Former president Barack Obama will be involved with an NBA-backed professional basketball league in Africa.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the news at a press conference over the weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina during All-Star Weekend. The NBA and the Federal International Basketball Association (FIBA) have partnered to create the “Basketball Africa League,” which will consist of 12 teams.
Obama’s exact role with the league is still being discussed, but Silver said the president told him he wants to be “directly involved.”
A video featuring Obama aired during the event.
“I hope you know through sport, that if you put in effort, you will be rewarded,” Obama said. “I hope you learn through sport what it means to play as a team, and even if you are the best player, your job is not just to show off but your job is to make your teammates better.”
On a landmark day for the NBA in Africa, a powerful video on how sports make a difference. @NBA_Africa pic.twitter.com/Uu6jn8Su8D
— NBA (@NBA) February 16, 2019
Obama is a noted basketball fan and has admitted he would be interested in owning a team.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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