The just-concluded inaugural Basketball Africa League (BAL) will be noted in history as the stepping stone to the development of basketball on the African continent. The NBA-affiliated tournament was held in Kigali, Rwanda at the Kigali Arena with 12 clubs taking part in the two-week event from May 16-30. Below are 10 things worth noting about the tournament. The baobab-inspired trophy President Amadou Gallo Fall presented Zamalek with the BAL Championship Trophy designed to represent the baobab tree, which is native to Africa and known as the “tree of life” for providing food, water, shelter and protection to people and animals alike. Who won what? Zamalek were on Sunday, May 30, crowned the very first champions of the BAL after beating US Monastir 76-63 in the final. It’s the Egyptian giants’ second continental trophy, having won the FIBA Africa Champions Cup in 1992. On top of the trophy, the winners pocketed over Rwf99m ($ 100 000) while runners-up US-Monastir walked away with Rwf 69m ($ 70 000). Third-placed Petro de Luanda and Patriots, who finished in 3rd and 4th positions finished fourth, took home Rwf49m ($50 000) and Rwf24m ($ 25 000) respectively. Meanwhile, Zamalek point-guard Walter Hodge was named the Hakeem Olajuwon BAL Most Valuable Player (MVP) after the American-Puerto Rican basketballer inspired his team to an undefeated 6-0 record with per-game averages of 15.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds. The sponsors Several international sponsors like NBA, Hennessy, AFD - Agence Française de Développement, New Fortress Energy among others) partnered to sponsor the tournament and Amadou Fall, the president of BAL said that in consequent seasons, they are looking to have increased involvement of African stakeholders. A celebrity-studded BAL A part from J. Cole who was playing for Patriots during the tournament, the BAL attracted a host of celebrities from across the globe varying from musicians, comedians, politicians and former NBA players. The likes of Nigerian Mr. Eazi, who is also exploring investment opportunities in the country, Ghanaian singer Joeboy, South African music diva Sho Madjozi, and Rwanda’s very own Bruce Melodie were among African musicians who attended the BAL, while celebrated American female Dj Poizon Ivy, was on the decks as the BAL’s official disk jockey. The tournament also attracted former NBA players like Congolese Dikembe Mutombo who has 8 NBA All-Star, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time NBA Blocks leader and two-time NBA rebounding leader, Joakim Simon Noah among many others. The latter, a French-American, is also among the investors of NBA Africa and the BAL, just like Wesley Roberts Edens (L), the co-owner of NBA side Milwaukee Bucks, who also attended BAL in Kigali. Politicians, notably presidents Paul Kagame and France’s Emmanuel Macron, who visited Rwanda last week, were also in attendance. Patriots’ gallant journey The Rwandan representatives were regarded among the underdogs before BAL tip off but their impressive journey proved doubters wrong before they were knocked out of the competition after losing 46-87 to Tunisian giants Union Sportive (US) Monastir in the semifinals on Saturday. Zamalek’s unbeaten run Zamalek Sporting Club, commonly known as just Zamalek, is a basketball club based in the city of Cairo that plays in the Egypt basketball Super League. The team is one of the top basketball teams in Egypt, with fifteen national championships. And very few are surprised that the Egyptian club became the first-ever champions of BAL after beating US Monastir 76-63 in the final at Kigali Arena. The oldest club in the tournament, founded 100 years ago, Zamalek ended the tournament unbeaten, winning all the six games on an impressive note. They now represent the image of Egyptian Basketball and winning the BAL could leave them hungrier to win more in future seasons. Kigali Arena spices up tournament From on-court basketball battles to the best mix of music from American DJ Poizon whose playlist was dominated by local songs recommended by Rwandans, the BAL was all but everything associated with entertainment. Built and finished in 2019, the Arena can host sporting events and concerts and is ranked the biggest indoor arena in East Africa and is located next to Amahoro Stadium. While all the 26 games of the tournament were played at the facility, the existence of facilities like Kigali Arena positions Rwanda to tap into the immense potential of sports. The Bubble All the 26 games of the tournament were played at the Kigali Arena, and the showpiece came out successful with robust measures for the prevention of Covid-19, among other protocols that aided the competition to be top-notch in terms of basketball. For safety reasons, all the 12 clubs stayed in the bubble at the Radisson Blu Hotel, strictly keeping themselves isolated from the public. Before entering the residential ‘bubble’ camp, all teams first went through a Transit Center at Park Inn Hotel where they spent 24 hours while waiting for their covid-19 test results. After returning negative tests, they had to undergo a four-day quarantine at Radisson Blu. However, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizers; the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Federation International Basketball Associations (FIBA), made sure that the players and technical teams stay together in isolation during the competition. Safety of fans amid Covid-19 Despite fans being allowed in the iconic Kigali Arena, the BAL was played under robust health and safety protocols to ensure the safety of players and teams personnel as per the World Health Organization guidelines. But there is so much to look forward to in the next season but the Patriots felt the support from home fans, a possible factor that pushed them to the semifinals. And, even with no home team on the court, the tournament still attracted supporters at the Arena. A full Kigali Arena could offer a much better show next season if fans are allowed to attend at full capacity. The Next BAL season? The Basketball Africa League is jointly organized by the NBA and FIBA. While the NBA will co-organise from the regular season, the qualifiers are organised by FIBA Africa. A total of 31 teams from 31 countries participated in the qualifying rounds from which six teams booked tickets to play the BAL inaugural season in 2020, along with six other sides which qualified to the BAL finals upon becoming champions in their respective domestic leagues. The second season of the BAL will take place next year with qualifiers slated later this year.
