Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League

In 2019, a longtime dream for many became a reality when the National Basketball Association (NBA) committed to launching the Basketball Africa League (BAL). With 12 teams from the continent representing nations including Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and Rwanda, the league would showcase the diversity of culture, talent, and love for basketball across Africa while providing a pathway for youth to play professionally in their own nation.

One of the dreamers to realize the opportunity was Amadou Gallo Fall, the former scouting director of the Dallas Mavericks and a lifelong champion of sport in Africa. Fall’s work prior to the BAL is seen in the creation of a basketball academy in his native Senegal, working with the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders program, and his former position as the NBA’s managing director for Africa. As plans for the BAL start to move ahead, one of Fall’s Basketball Without Borders colleagues, and former director of the program, would join the movement: beloved former Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri, also the first African general manager in US professional sports history. Together, Fall, Ujiri, and many others would work to make the seemingly impossible possible.

Featuring interviews from many supporters of the BAL, including rapper J. Cole (who played in the BAL’s inaugural season), NBA superstar Stephen Curry, and former US President Barack Obama, Origin showcases the vast network of advocates who came together to make the ambitious endeavour a reality. Co-directors Richard Brown and Tebogo Malope highlight the diversity of the continent, the passion of the players, and the universal language that is love of the game.

GEOFF MACNAUGHTON