Introducing the 2025 Nile Conference

There are three spots left for the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs!

Over the next twelve games, Kigali, a city synonymous with the BAL, will host the 2025 Nile Conference from May 17 to 25 at the world-class BK Arena.

Simply put, the Rwandan capital will be the place to be for BAL aficionados over the next few days.

And here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 BAL Nile Conference.

THREE DEBUTANTS AND ONE RETURNEE

Four teams from different parts of Africa are competing for a spot in Pretoria, South Africa, where this season’s BAL champion will be crowned in June.

Three of the four teams will be making their BAL debut while aiming to advance beyond the conference play.

The BAL debutants include Al Ahli Tripoli (Libya), MBB (South Africa), and Nairobi City Thunder (Kenya). These teams have stacked their rosters with some of the finest players in Africa.

However, the hosts, APR, who came up short in the 2024 Sahara Conference in Dakar and failed to advance to the playoffs last year, are not prepared to repeat their mistakes.

WHY FOLLOW THE GAMES IN KIGALI

To recreate the excitement of Rabat and Dakar, Kigali has decorated itself with BAL banners, and fans are invited to make their presence felt throughout the conference.

Reasons to follow the action in Kigali include the abundance of talented players and ambitious teams ready to do whatever it takes to make their mark in the BAL and secure a spot in the postseason.

NEW BAL CHAPTER FOR KIGALI

Kigali, home to the inaugural behind-closed-doors BAL season in 2021, saw four champions take home the Baobab-inspired BAL trophy: Zamalek (2021), US Monastir (2022), Al Ahly SC (2023), and Petro de Luanda (2024).

However, the BAL title will be decided elsewhere for the first time, in Pretoria, while Kigali hosts a conference for the first time.

FORMER NBA PLAYER TO SUIT UP FOR A BAL TEAM

Recently, an increasing number of former NBA players have begun making their way to the BAL.

After George King helped Al Ittihad achieve a 6-0 record in the Kalahari Conference in Rabat last month, another former NBA player is poised to make his mark on the league.

Jaylen Adams, a 6-foot point guard who signed two-way contracts with the Atlanta Hawks, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Milwaukee Bucks during his NBA career, is set to help Libya’s Al Ahly Tripoli.

Adams boasts an Australian NBL title with the Sydney Kings from the 2022 season. He was named the season's MVP.

BOISSY THE ONLY BAL FINALIST IN THE 2025 NILE CONFERENCE

Jean Jacques Boissy is the only player in the 2025 Nile Conference who has played in a BAL Final.

In the 2023 Basketball Africa League (BAL), Boissy’s AS Douanes lost to the eventual champions, Al Ahly SC, in the championship game.

AGE GAP BETWEEN YOUNGEST AND OLDEST PLAYER

Born in 1982, MBB’s Neo Mothiba is the oldest player in the 2025 Nile Conference at 43 years old.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Emmanuel Onoja, born in 2009, is the youngest player at 16 years old. Onoja joined Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli through the BAL Elevate Program.

TALLEST BAL PLAYER EVER

Several towering players, some as tall as seven feet, have showcased their basketball talent on BAL courts. However, there is now a new record for the tallest player in the league.

David Craig, a 21-year-old South African center who stands at 7 feet 2 inches, is now the tallest player in BAL history.

HOW TO WATCH THE GAMES

The 2025 BAL season will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages through free-to-air and paid TV broadcast partnerships with the African Union of Broadcasting, American Forces Network (AFN), Canal+, ESPN, NBA TV, Ninety Media Services, SNRT, Tencent Sports, TSN+, TV5 Monde and livestreaming on the NBA App, NBA.com, BAL.NBA.com and the BAL’s YouTube channel.

Additional coverage will be available on the league’s social media platforms.

Fans wanting to watch the games at Dakar Arena can buy their tickets on the BAL website (BAL.NBA.COM).