NEW YORK AND JOHANNESBURG, July 27, 2018 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that Hornets center Bismack Biyombo will Co-Captain Team Africa and forward Marvin Williams will join Team World in the NBA Africa Game 2018, the NBA’s third game in Africa, which will take place Saturday, Aug. 4 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (5:00 pm local time, CAT) at Sun Arena at Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa. The two Hornets participants were announced along with the full roster of both Team Africa and Team World.
The NBA Africa Game 2018 will once again feature a Team Africa vs. Team World format. Team Africa will be composed of players born in Africa or with direct family ties to the continent, and Team World will be composed of players from the rest of the world.
Luol Deng (Los Angeles Lakers; South Sudan) and Ian Mahinmi (Washington Wizards; France; parent from Benin) join Team Africa, which already includes Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers; U.S.; parents from Nigeria), Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte Hornets; Democratic Republic of the Congo)*, Cheick Diallo (New Orleans Pelicans; Mali), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011)*, Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic; France; parent from Algeria), Serge Ibaka (Toronto Raptors; Republic of the Congo), Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Oklahoma City Thunder; France; parent from Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012). Team Africa will be coached by Miami Heat assistant coach Juwan Howard.
John Collins (Atlanta Hawks; U.S.), JaVale McGee (Lakers; U.S.), Dennis Smith Jr. (Dallas Mavericks; U.S.) and Marvin Williams (Hornets; U.S.) join Team World, which already includes Harrison Barnes (Mavericks; U.S.), Danilo Gallinari (LA Clippers; Italy; BWB Europe 2003), Rudy Gay (San Antonio Spurs; U.S.)*, Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks; U.S.)*, and Hassan Whiteside (Heat; U.S.). Team World will be coached by Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina (Italy).
Also participating in the game will be NBA assistant coaches Bill Bayno (Indiana Pacers), Harold Ellis (New York Knicks), Adrian Griffin (Raptors), Mark Hughes (Clippers), B.J. Johnson (Houston Rockets), Patrick Mutombo (Raptors; Democratic Republic of the Congo) and David Vanterpool (Trail Blazers), Raptors President Masai Ujiri (Nigeria), Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka, Magic Director of Player Development and Quality Control Becky Bonner, Magic scout Prosper Karangwa (Rwanda), athletic trainers Will Sevening (Spurs) and Stanford Williams (Phoenix Suns), as well as NBA referees Tony Brothers and Derrick Stafford.
NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will attend the game along with Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA Global Ambassador Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Patrick Hunt (President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches; Australia), Jerryd Bayless (76ers), Garrett Temple (Memphis Grizzlies), and former WNBA players Swin Cash, Astou N’Diaye (Senegal), Allison Feaster, Clarisse Machanguana (Mozambique) and Ruth Riley.
The NBA Africa Game 2018 will take place following the 16th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa. In honor of the centenary of Nelson Mandela, the game will be played in support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The NBA has held two sold-out Africa Games, in Johannesburg in 2015 and 2017, in support of charities including the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of South Africa, SOS Children’s Villages South Africa (SOSCVSA) and UNICEF. There are more than 80 current and former NBA players from Africa or with direct family ties to the continent, including Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) and Dikembe Mutombo.
For more information, fans can register at www.NBA.com/AfricaGame, visit www.NBA.com/Africa, and follow the NBA on Facebook (NBA Africa) and Twitter (@NBA_Africa).