This archive report was first published on 31 July 2019.
On Tuesday, the NBA-backed Basketball Africa League (BAL) unveiled host cities for its inaugural season, marking a significant milestone in the league's history.
Among the announced host cities are Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; Luanda, Angola; Rabat, Morocco; and a Tunisian city, either Tunis or Monastir.
The BAL, featuring 12 club teams from across Africa, is set to begin play in March 2020.
According to BAL president Amadou Gallo Fall, "Today's announcements mark another important milestone as we head into what will be a historic first season."
The 12 teams will be divided into two six-team conferences, with each conference playing games in three of the six host cities.
Each team will play five regular-season games, with the top three clubs in each conference advancing to the playoffs.
The "Super Six" will play a round-robin format to determine the BAL Final Four that advance to Kigali in late spring 2020 for the single-game elimination semi-finals and final.
As part of its inaugural season, the BAL has also announced a partnership with Nike and the Jordan Brand, which will provide official uniforms and gear for six of the clubs.
The NBA and Fiba, the world governing body, plan to dedicate financial support and resources for training of African players, coaches, and referees.
