BEVERLY HILLS, May 12, (THEWILL) – The maiden edition of the Basketball Africa League (BAL) evoked substantial interest a month ago with the inclusion of Ben Uzoh, veteran of D’Tigers national team and a former NBA star with Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the team of Rivers Hoopers, Nigeria’s sole representatives at the competition, which holds in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, from May 16 to 30.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is Africa’s premier men’s basketball league scheduled to begin play this month, though it was originally billed to be played on March 13, 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic forced a shutdown of all sporting activities across the globe.
Now, the interest has assumed global dimensions as another of the 12 teams competing in the League, Rwanda’s Patriots BBC, has signed American rapper J. Cole. The Grammy Award winner, whose deal with the Patriots will be made official on Thursday, is expected to play three to six games this season.
To further heighten the buzz being generated by the inclusion of these superstars, the scheduling of the group games pitches Uzoh’s Hoopers against Cole’s Patriots, because together with the Gendarmerie Nationale of Madagascar, and U.S. Monastir of Tunisia, they make up Group A of the competition.
In fact, in the very first game to kickoff the league, Uzoh will be squaring off against J.Cole’s as the Nigerian side opens with their Rwanda’s hosts on Sunday.
Securing the services of a player of Uzoh’s repute was a clear signal of interest on the part of the Hoopers. His experience and confirmed talent combined made the point guard a bonus for the Group A side. As a regular starter for D’Tigers, he comes experience winning on basketball competitions on the continent.
But, the Patriots did not take the challenge lightly and have bolstered their chances by adding Cole to the club’s roster. The 36-year-old arrived in Rwanda earlier in May to quarantine in order to be ready to play for the league. Cole, who is a known avid basketball fan and who has plans to join the NBA, is using the BAL as a springboard.
The American rapper’s love for the sport is evident in videos he often posts on social media, where he is often seen playing basketball. His impressive skills have won him the admiration of many basketball fans who look forward to seeing him in the NBA.
Cole started while at Sanford High School in North Carolina and he was a walk-on at St. John’s, though he never logged any minutes with the Red Storm. Coincidentally, his highly anticipated album called “The Off-Season”, due to go public on May 14 features a basketball hoop on the album cover .
This notwithstanding, the Hoppers, who camped in Lagos, arrived in Kigali on Monday, ahead of the competition, have nothing to fear about the rapper’s deal with the Patriots.
They have shown themselves to be hungry for success in ways that have translated to trophy victories. The Hoopers won the national championship three times, with consecutive titles in 2011 and 2012, and clinched their third in 2019. And, they fought their way through to qualify for BAL through the domestic competition, similar to the format of the UEFA Champions League.
The BAL league is a joint effort between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and FIBA with sponsorship from Nike, Air Jordan and Pepsi.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
