To find new basketball players, the National Basketball Association (NBA) of the United States wants to build 1,000 basketball courts in Nigeria.
NBA Africa’s vice-president and NBA Nigeria’s country head, Gbemisola Abudu, called the project a “blank slate” with many benefits for everyone involved.
Audu says that NBA Nigeria’s job is to build a strong talent pipeline in Nigeria that will take kids to the top level.
She asked, “How can we get kids to try basketball when they are young?” We’re giving them more chances to play basketball. Whether or not they make it to the top level of basketball, the skills they learn will help them in life. I think that’s a very exciting possibility because it could change the way Nigeria builds its infrastructure.
“Second, this basketball ecosystem is the problem. How can we make the basketball ecosystem stronger? We can change things in Nigeria because of what the NBA stands for. One way we do this is by making sure that NBA and Basketball Africa League (BAL) games can be watched all over the country. It’s not just a matter of certain groups of people being able to watch basketball games.
She also said, “The question is, how do we make sure that the way people in Nigeria go to pubs to watch football games, you can easily watch a BAL game or an NBA game in a pub?” It is making sure that the average Nigerian can watch basketball through a free-to-air system. The real goal is to bring NBA games to Nigeria.”
Audu says that one of the best things about the NBA’s platform is that it’s a great place for food, music, fashion, and art to all come together.
She said that Nigeria had become a source of culture in Africa. She also said, “The challenge for the NBA brand in Nigeria is how to bring all of this together.”
“There are more than 200 million of us. How do you get more people to like basketball and the NBA in particular? We have a lot of fun things planned. I’m very, very happy,” she said.
Since opening an office in Lagos, Nigeria, the NBA boss is on a mission to get the most out of the platform.
Over the years, the NBA has had several well-known players from Nigeria, like Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose original surname in Nigeria was Adetokunbo. Abudu and NBA Africa want to develop the country’s talent from the bottom up.
In response to ESPN’s question about her plans for the region, goals for youth and social development, and filling Nigeria’s “blank slate” with basketball courts, she said, “We have existing programs and programs that we’re looking to roll out in the next coming months or maybe to develop partnerships where we’re looking to refurbish existing courts and also court-building initiatives.” In the next 10 years, we want to build 1,000 courts.
“You can already see that the private sector in Nigeria wants to work with us and is looking for new and interesting ways to get people to play the game. Infrastructure is a big part of it, so we’re looking for creative ways to make sure it happens, like fixing up existing courts or building new ones, and forming new partnerships.
Abudu said that during the NBA crossover, a legacy court was given away in Nigeria.
“We gave the Ikorodu neighborhood in Lagos a legacy court. We’re giving the young boys and girls in that community an easy-to-use basketball court. But it’s more than just making a court. “It’s like, what kinds of programs can we do with the community to make sure that young boys and girls can play basketball?” she said.
She praised Nigerian basketball players in the NBA and other leagues for their efforts to help their home country.
Abudu said, “One thing about Nigerians is that they are very proud of their country. A lot of these players are homesick and want to go back. They want to take action. They want to find out how they can join the NBA’s plan in Nigeria.
“In Nigeria, we have summer camps. We’re working with them to figure out how the NBA can help them do that. I give them credit for that. I’m so happy because we don’t have to reach out to them and try to convince them. They say they want to help bring light to whatever the NBA is doing.”
Audu is confident that the project can’t fail because the right money and people are being put into it.
She said, “From my point of view, it can’t fail. That is just how I think about it. You put the right money into it, you work with the right people, and people already love the game and are loyal to the brand. When you put all of that together, it’s sure to work.
“There’s something inside of me that wants to make it happen. This is best explained by saying, “I am the face of a thousand people who have been pushing for this to happen, and now it has.” So, get to work and make it happen, and build on what others have done. I don’t think it can go wrong. It’s not something to try out. It’s a tried-and-true idea.”
- Tags: Basketball, Basketball court, NBA
