With the Nets offseason all but wrapped up, two core members of the organization will head to Africa this week for the first-ever NBA-sanctioned game on the continent.
Nets coach Lionel Hollins will coach “Team World,” with Celtics coach Brad Stevens as his assistant, while Nets general manager Billy King will be a co-general manager of “Team Africa” with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri. No word on if Ujiri will throw any more four-letter words the Nets’ way.
The game will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 1 at 3:00 P.M. local time (9:00 A.M. EST), and will be televised on ESPN.
The titles for Hollins and King are mostly decorative, with the larger point being the further globalization of the NBA game. The game will feature some of the NBA’s biggest stars, including Chris Paul, Marc Gasol, Bradley Beal, and Serge Ibaka. No Nets will be on hand. Some NBA officials have already begun the 16-hour trip from the United States, which will give them a few days to get situated. Whether or not Hollins or King have is not clear.
