The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, ending an eight-year run for a program that helped develop multiple players who eventually reached the league. The Senegal-based facility opened in 2018 and trained roughly 110 players. Its alumni include Khaman Maluach and Ulrich Chomche, both of whom reached the NBA. According to sources, the closure is as a result of the NBA's desire to move its elite international development efforts into a new global academy in Abu Dhabi. The NBA Academy Africa was an elite basketball development programme designed to identify and develop some of Africa’s top high-school-age prospects. It was established by the NBA to create a more structured pathway for talented young Africans to reach the highest levels of the sport, including professional basketball and college programmes abroad. Beyond basketball, the academy aimed to develop well-rounded student-athletes through education, leadership, character development, health and wellness, and life-skills programmes.
