An In-depth conversation with Victor Williams, CEO of NBA Africa on expansion plans and basketball as a whole ecosystem.

NBA Africa is a newly established entity created in May 2021 to oversee the NBA's operations in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and its companies in Dakar, Senegal, and Lagos, Nigeria. The NBA has a long history on the continent, having established its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010. Its focus in Africa has been on expanding access to basketball, developing young and elite talent, promoting social responsibility, distributing media content, forming business partnerships, and organizing initiatives such as the NBA Africa Games and the BAL.

Victor Williams: From Banker to CEO of NBA Africa

Victor Williams, the CEO of NBA Africa for over two years, was born in Sierra Leone and later moved to the US for secondary and university education. He worked as a banker in the US and across Africa, gaining experience in managing and growing businesses on the continent.

Williams says, “I have been a sports fan since childhood, but my love and passion for basketball began when I moved to the US and was exposed to the NBA brand. I have always admired the NBA's global expansion, and when the opportunity arose to become the CEO of NBA Africa, it combined my professional interests in growing successful businesses in Africa with my passion for sports and basketball.”

Although the pandemic posed a challenge at the start of his new job, Williams explains that the suspension of the BAL for a year allowed the team to evaluate conditions and plan for the league's eventual restart, which was inspired by the NBA's example of operating in a "bubble."

The CEO says that leading the organization during lockdown was a unique challenge, as he was unable to physically interact with the team and had to rely on Zoom calls and occasional in-person meetings. However, with the cooperation of the team, they were able to overcome these challenges and continue their work.

The former banker, Victor Williams, successfully raised capital for the NBA Africa entity by bringing external partners that were aligned with the association's goals. Williams leveraged his previous banking experience to engage with potential partners and make the deal happen, establishing NBA Africa as a funded entity in May of 2021.

An Egyptian appetite for the NBA

As part of the expansion plan for the association, the NBA has decided to get closer to fans, the basketball ecosystem, and commercial partners by opening offices in African countries and cities. The NBA already has an office in Johannesburg and has recently opened offices in Senegal, Lagos, and now Cairo.

Egypt's already existing basketball tradition and ecosystem, as well as a good relationship with the Egyptian basketball federation, were factors that attracted the NBA to expand in Egypt. The CEO mentions that the NBA already has an appetite in Egypt, a good infrastructure to work with, and good relationships with partners. “We are blessed to have a good relationship with the Egyptian basketball federation and so we have worked with them as partners on a number of activities so far and I must say we’ve been active in Egypt already. Last year we held the Nile Conference of the Basketball Africa League in April and in August we held the 18th edition of our Basketball without Borders camp also here in Cairo and both of those events went on very successfully. And so we already know that there is an appetite for the NBA here, we know that there is an infrastructure that we can work with, we know that we have good relationships with partners that want to support us in our mission.”

The continent of Africa as a whole holds a lot of potential and promise for the NBA. According to Williams, the NBA has had a focus on globalization for many years and has operations in various regions such as Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Canada. The expansion in Africa is similar to what the NBA has been doing in other regions, but with more focus.

Mohamed Abdel-Motaleb Soliman has been designated as Vice President and Head of NBA Egypt and will be in charge of the league's fourth office in Africa. Soliman, who recently served as Vice President of the Egyptian Basketball Federation and Deputy Secretary General of the Egyptian Olympic Committee, will head the new Cairo headquarters and report to NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams.

The NBA Africa has recently announced the appointment of Mohamed Soliman as the new head of their league in Egypt. Soliman, a former Egyptian National Basketball Team captain and Olympian, brings over 20 years of experience in both commercial and manufacturing to his new role. He will be responsible for overseeing the league's basketball and business development initiatives, including youth and elite player programs, partnerships with marketing, media, and merchandise partners, and social responsibility efforts in the country. Soliman expressed his excitement about this new expansion and looks forward to building on the momentum of basketball in Egypt.

Victor Williams, the CEO of NBA Africa, also expressed his confidence in Soliman's abilities, citing his extensive experience in the Egyptian basketball ecosystem and his proven track record of growing businesses in Egypt. Victor Williams himself concurs, “Mohamed’s extensive experience at all levels of the Egyptian basketball ecosystem and demonstrated track record of growing businesses in Egypt make him the ideal person to lead our efforts in the country and accelerate the growth of the game there.”

Basketball is more than a sport

Basketball, as a sport, has a significant impact on young people. It teaches valuable qualities such as honesty, hard work, passion, and discipline and brings individuals from diverse backgrounds together. In Africa, basketball is seen as a vehicle for young people to achieve their potential, offering opportunities for travel and advancement through the sport.

The NBA Africa's programs aim to not only teach the game of basketball but also to impart life skills, promote health and wellness, and empower girls in the communities they serve. “One of the things we try to do in one of our programs is to really look at how we can drive to do positive community impact and so we use basketball as a tool not just to teach the game but to impart lessons on life skills, in some communities, it’s about better health and wellness practices, in some it about focusing on stem education and some it’s about girls empowerment we tailor the programs to fit the needs of the communities and the partners we work with.”

BAL: The Basketball Africa League 

The Basketball Africa League (BAL) is a professional league established in collaboration between the NBA and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Comprised of 12 African club teams, the BAL is based in Dakar, Senegal, and aims to provide a predictable pathway for African players from grassroots to elite play and professional opportunities within the continent. With two successful seasons under its belt, the NBA Africa is now looking to further expand the league and engage with fans and the public in Egypt. Williams elaborates, “One of the key investments we are making in the game in Africa is the establishment of a professional league; it's part of our desire to build a predictable pathway from grassroots through elite youth play to the opportunity to play professionally within the continent. So, we want Africans across the continent to play the game to see a future opportunity to play the game professionally and earn a career playing basketball.”

Through the BAL league and with two successful seasons, the first done in a bubble in Rwanda and the second in Senegal the NBA Africa moved closer to what they had originally had with it being the first season to be played free of restrictions after the pandemic, “12 teams played in the league and for this year’s season three of the BAL we’ll be visiting those countries again. Egypt already has strong ties to the BAL, in the first season the champion of the league was Zamalek, and last year Zamalek went to the semi-finals and so this season we are really calling out the Egyptian fans and public to come and support their team.”

Victor Williams, the CEO of NBA Africa, believes that basketball can play a major role in the development of young people and society in Africa, and contribute to economic growth; as he concludes, “basketball can be in Africa as a vehicle for the development of young people, as the vehicle for the development of the society and for the way it can contribute to economic growth and so we are here in the continent to partner with the basketball ecosystem and people who are passionate about the game to bring all the benefits for the game to the continent and to help youth fulfill their potential.”