The National Basketball Association (NBA) has formally opened a new office in Nairobi, expanding its presence and footprint in Kenya and on the African continent.
NBA – America’s popular professional basketball league, opened the office just two months after the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the association to help grow and build basketball sports in Kenya.
The Association made the announcement on Wednesday on its social media pages, signaling an increase in the number of its offices across the continent.
NBA currently has offices in Egypt, Nigeria and Senegal with the new offices in Nairobi now putting Kenya at the centre of basketball growth in the region and beyond.
“Official: NBA has expanded its presence in Africa by opening an office in Nairobi, Kenya,” the association said.
NBA had in September this year signed an MoU with sports cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba at an event witnessed by President William Ruto on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Namwamba, the MoU was aimed at facilitating the growth of basketball sports and infrastructure in the country by developing elite-level arenas with the capacity to host high-level competitions.
It also sought to grow school and community-based grassroots talent under the Talanta Hela Initiative and training teachers as certified basketball coaches and scouts.
The deal was signed by Namwamba and NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. The popular American professional basketball association currently runs a league that comprises 30 teams.
