Cape Town Tigers Scandal: Players Shortchanged in Basketball African League Payment Fiasco!

Cape Town Tigers Scandal: Players Shortchanged in Basketball African League Payment Fiasco!

Just over two months after the thrilling conclusion of the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) season, reports have emerged that yet another former Cape Town Tigers player is alleging the South Africa-based club has failed to pay the total amount of their agreed-upon salary.

Liam Reid, who played for the Tigers in the 2023 BAL season alongside Zaire Wade, son of NBA legend Dwyane Wade, claims he has yet to receive his full salary of $3,900, the league minimum. According to Reid, he has only been paid $3,700 and has brought this payment discrepancy to the league's attention.

The Basketball Africa League has confirmed to the media that they are currently investigating the issue but have denied rumours that they plan to withhold part of the Tigers' 2024 participation fee due to Reid's complaint.

A spokesperson for the league has stated the following:

"In general, upon the completion of each BAL season, teams are required to fulfil all their obligations upon which all the remaining participation fee payments for a team are processed."

For the past three years, the Cape Town Tigers, South Africa's leading basketball club, have been embroiled in payment discrepancies and financial misconduct allegations. These accusations have primarily targeted the club's director, Raphael Edwards, who has been accused by several former staff members and players—including Chris Gabriel, Raphiael Putney, and Pieter Prinsloo—of failing to honour financial agreements. Some of these disputes are related to the FIBA-operated Road to BAL qualifiers.

Despite these controversies, the Tigers have enjoyed considerable success on the court. They reached the quarterfinals of the BAL in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and 2024, they achieved their best-ever finish by advancing to the semifinals. However, the shadow of these financial disputes continues to loom over the club's achievements.

More on this story as it develops.

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[Photography Courtesy of The Basketball Africa League]