- The move will see the development of Basketball in Kenya.
- NBA, wordly known as a professional basketball league comprises 30 teams.
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The National Basketball Association(NBA) has opened its first office in Nairobi, Kenya.
The popular professional basketball association runs a league that comprises 30 teams.
The launch is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Kenya and the NBA.
The move will see the development of Basketball in Kenya.
In the MoU, there will be tremendous growth in school and community-based grassroots talent development under the Talanta Hela Initiative, including the training of teachers as certified basketball coaches and scouts.
Further, plans to develop basketball infrastructure, including courts in schools, communities, and neighbourhoods, and an elite arena for hosting top-level competitions will now be put in place.
The signing was done in September by Youth Affairs and Sports CS Ababu Namwamba and NBA Africa CEO Victor William and was witnessed by President William Ruto.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja had in September during his trip to the United States of America also announced that Kenya has struck a deal with the NBA for the construction of a sports arena in Nairobi.
"Slam Dunk! The NBA and NBA Africa in Nairobi from November. Great wins for us led by H.E. William Ruto. Additionally, we are working with Masai Ujiri to create the Nairobi Arena, (check out the Kigali Arena); this will be bigger and more exciting," Sakaja said on Friday via social platform X.
The Kigali Arena Sakaja made reference to a 10,000-capacity facility for indoor sports such as basketball, handball, volleyball, and tennis, as well as concerts and conferences.
The arena constructed in 2021 had a name change on May 24, 2022, to BK Arena.