NBA Partners with Nigerian Musicians to Promote Basketball in Africa

United Masters and the National Basketball Association (NBA) have unveiled plans to expand their ongoing collaboration across Africa, capitalizing on the continent’s enthusiasm for music, basketball, and the NBA. The objective is to showcase African musicians and positively influence African youth.

The collaboration aims to empower independent musicians by granting United Masters artists the opportunity to feature their music on the league’s social media channels in Africa. This strategic partnership will connect artists with NBA Africa, providing them access to African audiences and the platform to amplify their music to fans across the continent.

The announcement builds upon the relationship between the NBA and United Masters that commenced in 2018. The timing coincides with United Masters’ platform expansion in Nigeria, where NBA Africa maintains a dedicated office supporting basketball and business development initiatives, including grassroots basketball development programs and social responsibility efforts benefiting Nigerian youth and families.

Steve Stoute, CEO of United Masters, emphasized the natural synergy between sports and music, stating, “Our collaboration with the NBA has been, since day one, a great articulation of our company at its best: finding the shared value between sports and music, to the benefit of both.”

As United Masters extends its reach into Africa, the collaboration aims to leverage the mutual appeal of music and basketball. Stoute added, “Together, we’re ensuring breakthrough Nigerian artists can access a global stage in an instant, while at the same time allowing the league to align directly with the tastes and ambitions of their next two billion fans.”

In November, NBA Africa hosted the second edition of “NBA Meets Art” in Lagos, celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture. The event featured a collaboration with Nigerian artist Dennis Osadebe to curate an installation focused on the community and togetherness fostered by basketball.

Nigerian superstars, including Burna Boy, Tems, and Rema, headlined the NBA All-Star Game halftime show in February, presenting an Afrobeats-themed performance. NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the league has organized three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.

The Basketball Africa League (BAL), a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa. The fourth season is set to commence in March 2024. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.