Sports

NBA Africa announces Season Two of ‘Born & Bred’ basketball documentary series

Published

5 days ago

September 2, 2024

NBA Africa has announced the return of the Season Two of its original documentary series, “Born & Bred”, which will premiere on the NBA App.

According to the announcement, the docuseries has with five episodes which tells the stories of current and former NBA Academy Africa student athletes drawn from Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt and Senegal as they pursue their basketball dreams at the academy and beyond.

“The Season Two of “Born & Bred” features the first NBA Academy Africa prospect drafted to the NBA Ulrich Chomche from Cameroon who got drafted into the Toronto Raptors; former NBA G League Ignite players, Babacar Sané (Utah Jazz; Senegal) and Thierry Darlan (Central African Republic), as well as current NBA Academy Africa prospects, Ali Assran (Egypt) and Modou Fall Thiam (Senegal).

“Chomche became the first prospect from one of the three NBA Academies around the world to be drafted directly to the NBA when he was selected 57th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies and traded to the Toronto Raptors in the 2024 NBA Draft.

“During his time at NBA Academy Africa, he was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 2022 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp and participated in the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Elevate program, representing Rwanda Energy Group Basketball Club (REG BBC) in 2023 and Cameroon’s Forces Armées et Police in 2022.”

The first episode of the series titled, “Small Village. Big Dreams”, also featured Chomche and is available to watch on the NBA App.

‘All five episodes will be available to stream on the NBA App, with one episode releasing each week throughout September.

“Descriptions of each Season Two of the “Born & Bred” episode are include “Small Village. Big Dreams” featuring Ulrich Chomche, an 18-year-old forward from Bafang, Cameroon, who is set to make his NBA debut later this year during the 2024-25 NBA season. Chomche joined NBA Academy Africa in 2019.

“He represented Team World at the 2024 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon in April, before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. He became the seventh Cameroonian to be drafted, joining Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (NBA Draft 2001), Luc Mbah a Moute (NBA Draft 2008), seven-time NBA All-Star and 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP Joel Embiid (NBA Draft 2014), two-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (NBA Draft 2016), Christian Koloko (NBA Draft 2022) and Yves Missi (NBA Draft 2024).

Episode 2 titled “Birth of Young Ossoko” features Babacar Sané, a 20-year-old forward from Ziguinchor, Senegal. Following his breakthrough performances during the BAL’s second season, he spent two years with NBA G League Ignite, before going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and signing with the Jazz earlier this month.

Episode 3 which is titled “Breaking Ground” features Ali Assran, a 17-year-old forward from Cairo, Egypt. Assran represented the U17 Egyptian national team at the 2024 FIBA Basketball World Cup and joined the NBA Academy Africa in 2023 which follows him as he continues to discover his passion for basketball while channeling his struggles into determination and finding solace on the court.

Episode 4, “The Quiet Leader” features Modou Fall Thiam, a 19-year-old from Senegal who joined NBA Academy Africa in 2023. Hailing from Yeumbeul, the athletic dunker faced an early injury which saw the young point guard sidelined in his second year at the academy.

Thiam details his journey of playing in several international tournaments, participating in the BAL’s third season as a BAL Elevate member of Nigeria’s Kwara Falcons, and the adversity of dealing with an injury as a young athlete.

Episode 5, “Against All Odds” features Thierry Darlan, who as a 20-year-old guard from Bangui, Central African Republic became the sixth NBA Academy graduate and third from the NBA Academy Africa to sign with NBA G League Ignite.

Named the MVP of the 2022 BWB Africa camp in Egypt, Darlan also led the academy team to a championship at the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, Georgia the same year.

Following his BAL debut with Angola’s Petro de Luanda in 2022 as part of the BAL Elevate program, Darlan returned to the BAL in 2024, making his professional debut during the Nile Conference for Central African Republic’s Bangui Sporting Club.

Related Topics:Basketball Born & Bred Documentary Featured NBA Africa

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Sports

Super Eagles star Lookman only African nominated for men’s Ballon D’or 2024

Published

20 hours ago

September 6, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Super Eagles and Atalanta of Italy forward, Ademola Lookman, is the only male African player to make it to the 30-man list of the 2024 FIFA Ballon D’or nominees.

The Nigerian international will have to compete with a strong array of stars dominated by players from Manchester City and Arsenal with a combined eight players nominated, as well as players from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and other top European clubs.

Lookman’s nomination came on the back of a superb season where he led his modest Serie A side to defeat Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final where he scored a hat-trick to lift the trophy and inflict the German club’s only defeat of the season in the process.

The 26-year-old scored three goals and was one of Nigeria’s best players as the Super Eagles made the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year before losing 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast.

He also scored 11 goals to help his Italian club side Atalanta finish fourth in Serie A, earning a place in this season’s Uefa Champions League.

On the female side, Africa is represented by Zambian national team captain, Barbra Banda and Malawi’s Tabitha Chawinga in the women’s shortlist.

24-year-old Banda remains one of the highest-profile players in the women’s game, becoming the second-most expensive player in history when she joined National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side Orlando Pride in March, and has scored 12 goals in 14 league appearances and continued her goalscoring exploits at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She scored her third hat-trick at the Games in the 6-5 defeat by Australia and ended the tournament with four goals in total.

Chawinga who played for PSG ladies scored 18 goals in 19 league outings last season and has since joined fellow French club Lyon.

Sports

Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei set on fire by boyfriend passes on

Published

2 days ago

September 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Ugandan marathon runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set on fire by her boyfriend on Sunday following a disagreement, has died while receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the Kenyan city of Eldoret.

Cheptegei, who lived in the western Trans-Nzoia County in Kenya, and competed for Uganda in the Discovery 10km Road Race and finished in the 44th position in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was reportedly attacked in her house in by her boyfriend identified as Dickson Ndiema who doused her with fuel and set her on fire.

According to police reports, the 33-year-old Cheptegei was left fighting for her life in the hospital for burns on 75 per cent of her body following the disagreement with her boyfriend at her house.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, said that Cheptegei’s boyfriend bought a jerry can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze.

“Ndiema also sustained burn wounds, although they are less severe, and is receiving treatment at the same hospital,” the police Commander said.

“Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the many athletic training centres in the county,” he added.

The head of the Uganda’s Olympics Committee, Donald Rukare, who confirmed Cheptegei death on Thursday in a post on X, wrote:

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence following a vicious attack by her boyfriend.

“As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice.May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”