JOHANNESBURG: The National Basketball Association (NBA) yesterday announced that beIN Sports (France and MENA), BT Sport (UK), Nova (Czech Republic and Slovakia), OTE (Greece), Sport 1 (Hungary), Dolce Sport (Romania) and Sportklub (Pan-Adriatics) have all chosen to join the NBA in supporting the charities that were affiliated with the first NBA game in Africa, which took place August 1 at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg.
The sold-out NBA Africa Game 2015, which aired in 215 countries and territories, featured a Team Africa versus Team World format and was played in support of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages Association of South Africa and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) broadcasters supporting these charities all aired the NBA Africa game in their respective regions and made a contribution to the affiliated charities.
“The first NBA game on African soil was incredible and we are delighted by the positive response from these partners who took it upon themselves to support a number of worthy causes in the region,” said Elsa Memmi, Vice-President, Global Media Distribution, NBA, EMEA.
As part of BWB and NBA Africa game efforts, NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility program, and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Foundation hosted a series of events to leave a lasting legacy in the community.
With support from Ford, local youth participated in a Jr NBA clinic on July 29 at the American International School of Johannesburg. Also at the school, Hoops 4 Hope conducted life skills sessions presented by South African Airways.
NBA players, coaches and legends held sessions on leadership and health and wellness for Basketball without Borders (BWB) campers throughout the week.
On July 30, the NBA and NBPA held a basketball court dedication and Jr NBA clinic presented by Nike at the newly built Boys & Girls Club at Protea Glen.
On July 31, marked the third consecutive year that NBA players visited SOS Children’s Village Ennerdale, an organization that builds families for orphaned and abandoned children. NBA Cares and the NBPA Foundation undertook their largest commitment to the village to date, working on a range of projects from the refurbishment of the local library to the construction of a new basketball court.
THE PENINSULA
