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 hosted the BAL playoffs and final from June 6-14, taking over from regular finals host city Kigali, Rwanda, while Morocco was added as a host nation and Egypt removed.
Al Ahli Tripoli beat Petro de Luanda in the final to claim their first BAL title, and to deny the Angolan side their second.
READ: ESPN's guide to all 12 BAL 2025 teams
Playoff match reports:
Al Ahli deny Petro de Luanda a second BAL title
APR break single-game scoring record to claim bronze
Petro stun Al Ittihad to reach historic BAL final
Al Ahli defeat APR to reach BAL in debut season
Petro advance to semis with win over US Monastir
Nigeria's Hoopers destroyed by APR in quarterfinals
Top seeds Al Ittihad need OT to avoid shock loss to FUS
Al Ahli bounce back to end Kriol Star's Cinderella run
Diarra leads APR to dominant win over BAL champs Petro
Monastir's Sane condemns Rivers Hoopers to playoffs defeat
Al Ittihad clinch top seed at BAL playoffs
Kriol Star open BAL playoffs with shock win over FUS Rabat
News:
BAL MVP Boissy credits mentality shift for Al Ahli's win
Babacar Sane joins Timberwolves for NBA Summer League
MBB head coach Sam Vincent joins APR for playoffs
Louisville Cardinals sign MBB starlet Camara
NBA unveil court in Rwanda as part of 1000-court project
Cassell: African hoops has grown beyond 'big men'
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:
Petro and Cele aiming to make history in BAL final against Al Ahli Tripoli
Saturday's Basketball Africa League (BAL) final at the SunBet Arena will see the free-flowing, ruthlessly efficient Al Ahli Tripoli take on defending champions Petro de Luanda - masters of the smash-and-grab win.
Petro hoping Samkelo Cele can bring 'aggression' in push to BAL final
After a difficult start to the 2025 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, defending champions Petro de Luanda captain Yanick Moreira is counting on Samkelo Cele's aggression to help them complete their turnaround.
Putney enjoying return to SA for BAL playoffs with Hoopers
American veteran hooper Raphiael Putney is back in South Africa with Nigerian side Rivers Hoopers, competing in the BAL playoffs in Pretoria, and has put his previous disappointment with Cape Town Tigers behind him.
Joel Ntambwe, Jonathan Kuminga's brother, using BAL to 'showcase my talents'
As Jonathan Kuminga finds himself at a pivotal moment in his career with the Golden State Warriors, his brother, Joel Ntambwe, is at a similar crossroads in the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Nigerian teen David Ugonna using BAL to follow in Khaman Maluach's footsteps
The NBA Academy Africa's hard work is bearing fruit like never before this year, with Khaman Maluach likely to be a top 10 draft pick this year and Rueben Chinyelu a reigning national champion with Florida. Back home in Africa, Nigeria's 17-year-old phenom Ike David Ugonna (Rivers Hoopers) is aiming to follow in their footsteps at the Basketball Africa League (BAL).
Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers hope defensive changes will lead to BAL history
As the Basketball Africa League (BAL) playoffs tip off in Pretoria, Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers are entering the final phase of this year's competition with renewed belief -- and a mission to make history by reaching their first final.
Hotel fights and financial chaos - Cape Verde's Kriol Star look to regroup at BAL playoffs
The internal conflict which marred Kriol Star's historic Basketball Africa League (BAL) campaign in Dakar still lingers in the background as the club heads into the playoffs (June 6-14), with three players departed and one temporarily suspended.
BAL's Ongwae inspired by hometown heroes in running Mecca of Eldoret
Nairobi City Thunder (NCT) captain Tylor Ongwae is arguably the face of Kenyan basketball, but in his home city of Eldoret, the most conspicuous athletes are neither hoopers nor footballers.
Who are MBB, and can they put South African hoops in the spotlight?
Made by Basketball, AKA MBB, is a Johannesburg-based BAL team led by former Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sam Vincent, and they're hoping to get South African hoops in the spotlight for the right reasons.
SA's Cele hopes joining BAL champs Petro will get him another NBA chance
South African basketball star Samkelo Cele, who played in the NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks, has signed with Basketball Africa League defending champions Petro de Luanda ahead of the BAL playoffs in June.
How a love for J. Cole led fan-favourite Will Perry to the BAL
"I had a teammate named Stephen Ugochukwu and he was telling me about the Basketball Africa League. He told me J. Cole was playing in the league and that was my favourite rapper. I was like: 'Alright - well, let's watch it.'"
How a hooper and an Uber venture capitalist created BAL team Kriol Star
The team, founded by Cape Verde international Joel Almeida and American venture capitalist Paul Bragiel, represents the third-smallest African country by population (only 500,000) and the smallest to qualify a team for the BAL.
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.
Conference match reports:
Nile Conference:
MBB keep playoff dreams alive with win over APR
Al Ahli TRipoli become first Kigali side to qualify for playoffs
Ahli Tripoli remain unbeaten with strong finish against APR
SA's Prinsloo leas MBB to first-ever BAL win
Al Ahli Tripoli sets new BAL record against NCT
MBB fall to second consecutive defeat, to Rwanda's APR
Hosts APR thrash newcomers Nairobi City Thunder
SA's MBB get rude welcome to BAL with debut loss to Al Ahli Tripoli
Sahara Conference:
Monastir, Kriol Star join Petro in BAL Playoffs on nail-biter final day
Petro advance to playoffs despite OT loss to Kriol Star
Defending champs Petro put one foot in playoffs with Dakar win
Monastir breeze past injury-ridden Kriol Star
Kriol Star stun hosts Dakar to claim emotional first BAL win
Monastir bounce back with narrow in over Petro
Ville de Kadar thrill home fans with win over US Monastir
Petro de Luanda thrash Kriol Star to open BAL title defence
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