NBA closes sole training academy in Africa in blow to young players

DAKAR, Oct 1 : The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, current and former officials told Reuters, less than a decade after it was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players for professional leagues in the US and elsewhere.

The decision to close NBA Academy Africa, the league's first such facility in Africa, was a blow to students and young players across the continent, two former employees said.

Michel Chikwanine, who had been the academy's performance and lifestyle adviser, said the news discouraged African players just beginning to build confidence.

"From the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped," he said.

Michael Abbott, former head of academic planning at the academy, said it showed a lack of commitment to the students.

“They weren't invested in them as kids as much as they were invested in the business model," he said.

In response to questions from Reuters, the NBA said the decision reflected a shift in global basketball development strategy. It has previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia. All training will be run out of a new global academy to open soon in the United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi, it said.

In its statement, the NBA added that it is continuing to invest in African talent through other programs and that closing the academy does not signal a diminished commitment to the continent.

It cited examples such as the creation of a Basketball Africa League which has concluded six seasons and Basketball Without Borders, which organizes elite training camps for youths worldwide including in Africa.

SUCCESS AND THEN CLOSURE

NBA Academy Africa has trained around 110 students since launching in Senegal in 2018, Abbott said, with many moving on