DAKAR, Senegal -- As Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri delivered a fiery closing speech to more than 60 young athletes, with Dikembe Mutombo and NBA commissioner Adam Silver to his left and NBA Africa vice president Amadou Gallo Fall behind him, he reiterated the same passionate message he echoed all camp long: "Africa is now!"
If Toronto's championship roster and the success of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam weren't proof enough, the emphasis NBA teams placed on scouting this year's Basketball Without Borders Africa further illustrates the elevated importance of the region in today's game.
The camp that started as "The Africa 100" in 2003 has developed into a scouting necessity, with several U.S.-based executives making the trip to Dakar to start getting a feel for the talent level and infrastructure, which have yielded 40 first- and second-generation African players currently in the NBA. A record 14 of the 30 NBA teams were represented in some capacity, and some international scouts even prioritized BWB Africa over the under-18 European Championships, traveling to Senegal before catching the final couple days of the U18s in Volos, Greece.
Strolling down Martin Luther King Boulevard from Terrou-Bi Resort to the Radisson Blu on the coast of Dakar, you see that the beach is jam-packed with athletes of all ages training. Sprints, lunges, squat jumps, defensive slides, pickup futbol -- you name it. There are dirt soccer lots and basketball courts with constant competition, featuring teenagers anywhere from 6-foot-4 to 6-8 with long arms, big hands, broad shoulders and quick feet.
In Senegal, not every court is perfect. Sometimes half the backboard is missing. Few rims are regulation 10 feet. Players use sand-filled water bottles for cones. Yet the local resources continue to improve with the NBA's involvement.
The majority of BWB Africa took place at Dakar Arena, an innovative 15,000-seat facility with an NBA feel that was completed less than a year ago. It rivals many arenas in the U.S., a game-changing development for sports nationwide. Rwanda has added a similar arena, which appears to be just the beginning.
"We are going to help with more facilities," Silver told reporters after BWB Africa. "This facility here in Senegal is a perfect example. We want to scale these facilities throughout the continent."
Then there's the NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal, which features two full courts and four hoops. From technical director Roland Houston to assistant technical director Astou N'Diaye to player development coach Joe Touomou (who discovered a young Embiid), the academy has a strong group of coaches in place to turn intriguing prospects into well-rounded players.
"When I got to the NBA Academy I was just, like, 'I've just got to give thanks, it's all God's work," said 2019 BWB Africa MVP Samuel Ariyibi, who used to pray it wouldn't rain in his hometown of Lagos, Nigeria, so he could train on the outdoor court nearby. "I wouldn't imagine myself playing in an academy with good facilities, good coaches all there for you, physio, strength and conditioning coach, development coach, a head coach, an assistant coach, a teacher."
During BWB Africa, Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum toured a Senegal SEED Academy to get a feel for the best development model across the continent. SEED Academy was the breeding ground for Gorgui Dieng and a handful of other NCAA players, and continues to be a staple in the African development system. In fact, Fall held the annual SEED Academy Hoop Forum project in the days leading up to BWB, which featured everything from on-court workouts to life skills.
Between the NBA Academy Africa, SEED Academy, the Jr. NBA, BWB Africa and Ujiri's Giants of Africa project, the development structure is evolving, and there are more resources on the way.
"We realize that with a billion plus people throughout Africa; for us to have the impact we think we can, we really need to plant both feet firmly in Africa," Silver said, "and right now we're a couple of toes in, so we have work to do."
Basketball Africa League taking shape
At the NBA Africa reception, Fall announced the host cities for the inaugural season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL): Cairo; Dakar; Lagos, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Rabat, Morocco; and either Tunis or Monastir, Tunisia, with Kigali, Rwanda, hosting the final four.
Fall, who has spearheaded the growth of African basketball, also said that half of the teams will wear Nike gear, with the other half sporting Jordan Brand. Six domestic-league champions from certain countries get automatic bids into the BAL, while FIBA will run a qualifying tournament in September or October to determine the other six. The BAL regular season is expected to begin in March.
"The reason we are moving so quickly, and I think this is record time from concept to actually launching a league, is because we believe in Africa," Silver said.
Each club will be made up of eight local players, two foreign players and two players who can be from any country in Africa. Initially, the BAL figures to be an attractive place for local players and former NCAA players who don't have a strong European market to come home and start building a professional career. Eventually, the goal is to have enough resources, coaching and competition to be able to develop young prospects through the BAL system without them needing to go abroad.
One thing NBA teams should consider: employing a director of African scouting to monitor the pulse on the continent. The most forward-thinking NBA teams have already had eyes and ears in Africa for some time, but mostly in a consulting fashion. Expect that to change.
While the best African prospects have often ended up in the U.S. or Europe at a young age, having a continentwide development structure forces teams to place a greater emphasis on scouting here. The pool of players is already daunting at times, and the growth could force teams to expand their scouting departments even further. Someday, the U16 and U18 African championships might be as heavily scouted as those in Europe. And while lack of coaching is one of the continent's biggest hurdles, that could eventually change with the right training and financial investment in place.
"We believe beyond the creation of a new league, beyond the NBA's involvement, through sport in Africa, basketball and all sports can be an economic engine for the entire continent, and that is what we're seeing already," Silver said.
Top prospects at BWB
With the roster cut down from its usual 60 players to 40, there were few elite prospects to take the floor, but five players still stood out from the bunch and are all names to keep an eye on long term.
1. Samuel Ariyibi | SF | Age: 17.5 | Nigeria | NBA Academy Africa 2020
The clear-cut MVP of the camp, Ariyibi kept his foot on the gas all four days, shining as a slashing, playmaking wing who defends multiple positions with incredible energy at 6-foot-8. He has made tremendous strides since joining the NBA Academy Africa in October 2018, fine-tuning his ballhandling and playmaking while becoming more of a threat in midrange spots, though shooting remains his biggest weakness. While he impressed as a driver, facilitator and finisher, it was Ariyibi's overall intensity that stood out most. If he doesn't corral the defensive rebound, he's the first one down the floor. If he's not in the primary action on offense, he's scrapping for loose balls to create extra possessions. On the defensive end, he's picking up 94 feet, pestering point guards, battling bigs, rotating for blocks and diving on the floor.
"I know my defense can get me anywhere, that's one thing I'm sure," Ariyibi told ESPN.
Although he's not as long, Ariyibi's do-it-all nature and relentless motor reminded some staffers of when Siakam played at BWB Africa. Like Siakam, Ariyibi lost his father, in June 2016. The youngest child with two sisters and a working mother, Ariyibi quickly became the "man of the house," as he put it.
Ariyibi, who compares physically to a young Shaun Livingston, shoots on the way down at times, doesn't always look at the rim from 3 and has a slender frame. But when you combine his defensive versatility, competitiveness, offensive feel and approach to the game, he has a chance to be drafted one day. Ariyibi is a Class of 2020 recruit who continues to gain steam at the NCAA level.
2. Cheikh Sow | PG/SG | Age: 17.1 | Senegal | NBA Academy Africa 2021
The least touted of the NBA Academy Africa prospects coming into the event, Sow put together an outstanding camp thanks to his combination of physical tools, playmaking and aggressive slashing. While slender, the 17-year-old Senegal native passes the eye test at 6-5 with a 6-11 wingspan and a huge 8-9 standing reach, elite measurables for a combo guard.
Sow's brightest moments came when he had the ball in his hands, as he's a slithery driver with a natural pace and the ability to sneak through tight crevices with long strides. He changes speed and direction fluidly and plays low to the ground, allowing him to get to his spots. Despite his thin frame, he doesn't shy away from contact and consistently made an effort to put pressure on the rim.
He has a strong feel for the game as well, hitting the roll man in stride, kicking out to open shooters and seeing the floor impressively. Sow's biggest issue is his shooting, but the ball comes out of his hand with nice rotation and he proved capable of knocking down corner 3s and midrange pull-ups when left alone. On top of that, he's a disruptive defender.
3. Babacar Faye | SF | Age: 17.5 | Senegal | NBA Academy Africa 2021
Faye shined as arguably the most physically intriguing prospect to take the floor, at 6-8 and 176 pounds, with a 7-0 wingspan, 8-10½ standing reach and extremely long strides to the rim. He's still at an early stage of his development, with high hips and an immature frame, and he might still have another inch or two to add. But that doesn't hold him back as a leaper. He consistently hammered home dunks well above the rim off one leg or two, while also utilizing his length and athleticism around the rim defensively.
Outside of open-court plays and occasional defensive flashes, Faye is still very much a blank canvas. He gets knocked off balance on his way to the rim, doesn't have the best feel as a finisher when forced to rely on skill and needs to improve as a decision-maker in traffic. Most important, he leaves much to be desired as a perimeter shooter. Once he misses one, he gets gun-shy and loses his aggressiveness in other areas. Even so, Faye did show the ability to operate at different speeds as a driver, finish above the rim and defend multiple positions on the other end. He certainly could hold long-term NBA upside.
4. Joshua Ojianwuna | C | Age: 15.8 | Nigeria | NBA Academy Africa 2021
The youngest player at the camp, Ojianwuna stood out as one of the more intriguing prospects to take the floor given his physical profile, agility and flashes of touch. Ojianwuna, who started playing basketball only at age 13, stands 6-10 with a 7-2½ wingspan, 9-0½ standing reach and a shredded frame. He's a mobile rim-runner who can finish in space, particularly off his right leg, which he favors despite shooting with his right hand. When he's fully dialed in, Ojianwuna is a monster offensive rebounder with the potential to step out and make an elbow jumper with decent mechanics. He shows glimpses as a rim protector, rotating from the weak side with solid instincts and verticality. More often than not he plays with a strong motor, creating extra possessions and doing the little things.
With that said, Ojianwuna's confidence comes and goes, as he plays somewhat of a tense game and doesn't always show the consistent assertiveness staffers and scouts would like. His offensive feel and skill level also remain a work in progress. Although still extremely young, Ojianwuna doesn't always affect the game as his tools and talent would suggest. Even so, it's hard to ignore his upside given his age and late start.
5. Thierno Sylla | PF/C | Age: 15.9 | Guinea
The 6-10 Sylla really stood out physically with his 7-5 wingspan and big standing reach. Fresh off an under-16 African championship during which he averaged 10.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in 26.4 minutes, Sylla tantalized with his long arms, fluid athleticism and freakish leaping ability. Narrow-hipped with skinny legs -- yet an upper body that should fill out in time -- Sylla holds all the attributes teams look for in a run-and-jump big man, as he's very light on his feet. Sylla also showed glimpses of skill, knocking down occasional spot 3s in drills and attacking off the bounce in space.
Sylla is still at an extremely early stage of skill development, though, and he failed to have much of a positive impact in live action. His defensive instincts and discipline are a major work in progress. The game moves a little too fast for him right now, which shows up on both ends, as he'll break off plays and jack up pull-up 3s. His demeanor also goes through peaks and valleys over the course of a game.
As we look ahead to the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the field is loaded with first- and second-generation African prospects. From Nigeria's Precious Achiuwa and Charles Bassey to Senegal's Amar Sylla and Biram Faye to Cameroon's Paul Eboua, 2020 should have a heavy African influence.
Then, in 2021, Senegal's Khalifa Diop and Ibou Dianko Badji, along with Nigeria's Usman Garuba (born in Spain) are all draft-eligible. In 2022, Congo-born Jonathan Kuminga could project as a top pick. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. As Ujiri said, "Africa is now."