Nigerian duo of Samson Mashebinu and Iyowoicho Onoja have been drafted into the NBA Academy Africa to compete in the first-of-its-kind elite basketball tourney tagged NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025.

The Nigerian duo played for Petro de Luanda, the runners-up at this year’s Basketball Africa League (BAL) as part of the BAL Elevate program.

The first NBA Academy showcase dunked off in the UAE on Saturday, September 27, with top international prospects from Africa, Australia, France and the U.S. competing in the first-of-its-kind elite game in Abu Dhabi.

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The NBA Academy showcase brought together four elite youth academies from NBA Academy Africa (Senegal), Centre of Excellence (Australia), INSEP (France) and IMG Academy Ascender Elite (U.S.) to compete in a three-day tournament at NYU Abu Dhabi.

The showcase is part of the NBA’s efforts to grow basketball at all levels in the UAE and across the Middle East as it precedes The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2025 presented by ADQ, which will feature the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers playing preseason games on Thursday, October 2 and Saturday, October 4 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

The teams feature some of the best future NBA prospects from around the world who are competing in a series of exhibition games in front of NCAA coaches and NBA scouts.

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Since the inaugural NBA Abu Dhabi Games in 2022, basketball participation has grown 25 percent in the Middle East and over 50 percent in the UAE.

In Abu Dhabi alone, basketball participation has grown over 400 percent since 2022, as the city has emerged as a key regional hub for basketball development.