Everything you need to know about the Basketball Africa League 2022

The second edition of the BAL sees 12 teams from across the continent compete in a very different format to 2021, over three months instead of a COVID-19-induced bubble lasting two weeks.

The tournament is divided into three periods, with the Sahara Conference taking place in Dakar, Senegal, from March 5-15, the Nile Conference in Cairo, Egypt, from April 9-19, and the playoffs and finals in Kigali, in Rwanda, from May 21 to 28.

Defending champions Zamalek from Egypt return and play at home in Cairo, while new teams like Cape Town Tigers, DUC Dakar and Cobra Sport from South Sudan will make their debuts in the competition.

Another change is the addition of NBA Academy Africa players to each squad, with a teenager from the Academy in Saly, Senegal joining the squads for the duration. While not eligible for any prize money, the experience gained will be invaluable to potential NCAA and big league talent.

How to watch the competition:

The BAL will be broadcast across Africa on ESPN’s channels on DStv, as well as select Free To Air partners. ESPN+ and ESPN News will broadcast the tournament in the United States.

Egypt’s Zamalek team became the first BAL winners by beating Tunisia’s US Monastir in the final in Kigali.

The Australian coach of AS Salé du Maroc Liz Mills has the respect of all her players

New AS Salé coach Liz Mills will make history when she leads Morocco’s Basketball Africa League champions, becoming the first woman to coach a BAL team and the first to coach a Moroccan men’s team .

Which rapper could follow in J. Cole’s footsteps at BAL?

This year, Cole will not make the trip to Dakar, Cairo or Kigali, [et les Patriots non plus]but there are a few other rappers who probably wouldn’t hesitate to give it a try.

Terrell Stoglin has always been at peace with himself

Terrell Stoglin, who will play for AS Salé again in the Basketball Africa League, is philosophical as he reflects on his basketball career so far, saying he has never been anything but peace with himself. Stoglin, who was the first player to score 40 points at BAL, will return to the tournament with the Moroccan team, although he is perhaps best known for his critical comments about rapper J. Cole’s presence at BAL l ‘last year.

How Nigerians Rivers Hoopers got kicked out of BAL

An important element will be missing from the second edition of the Basketball Africa League when it kicks off this Saturday, March 5, after Nigeria’s Rivers Hoopers were replaced in the 11th hour by Morocco’s AS Salé. Both teams took part in the inaugural edition and Hoopers qualified for this year’s tournament before the sport’s governing body FIBA ​​ruled them ineligible and replaced them with Salé, who had reached the quarter-finals. final in 2021.

Cape Town Tigers coach Al Harrington on black coaches

Former NBA veteran and Cape Town Tigers assistant coach Al Harrington has criticized the NFL for not emulating basketball’s attitude toward hiring black coaches.

Ike Diogu says LeBron James is the best player he’s faced

Nigerian captain Ike Diogu played against Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in his near-decade in the NBA, but says LeBron James stands out as the most complete opponent he has ever faced.