Basketball
With Nigeria demystifying US, ‘Dream Team’s era coming to an end?
Team USA have dominated men’s basketball at the Olympics, winning six of the seven gold medals available – and earning the iconic ‘Dream Team’ nickname.
Following the inclusion of professional players in 1992, they have boasted NBA legends such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
But there are concerns these Olympics could be a repeat of the 2004 Games, where Argentina upset them in the semi-finals before going on to beat Italy.
The Americans have struggled in their preparations for Tokyo, suffering shock warm-up defeats by Nigeria and Australia, followed by back-to-back wins over Argentina and Spain.
Despite those victories, there are still problems for Gregg Popovich’s team as Bradley Beal and Kevin Love were forced to pull out because of Covid protocols and injury respectively. Zach LaVine, though, has now been cleared to travel after initially being withdrawn through Covid protocols.
“I think I am going to play for the Tune Squad” said LeBron James following the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-round exit in the NBA play-offs.
Preferring to promote the sequel to the Space Jam movie this summer, it will be the second straight Olympics without the two-time gold medallist – and he will not be the only top star missing.
Anthony Davis has not recovered from a groin injury that kept him to a very limited role in the Lakers’ series loss to Phoenix Suns.
Seven-time NBA All-Star Stephen Curry, who has yet to win an Olympic gold medal, has also opted out.
It seems the biggest names are now prioritising rest and recovery in order to prepare for another run at the NBA championship.
But it would be unwise to dismiss the quality this team boasts. They still have six-time All-Star Damian Lillard, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant in their ranks.
‘We are still working at becoming a team’
“These international teams are experienced and we are still working at becoming a team” said Lillard after their 91-83 loss against Australia.
“None of us have ever played with each other. We’re just trying to figure it out,” said Tatum after their 90-87 defeat by Nigeria, which showed Team USA are struggling to hit their stride as a unit.
That problem may get worse when Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Devin Booker arrive after playing in the NBA Finals, with Popovich unsure of how they will fit in.
Team USA men’s fixtures Sunday, 25 July, 13:00 BST v France Wednesday, 28 July, 05:40 BST v Iran Saturday, 31 July, 13:00 BST v Czech Republic
Quality of the opposition
Lillard added: “We’re not just going to roll the ball out and beat these teams. These teams have a starting five of NBA players now.”
That was true of their Australian opponents, with the Boomers able to call upon Patty Mills, Joe Ingles and Matisse Thybulle.
There is also an abundance of NBA talent among the other nations. Slovenia are led by Luka Doncic and France’s talent is highlighted by three-time defensive player of the year Rudy Gobert.
But the biggest strength for these teams is their familiarity. They have mostly been able to keep the core of their players together for multiple competitions, helping them build much-needed chemistry.
While the USA still possess the best players at the Olympics, it seems their place at the top of the podium is under serious threat.
Women’s team suffers warm-up wobbles
Team USA women’s basketball side will be chasing a seventh straight Olympic gold when their tournament starts on 27 July.
They have won their last 49 Olympic matches – a run stretching back to Atlanta in 1996 – but have suffered the same issues as the men in their preparations.
It is still a team with so much quality, including seven first overall WNBA draft picks led by Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird, who have racked up eight Olympic and seven World Cup gold medals between them.
“USA Basketball has never been in a better place,” said US Olympic team head coach Dawn Staley prior to the team’s three warm-up encounters.
But it didn’t take long for concerns to surface as they lost back-to-back games against the WNBA All-Stars and Australia.
Team USA women’s team fixtures Tuesday, 27 July, 05:40 BST v Nigeria Friday, 30 July, 05:40 BST v Japan Monday, 2 August, 05:40 BST v France
A hip injury has also meant Taurasi, 39, is yet to play, but the team will still benefit from her experience and leadership off the court.
There was welcome good news with a 93-62 success in the final warm-up match against Nigeria, who they will face in their opening match in Tokyo.
And despite their wobbles, Staley’s side are still favourites to triumph when the contest ends on Sunday, 8 August.
-BBC
In preparation for the Chief of Defence Staff Independence Day Basketball Championship, Brigadier General Aliyu Abdullahi (rtd), Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, has highlighted the objectives of the event.
According to him, it is aimed at fostering Civil-Military cooperation and Inter-Agency collaboration.
The championship, set to take place from October 2 to October 6 at the Mo Arena in Abuja’s Zone 5, aims to engage Nigerian youths positively and contribute to enhancing security through a non-kinetic approach.
He emphasized the importance of the competition in providing a platform for Nigerian youths from across the country to participate in a constructive activity. He noted that the Chief of Defence Staff, General C.G. Musa OFR, a passionate basketball player himself, believes that organizing such competitions can help cultivate the interest of Nigerian youths in the sport.
Additionally, it offers them a legitimate means of livelihood and the opportunity to showcase their talents on the international stage, thereby bringing accolades to Nigeria.
The championship will feature 16 teams representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria, promising an exciting display of basketball skills and teamwork.
Brigadier General Abdullahi expressed confidence that the competition will not only promote sportsmanship but also serve as a deterrent against negative behaviours such as crime, drug abuse, and other forms of delinquency among the youth.
Petro de Luanda Becomes First Sub-Saharan African Team to Win BAL Finals (BAL.NBA.com); Libya’s Al Ahly Ly Forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. Named 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
Angola’s Petro de Luanda this Sunday defeated Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 to win the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, which took place at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda and reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages. Petro de Luanda, the 2022 BAL runner-up and one of two teams to have participated in all four BAL seasons, is the first sub-Saharan African team to win the BAL Finals after previous champions from Egypt and Tunisia.
Following the game, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall and President of FIBA Africa Anibal Manave presented Petro de Luanda with the BAL Championship Trophy and Al Ahly Ly forward Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. with The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy for winning the 2024 BAL Most Valuable Player Award and The Dikembe Mutombo Trophy for winning 2024 BAL Defensive Player of the Year.
Petro de Luanda went 5-2 during the Kalahari Conference group phase in Pretoria, South Africa, and the Playoffs, defeating Senegal’s AS Douanes and South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to advance to the Finals. Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers defeated the Cape Town Tigers 80-57 in the third-place game yesterday.
Lual-Acuil Jr. is also the 2024 BAL Scoring Champion and was named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team and All-BAL Defensive Team after leading Al Ahly Ly to a 5-4 record during the Nile Conference group phase in Cairo, Egypt, and the Playoffs, recording per game averages of 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Several former NBA players attended games throughout the 2024 BAL Playoffs and Finals, including BAL Ambassadors and NBA Africa investors Luol Deng (South Sudan), Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin) and Joakim Noah (grandfather from Cameroon); 2015 NBA champion Festus Ezeli (Nigeria), and New York Knicks President of G League Operations Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana).
The BAL has also announced the 2024 Coach of the Year, Sportsmanship Award winner, All-BAL First Team, All-BAL Defensive Team, and Ubuntu Award winner. The voting panels varied for each award and were comprised of fans, coaches, team captains, media, broadcasters, and scouts.
2024 BAL Coach of the Year
Rivers Hoopers head coach Odaudu Ogoh led his team to a third-place finish with a 6-3 record during the Sahara Conference group phase in Dakar, Senegal, and the Playoffs.
2024 BAL Sportsmanship Award
Rivers Hoopers point guard Will Perry received The Manute Bol Trophy for exemplifying the ideals of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Perry was also named to the 2024 All-BAL First Team.
2024 All-BAL First TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardWill PerryRivers HoopersGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardChris CrawfordUS MonastirForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball
2024 All-BAL Defensive TeamPositionPlayerTeamPoint GuardSouleyman DiabateAl Ahly LyGuardSamkelo CeleCape Town TigersGuardAbdoulaye HarounaAS DouanesForwardJo Lual-Acuil Jr.Al Ahly LyForward / CenterAliou DiarraFUS Rabat Basketball
2024 BAL Ubuntu Award
AS Douanes guard and team captain Alkaly Ndour won the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Award in recognition of his ongoing efforts to use the game of basketball to positively impact the lives of youth in his native Senegal. Ndour is the founder of “Kayelennioufo” (which translates to “Let’s have fun”), a basketball tournament for nearly 250 amateur players in his home neighbourhood of Bopp in Dakar. Ndour was presented with the 2024 BAL Ubuntu Trophy during an on-court ceremony on May 25 in conjunction with Africa Day.
Nigeria’ Rivers Hoopers beat Rwanda’s Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR) 78-71 in the first-ever BAL (https://BAL.NBA.com) double-overtime game and became the first Sahara Conference team to clinch a spot in the BAL Playoffs which are set to tip off at BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda on May 24.
Five Hoopers players scored in double digits with Devine Eke (18 points, 18 rebounds) and Peter Olisemeka (17 points, 19 rebounds) dominating the boards as well. Will Perry added 11 points and seven assists in a low scoring affair in which both teams shot less than 40 percent from the floor.
Jean Jacques Nshobozwabyosenumukiza led APR with 16 points and five rebounds, while Dario Hunt finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Going into today’s matchups, APR is currently second in the Sahara Conference and will look to secure a postseason berth when they take on Senegal’s AS Douanes (4th place with 2 wins and 3 losses) this evening.
In the second game of the day, the 2022 BAL champions Tunisia’s US Monastir kept their playoff hopes alive, defeating AS Douanes 75-69 and getting their second straight win in the competition. This is a turnaround for the Tunisian champions who started the Sahara Conference from three straight defeats, but now stand one win away from the postseason. Chris Crawford led Monastir with 18 points and seven assists, Oussama Marnaoui scored 16, and Firas Lahyani finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Abdoulaye Harouna led the Douanes with 22 points, with Adama Diakhite adding 14 points and nine rebounds.
APR, AS Douanes and US Monastir will compete for the last two playoff spots when the Sahara Conference concludes this afternoon – Rivers Hoopers will take on US Monastir at 2:30 p.m. GMT and AS Douanes will face APR at 5:30 p.m. GMT.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Basketball Africa League (BAL)
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