Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo and Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri were on hand in Kenya this week for the opening of the Sauti Kuu Foundation's sports and education facility, which was headlined by former US president Barack Obama.
Biyombo, who will feature for Team Africa against Team World at the NBA Africa game in South Africa on 4 August, was also joined by NBA vice-president Amadou Gallo Fall, as the facility, founded by Obama's sister, Auma Obama, was opened.
Obama, addressing the crowd, said: "Three years ago, I visited Kenya as the first sitting American President to come from Kenya.
"And, when I was President, it was a little bit harder to get up here because my plane didn't fit the tarmac up here!
"But today I am really coming as a brother, as a citizen of the world, as someone who has a connection to Africa, to talk about the importance of what she's doing. But also to create a larger context for what's possible.
"I've had a chance to look around and it's a remarkable space, and I'm also very happy to see that there is a basketball court!" He wasted no time testing the new court out, to rapturous applause.
President @BarackObama just scored his 3-pointer at first shot. Opening of @sautikuufoundation basketball court by both the President and Mr. Masai Ujiri of @giantsofafrica. Beautiful facility! @bismackbiyombo #sports #leadership #youth #basketball @NBA_Africa #ObamainKenya pic.twitter.com/L4fIAclARB
— vivian onano (@vivianonano) July 16, 2018
For DRC's Biyombo, who was traded back to the Hornets this offseason from the Orlando Magic, meeting Obama was a special moment, writing on Twitter: "Basketball has taken me places and given me the opportunity to meet people that I never thought I would meet."
Basketball has taken me places and given me the opportunity to meet people that I never thought I would meet. Hope I could find a video back when I was with the @hornets where the dream was to meet the Prez @BarackObama, well had a chance to do that back in Africa in his village! pic.twitter.com/opLG58fhBl
— Bismack Biyombo (@bismackbiyombo) July 17, 2018
The former president, who left office in November 2016, was also headed for South Africa, where he delivered the annual Nelson Mandela Foundation lecture in Johannesburg on Tuesday afternoon.
Biyombo will be joined by the likes of fellow Congolese star Serge Ibaka, Cameroon's Joel Embiid, and Algeria's Evan Fournier for the NBA Africa clash in Pretoria next month.