ESPN has everything you need to know about the NBA-affiliated Basketball Africa League (BAL) for 2025, from news to scores to interviews from players across the league.
South Africa will host the BAL playoffs and final in June 2025, taking over from regular finals host city Kigali, Rwanda, while Morocco has been added as a host nation and Egypt removed.
Dates and locations:
Kalahari Conference - Rabat, Morocco - April 5-13
Sahara Conference - Dakar, Senegal - April 26 - May 4
Nile Conference - Kigali, Rwanda - May 17-25
Playoffs and finals - Pretoria, South Africa - June 6-14
Teams:
Kalahari Conference: Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers, hosts FUS Rabat, Stade Malien of Mali, Al Ittihad of Egypt.
Sahara Conference: Defending champion Petro de Luanda (Angola), 2022 champion US Monastir (Tunisia), hosts ASC Ville de Dakar and Cape Verde's Kriol Star.
Nile Conference: Hosts APR, Nairobi City Thunder of Kenya, South Africa's MBB, and Libya's Al Ahly Tripoli (the last three all debutants).
READ: ESPN's guide to all 12 BAL 2025 teams
Match reports:
Kalahari Conference
Rivers Hoopers beat FUS Rabat to seal playoff spot
Al Ittihad set for playoffs after fourth straight win
Nisre Zouzoua leads FUS Rabat to first win of season
Rivers Hoopers stumble with loss to Al Ittihad
Rivers Hoopers go pole with win over hosts Rabat
Al Ittihad remain unbeaten with narrow Stade Malien win
BAL hosts FUS Rabat fall in opener against Egypt's Al Ittihad
Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers triumph over Stade Malien in BAL season 5 opener
News:
BAL boss Fall downplays reports of franchise model
Nigeria's Devine Eke signs for Senegal's Ville de Dakar
Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers to tip off Kalahari Conference in Morocco
MBB hire former Mavs assistant coach Sam Vincent as HC
SA's Pieter Prinsloo hopes for BAL place after REG stint
South Africa to host 2025 BAL finals
Features:
African Basketball is searching for its new face after Dikembe Mutombo's passing
"It never felt like a drag for Dikembe," BAL president Amadou Fall told Andscape. "He showed up everywhere, wherever we needed him. If you have a Hall of Famer with that attitude and commitment, you're going to be relevant wherever you are. His contribution brought a spotlight to everything we did."
Rivers Hoopers coach Odaudu knows less than the Finals is a fail
If there is one thing that Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers are clear about going into the 2025 Basketball Africa League season, it is that they want to surpass their performance from 2024, where they finished in third place.
Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers don't want another BAL participation trophy
After finishing third at the last Basketball Africa League tournament in 2024, Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers want to go at least one better and reach the Final of next year's tournament... perhaps even win it. To get to the 2025 edition, the Kingsmen swept past all opposition to claim their sixth national championship, topping Hoops and Read 71-54 to claim the 2024 NBBF Final 8 title.