Panorama Sports
Cabinda, Angola, Aug. 11, 2026 – NBA Africa and Tidewater Inc., a leading provider of offshore vessels in the global energy industry, today announced a multiyear collaboration in Angola to expand the league’s existing Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programming that has reached more than 40,000 boys and girls across the country.
The collaboration, which will feature Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Tournaments, coaches clinics, and leadership clinics for Angolan youth, tipped off this morning with a clinic for 60 local coaches at Apolonia Complexus in Cabinda and will continue tomorrow with the first Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Leadership Workshop Clinic for 150 youth as part of a series of workshops to develop leadership and team-building skills, including through discussions with industry experts and community leaders. Later this year, NBA Africa and Tidewater will begin refurbishing local basketball courts and host the first Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Tournament in Soyo for boys and girls from the local communities.
“Angola has a rich basketball tradition, and we are committed to using the game as a platform to inspire, educate and empower young people across the country,” said NBA Africa CEO Clare Akamanzi. “By combining sport, mentorship and leadership development, our collaboration with Tidewater will expand our efforts to provide aspiring Angolan players and coaches with tools to help them succeed on the court and in life.”
“Our collaboration with NBA Africa is a natural extension of our sustainability program and who we are as a company,” said Tidewater President and CEO Quintin V. Kneen. “We have had a longstanding presence in Africa, and we believe in investing in the next generation of leaders. We are proud to work with NBA Africa to develop leadership, teamwork and personal growth in our young people while also helping them contribute positively to their communities.”
The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA is the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls that teaches the fundamental skills and core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA programming has reached millions of boys and girls in more than 40 African countries.
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the BAL, and more.
NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015. The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that concluded its sixth season in May 2026.
Founded in 1956 as the industry’s first Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) company, Tidewater currently owns and operates the largest OSV fleet in the industry, with over 70 years of experience supporting offshore energy exploration and production activities worldwide. Tidewater aims to be the global leader in the offshore industry by providing, in the most cost-efficient manner possible, unmatched support and exceptional local service to our customers, utilizing the safest, most highly skilled workforce.
