Africa seeks revenge in NBA Africa Game 2017
NORTHGATE – Slam dunkers and sharp shooters are headed for Joburg.
The 2017 NBA Africa game will bring some of the best basketball players in the world to Johannesburg on 5 August.
The game, hosted by the National Basketball Association (NBA) at the Ticketpro Dome in Northgate, will be the second time this has happened on African soil. The first game was played in August 2015 at the Ellis Park Arena and was a sold out event.
Team World edged the home Team Africa 101–97 to win the inaugural game. This year’s star-studded match aims to be even more impressive with players like Dirk Norwitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornet’s Kemba Walker and former Oklahoma City Thunder player’s Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha. Sefolosha’s father is South African, making this a homecoming for the Atlanta Hawk’s shooting guard.
The game will be played in the same format as the 2015 edition, which had Team Africa vs Team World.
Team Africa will consist of players from Africa or of African descent. Luol Deng, who is from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Bismack Biyombo and Luc Mbah A Moute, who was born in Cameroon, will be representing the continent.
Team World will consist of players from the rest of the world, such as Latvia’s Kristaps Porzi??is, Brazilian Leandro Barbosa and American DeMarcus Cousins.
The game won’t be all about stars and slam dunking, as proceeds will go to programmes run by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the SOS Children’s Village South Africa.
All information regarding ticket purchases, which are on sale, can be obtained from the Ticketpro Dome website.
Details: www.ticketprodome.co.za
