The Lakers will have a large presence at this year’s NBA Africa Game, as Luol Deng, JaVale McGee and General Manager Rob Pelinka will all play a part in Pretoria, South Africa, on Aug. 4.
Deng served as captain for Team Africa in both of the previous editions of the NBA Africa Game. He was also named Co-MVP in the inaugural 2015 game after scoring 20 points, but did not play last year.
Born in Wau, South Sudan, and having spent much of his childhood living in Egypt, Deng has always been one of the NBA’s premier ambassadors to Africa, participating in numerous league and personal charity initiatives.
McGee — a native of Flint, Michigan — will play his first NBA Africa Game for Team World, made up of players mainly from the United States.
Meanwhile, Pelinka will participate in the game in some capacity, while Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is also expected to be in attendance
The game — which tips off next Saturday (Aug. 4) at 8 a.m. PT — will be played in support of the Nelsa Mandela Foundation, in honor of the late South African president and anti-apartheid leader’s centenary.
It will be held at Sun Arena at Time Square, following the 16th edition of Basketball Without Borders Africa.