Veteran star Radhouane Slimane believes the Basketball Africa League (BAL) is rapidly evolving into one of the world’s top leagues. With rising young talent, elite international players, and strong youth programs like Elevate, the BAL is transforming African basketball. As legends lead and future stars emerge, the BAL isn’t just growing—it’s shaping a global basketball movement.
Last Updated on
April 24, 2025
African basketball legend Redhouane Slimane believes in just a few years, the Basketball Africa League will become one of the best basketball leagues in the world.
A BAL winner in 2022 with US Monastir, the veteran power forward has been waxing lyrical on how key BAL is for African basketball and what it will represent in a very short time.
“The BAL is progressing every year significantly, and I strongly believe that it will become one of the best and strongest leagues in the world in a few years.” Slimane said in a press briefing in Dakar, Senegal ahead of the start of the 2025 BAL Sahara Conference this Saturday.
“The BAL is a mix of promising young talent from the continent hungry to go far, as well as experienced foreign and local players. The important thing is that the BAL continues evolving enormously year after year. It's very important to win it because the level is very high, and the foreign players are the best now, in addition to the young players who want to show themselves so they can sign in Europe or the NBA.”
An enthralling center whose trophy room overflows of silverware, Slimane is perhaps one of the most accomplished basketball players in Africa. With a fascinating career spanning across 27 years, Slimane has played on several continents and won formidable distinctions.
Aged 44 and still waxing strong, the 2.05 m power forward has set his eyes on another major career objective, inspiring Monastir to become the first team to win the BAL twice after a first triumph in 2022. The Tunisian basketball legend has been speaking of his drive at 44 to continue performing and being a model for African youth ahead of the tip-off of the 2025 BAL Sahara Conference in Dakar, Senegal.
“At this age, I still train for 7–8 hours a day. For every young player, the secret to longevity is hard work, discipline and determination. When you develop this routine as a young player, even when you get older, it becomes a habit, and you just continue doing it.” Slimane who’s won the FIBA AfroBasket three times stressed.
His thoughts about BAL becoming one of the most elite basketball competitions on the globe are like those of Cape Verde’s Joel Almeida.
A veteran swingman whose basketball journey has taken him to Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Georgia, Almeida has weighed in on what makes the competition outstanding.
“The BAL is an incredible and exiting league. Its level isn’t different from some leagues in Europe, and one thing is certain, BAL is the future. It will be one of the biggest basketball competitions to come in a few years. All the teams have great talent, there’s great basketball and I want to invite all the fans to come to the arena and cheer the teams because this competition is the future of basketball.” Kriol Stars captain Joel Almeida.
A point to highlight the attractiveness of the BAL has been the talent that comes in yearly to the competition. Sergio Valdeolmillos, the head coach of defending champions Petro Luanda, has acknowledged the challenges in predicting outcomes for a BAL season. He noted that teams possess comparable elite-level talent and that scouting methods have become increasingly sophisticated.
Along the seasons, games at the BAL have become highly technical, with tactical execution at times surpassing uncoordinated talent. The BAL’s youth development initiatives such as the “Elevate Program” have been key in unearthing and providing an avenue for talent to thrive as has been the case with Cameroon’s Ulrich Chomche who was drafted directly from the NBA Academy to the Toronto Raptors after showing flashes of brilliance during BAL games.
As the Sahara Conference of the 2025 Basketball Africa League tips off another thrilling episode in Dakar, the sentiment among players, coaches, and fans is clear: the league is soaring. With legends like Redhouane Slimane leading by example, and young talents like Ulrich Chomche proving that dreams forged in Africa can echo all the way to the NBA, the BAL is redefining what’s possible for basketball on the continent.
The fusion of experience, ambition, and relentless evolution has made the league more than just a tournament—it’s become a movement. And if the passion on and off the court is any indication, BAL’s future isn’t just bright, it’s bound to be legendary.
(Photography- FIBA/ Razzmatazz)
