Earn Your Leisure Podcast

Episode: Luol Deng & Clare Akamanzi: Building the NBA’s Future in Africa

Date: October 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this insightful and passionate conversation recorded at the NBA’s BAL (Basketball Africa League) conference, hosts Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings explore how basketball is transforming lives and economies across Africa. Joined by NBA veteran Luol Deng and BAL CEO Clare Akamanzi, they delve into the league's vision, its impact on African youth, infrastructure, economic opportunities, and the evolving narrative around African basketball on the global stage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Luol Deng’s Return to Africa and South Sudan Basketball Federation

[01:58–05:34]

• Luol Deng details why he chose to return and invest in basketball at home rather than pursue a traditional NBA post-retirement path, focusing on giving back and building infrastructure in South Sudan.
• Highlights the journey from running makeshift basketball camps to envisioning a national team that brings pride and hope to the continent.
• Quote [03:47]:

  "I just believe that the talent is there. It's just about the organization and infrastructure." — Luol Deng

2. The Vision and Impact of the BAL

[05:41–10:15]

• Clare Akamanzi outlines the reasons behind NBA’s investment in Africa: immense talent, the need for local professional opportunities, and the power of basketball as an economic engine.
• BAL’s five-year journey has surpassed expectations: 10% of NBA players have African heritage, 37,000 jobs created, $250M injected in four years.
• Focus on making basketball accessible in local time zones, improving fan experience, and nurturing the next generation through NBA Academies and affiliated programs (Seed Academy, etc.).
• Quote [06:41]:

  "Africa ... has talent. But also, we know that not everybody can go and play in the NBA. NBA is about 500 players and we have 1.5 billion Africans ... So how do we create opportunities for African players or talent to stay on the continent and play professionally?" — Clare Akamanzi

3. Defining Success for African Basketball & Grassroots Development

[10:15–15:18]

• Success is not just more teams; it’s grassroots infrastructure, stable programs like Seed Academy, and professional development for coaches, referees, and support staff.
• Emphasis on trust, leadership, and building networks with U.S./European basketball for accelerated learning and talent transfer.
• Quote [12:08]:

  "The direction is clear ... there’s so much we’re talking about that will motivate others ... creating jobs but also connecting it with the culture, with the youth..." — Luol Deng

4. Basketball and National Development: The Rwanda Case

[15:18–19:50]

• Rwanda’s partnership with the BAL demonstrates a synergy between private investment, government support, and sports as a catalyst for overall economic growth and national branding.
• Local teams now attract significant private and institutional investments, raising competition and standards.
• Infrastructure remains a challenge: only five arenas in Africa meet NBA/BAL standards, but trends show more under construction and renovation.
• Quote [18:57]:

  "Can you believe that there are only five arenas in the whole of Africa, in the 54 countries of Africa, that are ready to receive an NBA or BAL game? ... but there are many others that could just ... bring the number much higher." — Clare Akamanzi

5. Investment Opportunities and Challenges Across Africa

[20:07–25:15]

• Luol Deng unpacks the complexities of investing in Africa: regional legal/regulatory differences, misconceptions about corruption, and the importance of building local relationships.
• Calls for harmonized business rules to enable easier, cross-border venture scaling.
• Quote [21:08]:

  "The rules are completely different ... But in the continent, there's amazing opportunities. ... The most important thing are the people that you work with." — Luol Deng

6. BAL’s Revenue Streams, Media Rights, and Scalability

[25:50–29:44]

• Four primary monetization channels: sponsorship/marketing, merchandise, ticketing, media rights.
• New e-commerce platform (balstore.nba.com), growing international diaspora demand for merchandise.
• Biggest challenge for scaling: fragmented media markets and the regulatory burden for pan-African broadcasting; hope seen in telco partnerships (e.g., MTN).
• Quote [27:40]:

  "Less than 1% of our fans will ever go to watch a live game ... 99% of them will watch us through a platform. And that platform is very much enabled by technology." — Clare Akamanzi

7. Expansion, Infrastructure, and the Road to BAL

[29:44–32:03]

• Current BAL: 12 teams play in four host countries, but many more national programs participate in qualifiers.
• Governments and investors increasingly see the value in building world-class arenas, leading to anticipated rapid expansion.
• Quote [31:37]:

  "Our goal is to have many countries come to be part of the BAL experience." — Clare Akamanzi

8. Player Influence & Changing the Perception of Africa

[32:03–37:10]

• Ex-NBA players (Deng, Joakim Noah, Derrick Rose, Royale Ivy) are returning to invest, coach, and motivate others, leveraging their network to uplift African basketball and challenge stereotypes.
• South Sudan’s national team, coached by Deng, has succeeded despite infrastructure deficits (no indoor courts, training hosted in Rwanda).
• Quote [33:50]:

  "We're playing a big part besides just basketball ... promoting the continent the right way." — Luol Deng

9. Technology’s Role in Engagement and Talent Development

[37:15–39:35]

• Lower than 1% of fans attend games in person — digital engagement is essential: social media, AI for scouting, virtual experiences, and the Triple Double Accelerator for sport-tech innovation are on the agenda.
• Quote [38:14]:

  "Technology remains a very close interactor with sports and basketball in particular." — Clare Akamanzi

10. Cross-Continental Aspirations & Olympic Breakthrough

[39:35–45:51]

• BAL doesn’t rule out future cross-continental competitions (e.g., BAL teams vs. NBA, EuroLeague, or Asian counterparts).
• South Sudan’s near-upset of Team USA at the Olympics was a watershed moment, spotlighting Africa’s progress, challenging lingering negative perceptions, and inspiring pride.
• Quote [44:55]:

  "When we played the US and we almost won, people realize that times have changed ... Africa is catching up." — Luol Deng

11. Partnership Philosophy

[45:51–48:16]

• BAL seeks partners with shared values dedicated to Africa’s upliftment, especially empowering youth.
• Opportunities span all sectors—sports, entertainment, infrastructure, technology, and beyond.
• Quote [46:07]:

  "We're looking for partners that share the values that we have, which is to really elevate Africa through sports, entertainment, but also who look at elevating the youth of Africa and giving ... opportunity to excel." — Clare Akamanzi

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:47] “The talent is there. It's just about the organization and infrastructure.” — Luol Deng
• [06:41] “Africa ... has talent ... not everybody can go and play in the NBA. ... So how do we create opportunities for African talent to stay on the continent and play professionally?” — Clare Akamanzi
• [12:08] "There's so much we're talking about that will motivate others ... creating jobs but also connecting it with culture, with the youth." — Luol Deng
• [18:57] "Only five arenas in Africa ... ready to receive an NBA or BAL game? ... but many others could ... bring the number much higher." — Clare Akamanzi
• [21:08] "The rules are completely different ... But in the continent, there's amazing opportunities. ... The most important thing are the people that you work with." — Luol Deng
• [27:40] "Less than 1% of our fans will ever go to watch a live game ... 99% of them will watch us through a platform." — Clare Akamanzi
• [44:55] "When we played the US and we almost won, people realize that times have changed ... Africa is catching up." — Luol Deng
• [46:07] "We're looking for partners that share ... the values that we have, which is to really elevate Africa through sports, entertainment, ... elevating the youth ..." — Clare Akamanzi

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Luol Deng on returning to South Sudan – [01:58–05:34]
• Clare Akamanzi on BAL vision & impact – [05:41–10:15]
• Discussion on grassroots development & program connections – [10:15–15:18]
• Rwanda’s partnership model and infrastructure – [15:18–19:50]
• Luol Deng on investment & economic challenges – [20:07–25:15]
• BAL’s revenue structure and media strategies – [25:50–29:44]
• Expansion and infrastructure – [29:44–32:03]
• Retired players investing in Africa – [32:03–37:10]
• Role of technology in fan engagement & talent spotting – [37:15–39:35]
• Olympic moment: South Sudan vs. Team USA – [40:30–45:51]
• BAL partnership philosophy – [45:51–48:16]

Tone and Language

The tone is passionate, inspirational, and visionary, grounded in the direct experiences and challenges the guests have faced. Both Luol and Clare balance optimism with realism, often peppered with humor and vivid storytelling that underscores their commitment and connection to Africa’s sporting and economic future.

This summary captures the strategic, economic, and social layers defining the NBA's investment in Africa, weaving in personal journeys and the larger movement to redefine Africa through the lens of basketball.