By Boris Esono Nwenfor
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has closed its elite basketball academy in Senegal, ending an eight-year programme that helped develop some of Africa’s most promising young players, according to current and former officials.
NBA Academy Africa was launched in Senegal in 2018 as the league’s first elite training facility on the continent. It has trained about 110 students, many of whom went on to attend leading schools and universities in the United States.
Among its graduates was Cameroonian Ulrich Kamka Chomche, who became the first NBA Academy Africa player to be selected in the NBA draft when he was picked in 2024. He subsequently played for the Toronto Raptors. South Sudan’s Khaman Maluach, another former academy student, now plays for the Phoenix Suns.
The closure has drawn criticism from former academy staff, who said the decision could reduce opportunities for young African players. Michel Chikwanine, who worked as the academy’s performance and lifestyle adviser, told Reuters that the announcement affected the confidence of students who were beginning their basketball careers.
Michael Abbott, a former head of academic planning at the academy, questioned the academy’s commitment to students, arguing that commercial considerations had taken precedence over their development.
The NBA said the closure reflected a shift in its global basketball development strategy rather than a reduced commitment to Africa. The league said it had previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia and would consolidate its elite training activities at a new global academy to open in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The NBA said the new facility would bring young prospects together with professional coaches and scouts from around the world. It also pointed to its continued investment in African basketball through initiatives including the Basketball Africa League, which has completed six seasons, and Basketball Without Borders, which runs youth development camps globally, including in Africa.
Chikwanine argued that the closure could nevertheless make the pathway to professional basketball more difficult for African prospects, who will now have to compete internationally for places at the Abu Dhabi academy. He also said the decision could reinforce mistrust among Africans towards major international companies operating on the continent.
The NBA rejected the suggestion that opportunities for African players would be reduced. Troy Justice, the league’s senior vice-president, said the NBA remained committed to developing the next generation of African players and highlighted the other youth-development programmes still operating across the continent.
