The investors held talks with President Kagame on the sidelines of the ongoing Basketball Africa League (BAL) Nile Conference on Saturday night.
'On the sidelines of #BAL5, President Kagame met with @NBA_Africa investors to discuss the growth of the league on the continent,' reads a post shared by the Office of the President on X.
Among the attendees was Masai Ujiri, President of the Toronto Raptors, a team in the United States' NBA, who has made significant investments in Rwandan sports.
He recently completed the construction of Zaria Court, a facility in Kigali that will offer recreation and sports opportunities, with a focus on basketball.
In addition, he has a project to build up to 1,000 basketball courts across Africa through his initiative, Giants of Africa, which aims to promote basketball development on the continent.
Another guest received by President Kagame was South Sudanese entrepreneur Luol Deng, a prominent advocate for the sport in Africa. Deng previously played for major NBA teams including the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
They were accompanied by several other figures, including Basketball Africa League (BAL) President Mamadou Gallo Fall, NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi, and Rwanda's Minister of Sports Nelly Mukazayire.
Basketball is increasingly being seen as a key driver of Africa's development and economy, as evidenced by the job creation and infrastructure development spurred by the Basketball Africa League (BAL), the increased global visibility it brings to the continent, and its role in promoting youth engagement and talent retention.
Akamanzi recently revealed that BAL alone has generated $250 million in just four years, with a goal to reach $4.5 billion over the next 10 years.
The final games of the BAL Nile Conference group stage are set to take place on Sunday, May 25. Al Ahly Tripoli of Libya will face MBB Blue Soldiers of South Africa, while Rwanda's APR will take on Nairobi City Thunder.
IGIHE
