Joe Apu
FIBA Africa central board member and President FIBA Africa Zone 3, Col. Sam Ahmedu, as well as former D’ Tigers captain, Olumide Oyedeji, will be at the first ever Basketball African League Combine billed for New York.
The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a new professional league organised in collaboration by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and FIBA, would have a total of 50 players at the first BAL Combine.
The two-day scouting event, which will feature 50 aspiring players from Africa, the United States and around the world, will take place from December 4 to 5 at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Training Centre – the official practice facility of the Brooklyn Nets – in Brooklyn, New York.
Players will take part in anthropometric and athletic testing, positional skill development and 5-on-5 games in front of attending scouts, coaches and executives from club teams across Africa participating in the qualifying tournaments for the inaugural season of the BAL.
Former NBA head coach and 1992 “Dream Team” assistant coach, P.J. Carlesimo, will serve as BAL Combine camp director. Joining Carlesimo’s coaching staff will be former NBA Champion head coach, Paul Westhead, former NBA players and G League assistant coaches, Charlie Bell and Jaren Jackson Sr., former NBA player and NBA Assistant Coaches Programme participant, Theo Ratliff, Angola Men’s National Team Head Coach Will Voigt and former NCAA coach, Tom Parrotta.