Last week, NBA Africa celebrated the popularity of basketball in Nigeria at the annual Homecoming Festival over the Easter weekend, a demonstration of the game’s wide-ranging appeal.
Since its first edition in 2018, the Homecoming Festival has fostered cultural exchange and provided a platform for showcasing African creativity to a global audience. This year’s festival displayed a vibrant young creative community through a dynamic array of events, including shows, pop-ups, panel discussions, knowledge-sharing sessions, and collaborative projects spanning music, fashion, art, and sports.
NBA Africa’s activities encompassed a fusion of fashion and culture at a pop-up station in Alara and a free-throw photo booth at Harbour Point. Fans seized the chance to vie for NBA merchandise, personalized basketballs and sneakers, and a subscription to NBA League Pass.
The event which took place at Landmark spotlighted some of the country’s finest basketball talent, featuring a spirited 3-on-3 celebrity match between DJ Obi and DJ Tunez. Fortune Ibe clinched the showcase’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) title, with Valor Okini Ewomazino securing a runner-up spot.
The collaboration between NBA and Homecoming formed part of the “NBA Meets Culture” initiative, which amalgamates fashion, music, art, business, and sports to celebrate basketball through the prism of Nigerian arts and culture. Last weekend’s showcase comes after NBA Africa hosted the second edition of “NBA Meets Art” in Lagos.
