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Festus Ezeli on the 'Monumental Leap' of NBA Africa

Established 1946 | 7-time NBA Champions

Warriors center Festus Ezeli checks in from South Africa as he prepares to participate in the NBA Africa Game 2015 on Saturday, August 1.

NBA Africa Game 2015

Saturday, August 16:00 a.m. (PT)TV: ESPN

As part of the league’s ongoing effort to expand interest in basketball throughout the globe, the NBA is holding the first-ever exhibition game on African soil this upcoming Saturday, August 1st at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. The sold-out NBA Africa Game 2015 will pit Team Africa, comprised of first and second-generation African players, against Team World, which features prominent players from throughout the rest of the globe, and will be televised live in the U.S. on ESPN at 6:00 a.m. PT. The Golden State Warriors will be represented by center Festus Ezeli, a native of Nigeria who moved to the United States at the age of 14. In addition to the main event, players and coaches from both rosters will spend a majority of their time participating in philanthropic work and teaching local youths the fundamentals of the game. Ezeli took some time out of his busy schedule to do a conference call with Bay Area media on Thursday morning. Here are some excerpts from the discussion (full interview can be found below):

Can you tell us a little bit about what your trip has consisted of so far, and your initial thoughts on being part of the group?

So far, I’ve been here two days and we’ve been doing camps. Camps for the little kids. Working with them on the fundamentals of the game. We’ve done a lot of media availability, but most of the stuff is about bringing basketball to South Africa and working with the kids, teaching them how to play the right way.

How does it feel for you personally to be a part of something so monumental?

It feels really good. All of the guys here, we work so hard at our craft to get to where we are, so we’re bringing what we love to South Africa, bringing the game of basketball. But the game of basketball has taught us so much – as players, as men – it’s taught us so much about life. So, bringing that game to Africa is essentially brining a part of us to Africa as well. So we’re excited to show our commitment to South Africa and the continent, and just really excited to be a part of this historic event.