NBA closes sole Africa training academy in blow to young players

The NBA has closed its only elite training academy in Africa, less than a decade after it was launched in Senegal to prepare promising young African players for professional leagues in the United States and elsewhere. The decision to close NBA Academy Africa was a blow to students and young players across the continent, two former employees said. Michel Chikwanine, who had been the academy’s performance and lifestyle adviser, said late on Thursday that the news discouraged African players just beginning to build confidence. “From the moment we told them, their confidence waned, their confidence dropped,” he said. Michael Abbott, former head of academic planning at the academy, said it showed a lack of commitment to the students.