Basketball was introduced to Africa in the 1960s and quickly gained popularity. After more individuals became aware and began to practice, professional teams were established with the drive to win.
In Africa, the basketball game is regulated by FIBA Africa. The AfroBasket is FIBA Africa’s premier championship for national teams. At the same time, the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is its premier league for sports clubs.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) invests millions of dollars in maintaining a foothold in Africa. Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian-American basketball player, is widely credited with helping to develop and promote basketball in Africa.
We’ve got the top 20 African basketball players that you should know and be proud of, let’s get into it!
1. Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam, nicknamed ‘Spicy P,’ is a professional basketball player from the Central African country ‘Cameroon.’ He plays for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. In 2016, Siakam was named the Western Athletic Conference Player. He led Toronto’s affiliate team to a league championship and was honoured as the ‘Finals Most Valuable Player. In 2019, Siakam helped the Raptors win the NBA championship and won the Most Improved Player Award. In the 2019-20 season, Siakam was named the NBA All-Star. Later in 2020, he made his first All-NBA Team.
2. OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby, born on 17th July 1997, in North West London in Harlesden to Nigerian parents, is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. Earlier, Anunoby played for Jefferson City High School, and then he played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. In 2019, he represented the UK in the Rising Star Challenge.
3. Bam Adebayo
Born on 18th July 1997 in Newark, New Jersey, Bam Adebayo is an American basketball player. Adebayo plays for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association. Earlier, he used to play college basketball for Kentucky Wildcats, and later the Miami Heat selected him. In 2019, he won the NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge competition, and in the 2019–20 season, he was in the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Born on 6th December 1994 in Athens to Nigerian immigrants. He started playing basketball for the youth teams of Filathlitikos in Athens. Then in 2011, he joined the senior team of the club, and in 2013 he joined the NBA draft. In 2017, he was awarded the Most Improved Player award, and then in 2019 and 2020, he was selected as an All-Star captain.
5. Luol Deng
Luol Deng, born on 16th April 1985, in Wau Sudan, is a former South Sudanese-British basketball player. He was abandoned by his family when he was a child. In 2005, he was named the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Deng was awarded NBA All-Star twice. In 2012, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He joined Miami Heat in 2014-15 and signed with the Lakers in 2016.
Deng recently played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA (NBA). He has twice been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. Deng was born in South Sudan.
6. Dikembe Mutombo
Born on 25th June 1966 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mutombo is a former professional basketball player who played for 18 seasons in the NBA. He is a humanitarian, one of the best shot blockers and defensive players of all time. He has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times.
7. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon, nicknamed ‘the Dream,’ was born on 21st January 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. Olajuwon, also known as one of the basketball players, played the centre position in the NBA from 1984 to 2008. Hakeem was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and FIBA Hall of Fame in 2008 and 2016 consecutively.
8. Eduardo Mingas
Eduardo Fernando Mingas was born on 29th January 1979 in Saurimo, Angola. He is a professional basketball player who plays the power forward position for Petro de Luanda and Angola. Mingas played for Angola in the 2002 World Championship, 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2006 World Championships.
9. Makram Ben Romdhane
Makram Ben Romdhane, born on 27th March 1989 in Tunisia, is a professional basketball player. He plays the small forward, power forward, or centre positions for Benfica and Tunisia. In the 2021BAL season, Romdhane played with Monastir and was awarded the BAL Sportsmanship Award.
10. Gorgui Dieng
Gorgui Dieng, born on 18th January 1990 in Senegal, is a professional basketball player. He plays for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 2016, he signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension with the Timberwolves on 31st October 2016. In a 98–87 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on January 15, 2017, he set a season-best with 21 points. Then in 2021, Dieng signed with the San Antonio Spurs.
11. Chamberlain Oguchi
Born on 28th April 1986, he is a Nigerian American professional basketball player. From 2004 to 2007, Oguchi played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks. Later he started playing for Illinois State Redbirds. Oguchi signed with the club STB Le Havre of the French Pro-A League in 2009.
12. Abdelali Lahrichi
Abdelali Lahrichi, born on 19th July 1993 in Morocco, is a professional basketball player. He plays for KACM Kawkab de Marrakech basketball of the Division Excellence. At the 2017 AfroBasket in Tunisia and Senegal, he represented the national basketball team of Morocco.
13. Emmanuel Mudiay
Emmanuel Mudiay, born on 5th March 1996, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is an American basketball player. Mudiay played high school basketball for Grace Preparatory Academy and Prime Prep Academy. He also played for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
14. Thon Maker
Born on 25th February 1997 in Wau, South Sudan, Thon Maker is a South Sudanese-Australian professional basketball player. He played for the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League. Before that, Maker played basketball for the Athlete Institute of Canada. In 2016 he was picked 10th overall. Between 2016 and 2021, he played for three different NBA teams.
He currently plays for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons (NBA).
15. Pieter Prinsloo
Daniel Pieter Prinsloo, born on 7th January 1992, is a South African basketball player. Initially, he was interested in playing cricket. However, when his father migrated to the United States, he started playing football. He has played for different teams from Latin America and Africa. Currently, he plays for Cape Town Tigers and the South African national basketball team.
16. Max Kouguere
Max Kouguere, born on 12th March 1987, is a Central African basketball player. Kouguere played for fellow French League team BCM Gravelines. Then in 2009-10, he signed with Olympique Antibes. He plays for Phoenix Brussels and is a Central African Republic national basketball team member.
17. Omar Abada
Omar Abada, born on 20th April 1993, is a Tunisian professional basketball player. In 2010, he started his career with Étoile de Radès and stayed there for eight seasons. For a year, in 2018, he played for France. Abada plays for Zamalek of the Egyptian Basketball Super League and Tunisia national basketball team.
18. Jeremy Nzeulie
Jeremy Nzeulie, born on 15th February 1991 in France, is a Cameroonian basketball player. He plays for Orléans Loiret Basket of the LNB Pro A. Back in the 2008-2009 season, he made his French league Pro-A debut for club Nanterre. In 2018 he joined SIG Strasbourg. In 2021, he signed a contract with Boulazac Basket Dordogne and later in the year with Orléans Loiret Basket.
19. Carlos Morais
Carlos Edilson Alcântara Morais, born on 16th October 1985 is an Angolan professional basketball player. He played for Petro Atlético in Angola. Morais represented Angola at FIBA Africa Championship 2005, 2006 FIBA World Championship, FIBA Africa Championship 2007, and the 2008 Summer Olympics.
20. Joel Hans Embiid
Born on 16th March 1994, he is a Cameroonian professional basketball player. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was in the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2016-17. In 2021, he signed a four-year contract worth a $196 million extension with the 76ers.
So there you have it! North to South, West to East, and everything between, Africans have made their mark on basketball courts worldwide.
