February 15, (THEWILL) – Rising basketball star David Ugonna Ike is part of the NBA Academy Africa trio that will participate in the Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Camp, which will take place from February 14 to 16, 2025, in San Francisco Bay, USA, during the 74th NBA All-Star weekend.
17-year-old Ugonna had a stellar 2024 season. During Season 4, he made his Basketball Africa League (BAL) debut through the BAL Elevate programme. He averaged 14 minutes per game and scored 4.5 points and 4.2 rebounds.
In August, he was named the BWB Africa camp Defensive Most Valuable Player and BWB Africa 2024 All-Star. Some of David’s experiences include participating in the IMG Prep & G-League Showcase.
Other African representatives at the BWB Global Camp include Heri Bukinga, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Arafan Diane, Guinea; Ali Assran (NBA Academy Africa) Egypt; Ikenna Alozie, Nigeria; Theophilus Edema, Nigeria; Paul Ater Maker Bol, South Sudan and Ahmed Bedoui (NBA Academy Africa), Tunisia.
Similarly, on the invitation of NBA Africa, Osas Ighodaro, Nigeria’s delectable actress and influencer, will be attending the 74th NBA All-Star weekend alongside two South African actresses, Thando Thabethe and Linda Mtoba.
The NBA’s flagship global event will feature the Ruffles Celebrity Game and Castrol Rising Stars Game on Friday, State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, featuring the Kia Skills Challenge, Starry 3-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday, and the 74th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday. One of the weekend’s highlights will be the annual NBA Africa All-Star Luncheon this Saturday, where the NBA, WNBA, and FIBA community will once again celebrate the game’s impact on the continent.
Africa’s presence at this year’s NBA All-Star will also include 2024 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (France/Democratic Republic of the Congo) and three-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) representing the continent in the All-Star Game, Bilal Coulibaly (France/Mali), Yves Missi (Cameroon), Toumani Camara (Belgium/Mali), and Alex Sarr (France/Senegal) in the Castrol Rising Stars Game.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
