NBA Head Of Egypt: Reaching African League Is Now ‘A Goal’ For Young Players

The NBA-led initiative BAL (Basketball African League) tipped off their fourth season last month, on March 9th, with a league-record 48 games scheduled over a period of four months.

This season marks the first time the league has been in South Africa, as the season tipped off in Pretoria, as well as the first time the league has played in four different countries; South Africa, Egypt, Senegal, and Rwanda.

On Friday, April 19th, the league tipped off its Nile Conference group phase in Cairo. After four rounds, Al Ahly Sporting Club leads the conference with a 3-1 record, and a point difference of 40.

NBA Head of Egypt, Mohamed Abdel-Motaleb Soliman, agreed to a Q-&-A detailing the growing interest of basketball in the region, where he outlined that reaching the BAL has now become "a goal" for young players, signalling growth in the league's reputation.

With Egyptian clubs having won two of three BAL seasons, what has the response been from the Egyptian fanbase? Have you seen an uptick in overall basketball interest in the region due to the aforementioned success?

“We are very encouraged by the increasing level of interest in basketball in Egypt, which continues to grow in part because the BAL is playing games in Cairo for the third consecutive year. Egypt has a rich basketball tradition and is home to some of the most talented players and passionate fans on the continent, both of which have been on display here in Cairo and is one of the reasons why NBA Africa launched an office here in January 2023. And at the professional level, we continue to see players, coaches, and leadership in our senior men’s teams becoming more eager to win the Egyptian national league in order to qualify for the BAL.”

The NBA has put a substantial amount of focus on Africa in recent years, attempting to build basketball roots. In your experience, what are the biggest challenges in trying to build and develop basketball interests in new countries such as Egypt?

“We have a three-pronged strategy to grow the game in Egypt, across Africa and around the world, including creating opportunities for youth to learn and play the game, making NBA and BAL games and content as widely available as possible, and bringing the authentic NBA and BAL experience directly to fans through live games, interactive fan events, player and legend visits, and official NBA and BAL merchandise. Anytime we expand our footprint or efforts in a specific country or region, we always make sure our strategy is responsive to the needs and circumstances of the local basketball ecosystem. Egypt is a market with a strong basketball history and infrastructure, so we are focused on working with the Egyptian basketball federation and other local stakeholders to continue to develop the local basketball landscape from the youth to elite levels.”

We're seeing Egyptians in the NCAA and G League, which implies there's a keen focus on player development in the region. What type of grassroot implementations are necessary to further increase the player base in Egypt, as to potentially develop a steady pipeline of NBA talent?

“A key component of the NBA’s international efforts more broadly is creating more opportunities for boys and girls at all levels to play the game and creating a predictable pathway for them to maximize their potential. Our international basketball development strategy is a ‘grassroots to high-performance system.’ As youth players participate in our basketball development programming, they can progress from the Jr. NBA (youth) to Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa and NBA Academy Africa (elite) and now, to the BAL (professional). A few weeks ago, I was speaking to kids at a Jr. NBA clinic in Alexandria, and it became clear that playing in the BAL is now a goal for this generation of young players, which speaks to the aspirational effect we are trying to create through the BAL. A great example is Seif Hendawy, who was born and raised in Egypt, plays for NBA Academy Africa, attended BWB Africa, is in his second season competing on a global stage in the BAL, and will continue his playing career at Loyola University Chicago this fall. And we are excited to see Egyptian players continue to make an impact at the collegiate level in the U.S., including NBA Global Academy graduate Aly Khalifa who will play for the University of Louisville this fall, as well as Jana El Alfy, who plays for the University of Connecticut’s Final Four team and has the potential to be the first Egyptian player in the WNBA.”

Al Ahly, the defending champions, date back 94 years which makes it older than the NBA itself. How has an organization like that maintained a level of relevance for so long, given that basketball has never been the primary sport in the region?

“Al Ahly is one of the most storied and longest-standing basketball clubs in Africa, and their results speak for themselves. Most recently, Al Ahly won the 2023 BAL Championship and then became the first-ever African club to win a game in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup. The club’s success is also a credit to its strong leadership and head coach Augustí Julbe, who has led both Zamalek and Al Ahly to BAL championships. Al Ahly’s success on the national, continental and international levels has been instrumental in driving fandom and participation across the country.”