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Basketball Africa League 2025 - News, dates, scores, everything you need to know about the BAL

Jean-Jacques Biossy, surrounded by his accolades, put the heartbreak of previous BAL seasons behind him as he led Al Ahli Tripoli to the 2025 title. Julien Bacotr/NBAE via Getty Images

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.

Fixtures and Scores

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