Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki will captain Team World in this summer’s NBA Africa Game 2017.
Nowitzki, who turned 39 today, will team up with Hornets guard and co-captain Kemba Walker, Blazers guard C.J. McCollum, and other players to take on Team Africa in Johannesburg on Aug. 5. Lakers forward Luol Deng and Hawks wing Thabo Sefolosha will captain Team Africa.
“I’m really excited to represent Team World in the second NBA Africa Game this summer,” Nowitzki said. “I also look forward to returning to South Africa after taking part in the Basketball without Borders Africa camp eight years ago. It’s great to see how the game is growing across the continent, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic event.”
NBA Africa Game 2017 will take place following the 15th edition of Basketball without Borders Africa. Nowitzki has participated in a BWB camp in the past, and so has his Mavs teammate Salah Mejri, who suggested earlier this season that he might also play in the game. Mejri is the first Tunisian to ever play in the NBA. (Full rosters will be announced at a later date.)
The game will be played in support of UNICEF, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages South Africa and will air live in sub-Saharan Africa on Kwesé’s TV, Internet and mobile platforms, including Kwesé Free Sports, Kwesé Sports, select free-to-air channels, Kwesesports.com, and the Kwesé app. Tickets for the NBA’s second game in Africa taking place Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa will be available for fans Thursday, June 22 at 10:00 am CAT by visiting ticketpro.co.za.
Nowitzki’s got a busy summer of giving back. His Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game is this Saturday, June 24, and not long after he said he’s heading to Germany to play in a charity soccer game. Then he’ll visit Africa before returning home to host his second charity tennis tournament. There aren’t many players in the NBA who give back more often than the German, which makes him one of the world’s foremost basketball ambassadors.
For more information on the game, head to www.NBA.com/Africa, and follow NBA Africa on Facebook and @NBA_Africa on Twitter.
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