Obama Joins NBA Africa as Partner and Minority Owner

By Teddy Grant Published: July 30, 2021

Obama Joins NBA Africa as Partner and Minority Owner

FILE - Former President Barack Obama speaks at a rally as he campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, at Turner Field in Atlanta. Obama, already a million-selling author, is also a prize winning author. PEN America announced Wednesday, Nov. 25, that Obama will receive its second annual Voice of Influence Award in recognition of how his writings “have traversed political, social, and ideological bounds and framed a self-reflective humanism that has marked his influence on public life.” (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner and minority owner, the –league announced Tuesday.

“The NBA has always been a great ambassador for the United States— using the game to create deeper connections around the world, and in Africa, basketball has the power to promote opportunity, wellness, equality, and empowerment across the continent,” Obama said in a statement. “By investing in communities, promoting gender equality, and cultivating the love of the game of basketball, I believe that NBA Africa can make a difference for so many of Africa’s young people.”

Today @BarackObama joins NBA Africa as a strategic partner. https://t.co/qD5nxSZsbP pic.twitter.com/zkfFXlxwej

— NBA Africa (@NBA_Africa) July 27, 2021

Obama, who is of Kenyan descent, will work on advancing the NBA’s “social responsibility efforts” across Africa, including raising awareness of “gender-based violence, supporting girls’ education, and improving the livelihoods of African youth and families,” the NBA said.

He will use his equity stake to fund Obama Foundation youth and leadership programs in the continent, according to The Hill.