Diarra wins second BAL Defensive Player of the Year award

For the second time in his Basketball Africa League (BAL) career, Aliou Diarra won the Dikembe Mutombo Defensive Player of the Year award.

The announcement was made minutes before the 2025 BAL final between Petro de Luanda and Al-Ahli Tripoli, and the award was presented by NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady.

Diarra, a Malian international player, had a stellar campaign, helping the Rwandan champions APR secure third place in the 2025 BAL.

He averaged 17.4 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, and one steal in eight games this season.

In addition to his five double-doubles and a field-goal percentage of 55.6%, Diarra finished with one of the season’s highest efficiency ratings, averaging 27 points per game.

Diarra, a player who often battles to keep opponents out of the paint, never fouled out in eight games, averaging 29.7 minutes per game.

After sitting out two of APR’s six games due to health issues, Aliou Diarra delivered a standout performance in the final game of the Nile Conference.

In APR’s 77-74 win over the Nairobi City Thunder, Diarra set a BAL record with eight blocks, surpassing the previous record of seven set by Anas Mahmoud and Khaman Maluach in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, respectively.

During his first DPY-winning season, he registered eight double-doubles while helping Stade Malien reach the 2023 BAL third-place game.