A Part of History in Rwanda

I was fortunate to be asked by the NBA to come to Africa for the month of May to help with the start-up of the (BAL) new pro basketball league in Africa. Needless to say, after a year of being locked down during the pandemic it was a welcomed opportunity. This first time tournament was done in a "Bubble", much like the 2020 NBA and 2021 NBA G-League season had been conducted. What a great experience I had. My role was to oversee the practice sessions and serve as a coach in residence. It was really special for me to get to know the club coaches and many of the players. The professional clubs had to qualify by either winning their country's championship or advancing through regional tournaments. The countries represented were Angola, Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia. Although I was not able to leave the bubble and sightsee I feel like much of Africa came to me with all the different cultures represented.

I was up as early as 5 am for the first practice and at times the last one ended around 1 am. Again, no complaints after being away from the gym for most of 2020-21. It was energizing hearing the squeak of the shoes and the bounce of the ball. I also enjoyed attending the games, sitting courtside each day. It was unique getting to watch the games of many of the players that I had earlier become frieinds with at the training sessions.

Our staff, comprised of Africans from all over the continent, the US NBA staff, as welll as FIBA employees, became like family. Many of these people will be life long freinds for me.

The BAL has a great future. It will be expanded with more teams, additional qualifying tournaments, and an even higher level of talent. Congratulations to Zamalek (Egypt) on being the first BAL Champions. It was such a privilege for me to be a part of this. Rwanda will always have a warm spot in my heart.