USA Men’s National Basketball Team To Visit Senegal

Written by Dana Sanchez

Jul 18, 2014

Senegal, Angola and Egypt will represent Africa at the 2014 International Basketball Federation FIBA World Cup, scheduled for Aug. 30 through Sept. 14 in Spain. The event features 24 national teams.

As part of its preparation for the basketball event, the U.S. team is planning to visit Senegal on a first-ever official visit that is being described as historic.

The USA Basketball Men’s National Team will visit Africa for the first time ever and will travel to Dakar, Senegal, Aug. 27.

The USA Team will conduct a clinic in conjunction with the Senegal Men’s National Team for Senegalese boys and girls at the Marius Ndiaye Stadium. The team will also tour Senegal’s historic Gorée Island and will conclude its visit by attending a reception hosted by the Senegalese government.

The team’s stop in Senegal will occur one day after the USA plays the final exhibition game of its 2014 tour in Gran Canaria, Spain, and three days before the USA starts play in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup that is being held August 30-September 14 in Spain.

“We’re excited about this special opportunity to visit Dakar and learn more about Senegal and its people,” said Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball chairman. “This will be a terrific experience for our entire group – players, coaches and staff.

“Others have described this as a life-changing experience. For our group to experience this firsthand is not just a great educational opportunity but also a great way for all of us to bond together as we go through our preparations for the FIBA World Cup. Hopefully our visit will have a positive impact on the boys and girls who will be involved in the clinic. I’m sure this will be an incredible experience for everyone.”

Serigne Mboup, president of the Senegalese Basketball Federation, said, “We trust that the visit will have a positive impact on the youth participating in the clinic and will help to inspire more young players in Senegal to develop into leaders on and off the court and in their communities.”

USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Kevin Durant said “giving back is important to me as it is for all of my USA teammates and our trip to Senegal will be an incredible opportunity to do that. Hopefully we can contribute some excitement and joy to the boys and girls who are involved in the clinic in Dakar. I know whatever positives we’re able to give to them will be returned to each one of us several times.”

Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA vice president and managing director-Africa, said, “The USA Basketball Men’s National Team’s first ever visit to Africa is a historic moment for the sport on the continent. Having some of the most exciting players in the game coming to our region will shine a spotlight on the sport of basketball in Senegal and across Africa.”

The 2014 FIBA World Cup, featuring a total of 24 national teams, including Angola, Egypt and Senegal representing Africa, is slated to be held Aug. 30-Sept. 14 in Spain.

Each team at the 2014 World Cup will play the other teams in its preliminary group, and the top four finishing teams from each of the four preliminary round groups will then qualify for the Round of 16. Winners of the Round of 16 games will advance to the quarterfinals, while losers will be eliminated from the competition. Winners of the quarterfinals games will advance to the medal round semifinals, while the quarterfinals losers will be eliminated from the competition.

Winners of the semifinals will advance to the Sept. 14 gold medal game, while semifinals losers will meet in the bronze medal game on Sept. 13. The games from the Round of 16 to the semifinals will be played in Barcelona and Madrid, and the bronze and gold medal games will be held in Madrid.