The NBA has closed NBA Academy Africa in Senegal, ending the league’s only elite training academy on the continent and shifting its planned global training model to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
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The league said all training will be conducted from a new global academy expected to open soon in Abu Dhabi. It described the decision as part of a change in its global basketball development strategy.
The Senegal academy was established in 2018 to prepare promising young African players for professional opportunities in the United States and elsewhere. According to former employee Michael Abbott, it trained about 110 students during its operation.
Former employees question the impact
Former employees Michel Chikwanine and Abbott criticized the closure, saying it could affect the confidence and prospects of students and other young players seeking a route into elite basketball.
Chikwanine said students’ confidence fell after they were told the academy would close. “From the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped,” he said.
He also argued that the decision would limit opportunities for African prospects, who would instead have to compete internationally for places at the planned facility in the United Arab Emirates.
Abbott said the closure showed insufficient commitment to the academy’s students. “They weren’t invested in them as kids as much as they were invested in the business model,” he said.
Chikwanine further said large companies operating in Africa are often viewed with suspicion. “They come in with an extraction mindset,” he said, adding that “there is a huge mistrust that has been built” on the continent.
NBA points to other development programmes
The NBA rejected the suggestion that the closure represented a reduced commitment to African basketball. The league said it continues to invest in talent through programmes including the Basketball Africa League and Basketball Without Borders.
The NBA also said that bringing players together at one location would give them greater exposure to professional coaches and scouts from around the world.
Troy Justice, speaking in an NBA statement, said several other youth development initiatives remain active in Africa. “We’re incredibly proud of the impact that NBA Academy Africa has had and remain committed to developing the next generation of African players,” he said.
The NBA had previously closed academies in Mexico and Australia. The planned Abu Dhabi facility is intended to serve as the league’s global training base, although no opening date was provided.
Graduates reached elite basketball
NBA Academy Africa produced players who advanced to elite schools and universities in the United States, while its most successful graduates reached professional basketball.
Ulrich Kamka Chomche of Cameroon became the first player from the academy to be drafted into the NBA in 2024 and later played for the Toronto Raptors. Khaman Maluach of South Sudan, another former academy student, plays for the Phoenix Suns.
The closure comes after the academy operated for less than a decade. While the NBA maintains that its African talent-development efforts will continue through other programmes, former employees have raised concerns about whether young players will have the same access to structured training and exposure.
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