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NBA Africa, Sports
2024 NBA All-Stars: Giannis, Adebayo Lead African Contingent
During the NBA All-Star Weekend, the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Camp will bring 40 of the top high-school stars, including 7 from 4 African countries.
- Toyosi Afolayan
- ●16th February 2024
Seven players with connections to Africa are set to represent the continent at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, airing this weekend on ESPN and Canal+ in Africa.
The event will feature the return of the NBA All-Star Game’s East vs. West format, with Giannis Antetokounmpo, of Greek descent with ties to Nigeria, leading the East for his eighth All-Star appearance, while LeBron James captains the West for a record-breaking 20th time.
Joining Giannis in representing the Eastern Conference is Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, who has ties to Nigeria, making his third All-Star appearance.
The action-packed weekend kicks off on Feb. 16 and includes the Panini Rising Stars event on Feb. 17, featuring Victor Wembanyama from France with ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bilal Coulibaly from Belgium with ties to Mali, and Oscar Tshiebwe from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
During the State Farm NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Wembanyama will compete in the Kia Skills Challenge on Feb. 18 alongside Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic. Additionally, NBA star Steph Curry will face off against WNBA standout Sabrina Ionescu in the inaugural NBA vs WNBA three-point contest.
The AT&T Slam Dunk contest will feature defending champion Matt McClung, along with first-time participants Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, and Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks.
Former NBA Academy Africa alumni Thierry Serge Darlan from the Central African Republic and Babacar Sane from Senegal will participate in the NBA G League Up Next event beginning on Feb. 18.
As part of the NBA All-Star Weekend, the 2024 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp will bring together 40 of the top high-school-age prospects, including seven campers from four African countries (Angola, Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan). Among them are prospects from the NBA Academy Africa: Khaman Maluach from South Sudan, Aguinaldo Neto from Angola, and Assane Mandian from Senegal.
