al Ahly (Egypt), Cape Town Tigers (South Africa), City Oilers (Uganda), Petro de Luanda (Angola), Rwanda Energy Group (REG) and US Monastir (Tunisia).
- US Monastir captain Radhouane Slimane (Tunisia, Brooklyn Nets) is an African basketball legend whose career has spanned more than 20 years. He led the Tunisian national league champions to the 2022 BAL championship.
- Cape Town Tigers assistant coach Vincent Ntunja (South Africa, Minnesota Timberwolves) is a former Basketball National League (BNL) and South Africa National Team player. Ntunja made two FIBA AfroBasket appearances and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of Hall of Famer Michael Jordan’s basketball camp in 1998.
- Sergio Cristovao (Angola, Milwaukee Bucks) took part in all three BAL seasons with Petro de Luanda where he serves as a player development coach.
- Two coaches – Francois Enyegue (Cameroon, Orlando Magic) and Emmanuel Mavomo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Utah Jazz) – return to the Summer League for a second consecutive year. Last year, they coached with the Milwaukee Bucks (https://apo-opa.info/3D4EBPm) and Toronto Raptors (https://apo-opa.info/3r8ui9Z), respectively. Enyegue is currently the head coach of Forces Armées et Police Basketball (FAP; Cameroon) and served as head coach of Team Africa&Middle East Girls at the Jr. NBA Global Championship in 2018. Mavomo is Paris Basketball’s assistant coach and served as an assistant coach of BC Espoir Fukash during the 2022 BAL season.
- From Jr. NBA to the Summer League: Samba Fall (Senegal) and Edison Saranga (Mozambique) coached the Africa boys team who finished second at the 2019 Jr. NBA Global Championship in Orlando, Florida.
- NBA Academy Africa Well-Represented: NBA Academy Africa player development coaches Karim Nesba (Morocco) and Moratiemang Junior Mmoloke (South Africa) will coach with the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. Nesba is a former AS Salé and Morocco National Team player. Prior to joining the academy in Senegal, Mmoloke was head coach at the Royal Bafokeng Jr. NBA program in South Africa, the league’s largest Jr. NBA program on the continent.
- Representing Women: Mavita Ali (Uganda, San Antonio Spurs) joins the Africa Coaches Program as part of NBA Africa’s and the BAL’s efforts to create more opportunities for women in basketball. She is the assistant coach of the Uganda Women’s National Team and founder of an organization that empowers young girls through basketball in Uganda.
Please see below for the complete list of African coaches participating in NBA 2K24 Summer League and the NBA teams coaching staffs they have joined.
- Driss Akil (Morocco, Charlotte Hornets)
- Mavita Ali (Uganda, San Antonio Spurs)
- Jacque Bahige (Rwanda, Indiana Pacers)
- Sergio Cristovao (Angola, Milwaukee Bucks)
- Wal Deng (South Sudan, Portland Trail Blazers)
- Carlos Dezanove (Mozambique, LA Clippers)
- Ibrahim El Gammal (Egypt, Denver Nuggets)
- Ahmed Elgarhi (Egypt, Miami Heat)
- Zakaria Elliasmine (Morocco, Atlanta Hawks)
- Francois Enyegue (Cameroon, Orlando Magic)
- Samba Fall (Senegal, Atlanta Hawks)
- Zied Kachaou (Tunisia, Oklahoma City Thunder)
- William Kosangue (Central African Republic, Memphis Grizzlies)
- Mohamed Lamine Krideche (Algeria, Chicago Bulls)
- Bley Leandre (Côte d’Ivoire, Dallas Mavericks)
- Emmanuel Mavomo (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Utah Jazz)
- Matar Mbodji (Senegal, Boston Celtics)
- Moratiemang Junior Mmoloke (South Africa, Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Abdulrahman Mohammed (Nigeria, Sacramento Kings)
- Maxime Marius Mwiseneza (Rwanda, Philadelphia 76ers)
- Karim Nesba (Morocco, Toronto Raptors)
- Vincent Ntunja (South Africa, Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Zedekia Otieno (Kenya, Washington Wizards)
- Victor Samnick (Cameroon, New Orleans Pelicans)
- Edison Saranga (Mozambique, Los Angeles Lakers)
- Andrew Senyondwa (Uganda, New York Knicks)
- Radhouane Slimane (Tunisia, Brooklyn Nets)
- Luis Romero (Angola, Houston Rockets)
Source : ZAWYA