SALY, Senegal – Players from eight different countries stepped onto the TD Garden floor for Game One of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. None was from Africa.
But more than 3,700 miles away, at nearly 3 am Senegal Time – four hours ahead of East Coast Time – Africa’s top basketball prospects from seven different countries watched the Celtics close out a 107-89 victory. NBA Academy Africa players sprawled across the facility’s multipurpose room in a gathering of basketball admiration.
They diagrammed the Celtics’ defensive scheme against Luka Doncic on pizza boxes, explained their implementation of various NBA players’s games and poked fun at each other’s gaming abilities.
“I spend my free time watching basketball,” said guard Manuel Camboma of Angola.
Capital News Service watched Game One with seven players. NBA Academy Africa was created in partnership between the NBA and Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEED) in 2018 to develop top international high school-age prospects.
Notable Academy alumni include 5-star Duke commit and ESPN projected top-three 2025 NBA draft pick Khaman Maluach, Kansas State forward Ugonna Onyenso and projected 2024 NBA first round draft pick Ulrich Chomche.
Attendees for Thursday’s watch party included Seifeldin Hendawy of Egypt who is a Loyola University Chicago commit, Angola’s Camboma and 15-year-old point guard Joel Kabugi, hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Each player has a different lens through which he watches the game.
Hendawy, a 6-foot-7 guard, analyzed how Jayson Tatum of the Celtics “gets to his spots”. Camboma watched each team’s defensive schemes, pointing out ball screen coverages of both squads. Seven-footer Matong Muorwel envisioned himself in the shoes of Celtic Kristaps Porziņģis.
Every player admired Kyrie Irving’s handle and shotmaking ability. They marveled at Luka Doncic’s pace and control of the game.
“This year, I felt like [to] learn more, I need to watch different players, different tactics, just to learn more of the game. So I started to watch more NBA,” Hendawy said. “I learned by watching, it helps you imagine different scenarios and angles.”
Camboma suggested the Mavericks change their defensive scheme after Boston made 11 first-half threes. He flipped open a pizza box and diagrammed a coverage on the cardboard side.
Players don’t solely watch the stars. Kabugi admires Jrue Holiday’s tenacity, calling him a “great defender”. Hendawy watched Derrick White’s versatility and leadership.
The Academy is focused on establishing a strong community that unites players from diverse countries. Academy technical director Roland Houston said that when the program started, it required a lot of work. He said that Senegalese players only interacted with each other before he was forced to break up their lunch table.
“We have performance lifestyle classes. This is the [class that] teaches us how to become a leader,” Hendawy said. “All of us are here to help each other.”
Players gather in the multipurpose room daily. They watch NBA highlights after morning practice, have game nights and play video games – until Maluach took his PlayStation to Duke. The chemistry in the room is evident, as they crack jokes and laugh easily. 
The topic of who’s the best one-on-one player quickly arose. Hendawy claimed he beat everybody in the room. Camboma is quick to disagree.
“When you beat me, bro?” Camboma said.
Tonight is a special occasion. The Academy usually practices in the early morning, meaning it’s not feasible to watch live NBA games because of the time zone difference. But the staff granted a morning off Friday.
The Academy will likely feature its first first-round draft pick later this month. Maluach is projected to be a 2025 lottery pick. There’s a business-like air that seeps through the various facilities. Players are self-motivated.
Each individual’s goal is different, but all have an overarching theme. Advance your career to the highest level you can take it.
“Sometimes I just find myself alone here. But I want to be in that position, so I just keep watching and keep motivating myself to just stay up even though it’s late,” Mahamat Tahir said.
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